NEW YORK (AP) — New York City and four unions representing city workers have reached an agreement on COVID-19 vaccinations that affirms the city’s right to impose mandates. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that the deal also allows members of the four unions who requested medical or religious exemptions by Nov. 2 to stay on the payroll while their requests are being adjudicated. The deal affects about 75,000 people who work in settings from school lunchrooms to trash trucks — but not police or firefighters. Firefighters’ unions say they were offered the same pact and have made the city a counterproposal, including a permanent option for weekly coronavirus testing instead of inoculation.
Photo: Dr. Lilian Abbo, center, receives a flu vaccine from Nicholas Torres, left, and a Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot from Douglas Houghton, right, at Jackson Memorial Hospital Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, in Miami. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it is safe to get your COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine at the same time. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
