(CN) — The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a plan Tuesday that will give city employees until Dec. 18 to show proof that they are fully vaccinated for Covid-19. Until then, unvaccinated workers will need to be tested twice a week, with the cost of the tests — $65 each — to be deducted from their paychecks.
Employees can also apply for a religious or medical exemption, but those must be approved by the city.
City employees who are not exempt and remain unvaccinated after the deadline will face “appropriate and immediate corrective action,” according to the new rule approved by council.
“The city’s employee vaccine mandate is critical to protecting the health and safety of our workforce and the Angelenos we serve,” LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “Employees must be vaccinated by Dec. 18, and we are putting a rigorous testing program into place in the meantime. Let me be clear: any employee who refuses to be vaccinated by this date should be prepared to lose their job.”
The mayor and other elected officials have stopped just short of promising to fire unvaccinated employees. That’s in part because officials fear what will happen to city services should there be widespread firings or resignations. And in general, terminating some city employees, particularly ones represented by certain labor unions, can be a long and costly process. The city is currently in negotiations with unions over its vaccine mandate enforcement. The plan passed Tuesday was described as the city’s “last, best and final offer” made to labor groups.
According to the city’s data, more than 5,000 city employees have filed paperwork stating they intend to file for a religious exemption, including 2,600 police department employees. Most major religions have not taken a stand against vaccines. Another 1,000 city employees have filed for medical exemption, although some workers have applied for both.
Nearly 10,000 city employees have yet to be fully vaccinated or have declined to report their vaccination status. According to the mayor’s office, that number represents 15% to 20% of the workforce. In comparison, 99% of all teachers and 97% of other employees in the LA Unified School District have complied with its mandate, thanks largely to the district’s policy of firing unvaccinated staff. The city has yet to take that last step.
Last week, the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board criticized the lack of explicit consequences in the city’s vaccination mandate, writing, “Instead of holding firm to important public health protections, they have bent to recalcitrant employees — particularly in the Los Angeles police and fire departments, where roughly a quarter of personnel remain unvaccinated, and in the sanitation department.”
The county passed its own vaccine mandate for its employees, but LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has said he will not enforce it.
On Nov. 8, the city will begin enforcing its other vaccination mandate, one that applies to the general public. Anyone going into most indoor businesses — including bars, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, museums and shopping malls — must first show proof of vaccination. Patrons can also show proof of medical or religious exemption, along with a negative Covid test taken within the last 72 hours.
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