BOSTON (WHDH) - The State Police Association of Massachusetts is pushing back against a mandate stating that state employees must show up to work vaccinated or risk being fired.
The Baker-Polito Administration announced Monday that 95 percent of active employees in the executive branch have completed the required attestation form or applied for an exemption in compliance with Gov. Charlie Baker’s executive order.
The administration says it has not received attestations or exemption requests from 1,571 employees.
All employees were instructed to report to work as usual on Monday with each agency’s human resources team expected to engage with those who are unvaccinated and not exempt in the coming days.
Non-compliance with the vaccination mandate will result in the following progressive discipline:
- For managers, this process will begin with a five day suspension without pay. Continued non-compliance will then result in termination of employment.
- For bargaining unit members, the progressive discipline track will begin with a five day suspension without pay. Continued non-compliance will then result in an additional ten day suspension without pay. Failure to comply after the ten day suspension will result in the termination of employment.
SPAM President Mike Cherven expressed concerns about the mandate during a press conference Monday.
“Prior to today’s mandate, we were approaching nearly 600 uniform members below a safe and manageable level,” he said. “Let me be clear, our concern is not one of anti-vaccination. In fact, the vast majority, almost 85 percent of our organization is vaccinated. Our concern is based in the lack of fundamental fairness in the administration’s consistent efforts to undermine the processes by which organized labor secures the rights of its members.”
Cherven also brought up the concern of termination because if a state police trooper is terminated, they will no longer be able to work as a police officer.
The administration says it does not anticipate any significant staffing shortages in the immediate future.
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