Yonkers PBA president weighs in on NYC vaccine mandate for police officers, firefighters, city workers

There is no option to get tested regularly, and if workers don't get their first shot by the end of this month, they will be placed on unpaid leave.

News 12 Staff

Oct 20, 2021, 10:20 PM

Updated 1,144 days ago

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The Yonkers PBA is responding to New York City's announcement that all police officers, firefighters and other municipal workers must be vaccinated.
There is no option to get tested regularly, and if workers don't get their first shot by the end of this month, they will be placed on unpaid leave.
The only exceptions are medical or religious exemptions.
This mandate comes after similar requirements for city teachers and health care workers went into effect.
The Police Benevolent Association immediately vowed to fight the mandate in court.
While New York City's mandate does not apply in Westchester, Yonkers PBA President Keith Olson agrees legal action needs to be taken.
"I am personally vaccinated, and my personal opinion is that I think others should get vaccinated as well, but I do not believe in the mandate…they have enough problems down there with crime as it is, and to think that you're gonna just stop paying police officers and just in essence lay them off, it's just not a well-thought-out plan," says Olson.
The City of Yonkers also has a vaccine mandate for its police officers, but there is a testing option.