City extends vaccine mandate to all staff

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This article was published 20/12/2021 (1753 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Winnipeg’s vaccine mandate will soon apply to all municipal employees.

No staff member who refused both vaccinations against COVID-19 or frequent testing for the virus has lost their job — but that might be a consequence in future.

As the highly infectious Omicron variant spreads, the change will help protect services and residents, said Michael Jack, the city’s chief administrative officer.

“This was not a decision we took lightly. By requiring all of our employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, we’re doing everything we can to keep our employees safe and to protect the critical services they deliver to our residents,” said Jack.

About 4,900 additional city staff must now be fully vaccinated (with at least two weeks passed after the second dose) by Feb. 22, 2022. That adds to 5,500 front-line municipal employees, such as police, firefighters and front-counter customer service workers, who were required to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 15.

Workers can apply for medical or religious exemptions and may stay on the job with frequent COVID-19 testing. Those who fail to comply with either option could be placed on unpaid leave.

Employee termination could be considered as a “last resort” but has not yet occurred, said Jack.

“We may very well find ourselves at the point where we believe termination is the appropriate reaction… We just simply aren’t there yet but it always remains a possibility,” he said.

Mayor Brian Bowman suggested job loss may be a fitting consequence down the line.

“At some point, I’d like to see terminations, if and when that’s appropriate… I think, if you call yourself a public servant, you should serve the public and go get your vaccine,” he said, urging both staff and politicians to get immunized.

Among the 5,500 front-line city workers who were required to be vaccinated, the city says 97 per cent are now fully immunized, 175 employees submit to regular testing and 12 staff are on unpaid leave for failing to comply.

Jack said the first round of the mandate has not negatively affected city services or programs. No vaccine exemptions have been granted for religious reasons, he noted.

Municipal staff who work remotely will not be exempt from the mandate.

“(There are) any number of reasons we might need that person back in their office… at a moment’s notice. So, for that reason, all of our employees need to be part of this program,” said Jack.

The CAO said unions that represent municipal workers have largely supported the call to get workers vaccinated, with some concern over potential job losses.

However, the leader of the city’s largest union accused officials of failing to properly consult his organization prior to the change.

Gord Delbridge, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500, said CUPE learned about the vaccine mandate on Monday, not long before details were released to the media.

Delbridge said the union is reviewing the plan and seeking a legal opinion to ensure it respects workers’ contracts.

“If there’s a violation to our collective agreement, based on the legal opinion, then we have a duty to fight it,” he said.

It’s too soon to say what concerns might be raised, said Delbridge.

He stressed potential union opposition will not be aimed at vaccination itself, urging all Winnipeggers who can get their shots to do so.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga