New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that 9,000 city employees have gone on unpaid leave rather than comply with the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate effective Nov. 1.
De Blasio announced the news during a livestream event on Monday morning.
WATCH: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that 9,000 city employees were fired for not complying with the Democrats’ agenda.
Joe Biden supports this! pic.twitter.com/K2VyGabaMi
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 1, 2021
In addition to thousands of city workers on unpaid leave, 12,000 additional city employees have applied for a medical or religious exemption, according to The Associated Press.
Those who have not yet been vaccinated are currently required to submit to weekly tests for COVID-19.
The city has approximately 378,000 workers, according to de Blasio. Less than 6 percent of the workforce is on unpaid leave.
The concern rises as details are being unveiled regarding which city workers are taking unpaid leave. A reported 5,500 city police officers, 2,300 firefighters and more than 1,500 sanitation workers remain unvaccinated, according to the U.K. Daily Mail.
The totals include an estimated one in four firefighters one in six police officers.
On Monday, ABC News reported 18 fire companies are considered “out of service” due to sick calls Monday. However, the city has reported no disruptions to city services.
“There are understaffed units. That understaffing could end immediately if members stopped going sick when they weren’t sick,” FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.
“Once the members come to their senses and stop using medical leave improperly, they can help out not just the citizens of the city but their brothers and sisters staffing the units,” he added.
FDNY union bosses also reported Monday that some firefighters had chosen to retire early rather than comply with the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
“This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. We’re not clear how many fire companies will be closed today, we expect dozens,” Andrew Ansbro of the Uniformed Firefighters Association said at a Monday news conference, the Daily Mail reported.
“We’re here today because of a mandate that was put on members with nine days to make a life-changing decision,” he added.
Sanitation workers are also reportedly in short supply following the city’s vaccine mandate going into effect.
This morning the @NYCMayor is urging sanitation workers to get back to work, saying he “assumes” the missed trash pickups are a silent protest. He says other folks will take those jobs if they don’t want to do them.
— Courtney Gross (@courtneycgross) October 28, 2021
Trash is piling up in New York as sanitation workers have paused pick-ups. deBlasios “mandate” applies to over 100K city employees! pic.twitter.com/D9vOLisnGw
— ??ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) October 29, 2021
Pretty sure my trash is growing mold outside my house for the last week, and lots of rain to weigh the bags down. https://t.co/3sF3xELGZz
— Amanda Farinacci (@amandafarinacci) October 28, 2021
Trash as far as the eye can see. Thanks @NYCSanitation pic.twitter.com/2iTWxUvcCs
— Digitalhen ? (@digitalhen) October 28, 2021
Last week, reports of trash piling up across city streets grew online, with Twitter users posting pictures.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
