DORCHESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - Representatives with a Boston firefighters union, rallied against the city’s vaccine requirement in Dorchester Friday.
Local 718 representatives say that the mandate violates a prior collective bargaining agreement and called on Mayor Michelle Wu to allow them to keep a weekly testing option — an option that was available while Kim Janey was serving as acting mayor.
“The agreement that we negotiated in good faith, that we operated under that we held up our end of — It shouldn’t be violated,” General President Edward Kelly said.
The union said they will be appealing a judge’s decision not to block the city’s mandate. They fear hundreds of firefighters could be terminated when the city disciplines unvaccinated workers starting Monday.
Employees will be notified Monday, January 24th of their noncompliance with city policy and placed on administrative leave, effective their next scheduled workday, pending further action.
“The vast majority of city workers are vaccinated, and I’m grateful to the hundreds of public employees who have gotten vaccinated in recent days and weeks,” Wu said in a statement. “During this pandemic, we all have an obligation to keep Boston safe through prioritizing the health of our communities at large.”
The state says approximately 90 percent of firefighters are currently in compliance with the mandate.
Boston Fire Commissioner John Dempsey said he is confident there will be no impact in keeping the people of Boston safe.
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