Michelle Wu announces one-week delay in enforcement of vaccine mandate for city workers

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is giving city workers an additional week to get vaccinated without facing disciplinary action, even as most of the city’s roughly 18,000 public employees are already in compliance with the mandate.

“As the City continues to have productive conversations with municipal unions, employees will have one more week to get into compliance with the City’s vaccination policy. Between January 25th and January 30th, 2022, no employees will be disciplined or placed on unpaid leave,” the Wu administration announced on Sunday.

As of this weekend, 18,265 city workers were in compliance and Wu’s office said more than 1,600 employees had submitted proof of vaccination for the first time since the heightened vaccine policy was announced on Dec. 20. The Wu administration did not say how many workers it’s still waiting on to submit proof.

“We’re undoubtedly grateful to the Mayor for her decision to extend the vaccine deadline as we continue to negotiate with her in an ongoing effort to protect our members, as well as the general public, with the least amount of interruption and stress created for the community, our members, and their families,” said Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association said in a statement.

The BPPA and other city unions have been pressuring the Wu administration to relent on its strict vaccine policy, saying it should be worked out via collective bargaining. A vocal contingent of anti-mandate city workers have been staging protests both at City Hall and almost daily at the Boston mayor’s Roslindale home.

Boston firefighters — although nearly 100% in compliance with the mayor’s mandate — attempted to block the policy with an injunction, which was denied by a judge. About 300 firefighters continued to hold out as of a few weeks ago.

Dozens of first responders protested the policy, which went into effect Jan. 15, at Dorchester’s Florian Hall on Friday. Union officials vowed to appeal the court’s decision

Wu’s office declined additional comment on Sunday evening, but the mayor will host a media availability at 10 a.m. on Monday at City Hall.

Workers opposed to the policy have become increasingly vocal as the policy has rolled out even as Wu last week said via an email to union leaders and department heads that her administration wouldn’t begin enforcing its worker vaccine mandate for at least a week.

Wu’s vaccine mandate requires all city employees to be at least partially vaccinated by Jan. 14 and fully vaccinated by Feb. 15 or face disciplinary action including unpaid leave and termination. Another vaccine mandate requires anyone entering indoor restaurants, gyms, theaters, sports stadiums and most other public inside spaces to be vaccinated along the same schedule. Children will be required to provide proof of vaccination come March.

Several other cities including Brookline, Medford and Salem have enacted similar policies, but Somerville officials rejected a vaccine mandate for their city on Friday.

Arlington, Cambridge, Lynn and Melrose are also mulling vaccine mandates but have yet to announce any plans.