FDNY union calls on NYC Mayor to lift vaccine mandate for city workers

This week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams lifted COVID-19 vaccine mandates for professional athletes and performers in the city, prompting the union that represents New York’s firefighters to call on the mayor to lift the mandate for all city workers.

The Uniformed Firefighters Association placed an emergency call to Mayor Adams after his announcement and requested to speak with him about what they say is a contradiction in COVID policy. 

“If you’re going to remove the vaccine mandate for certain people in the city, you need to remove it for everybody in the city because if you are going to follow the science, science is telling you there isn’t any danger right now. And putting hundreds of firefighters, police officers and other emergency workers out of work is not in the best interest of the city,” said UFA President Andrew Ansbro.

The union wants to protect the approximately 400-500 NYC firefighters currently facing job loss if they are not vaccinated for the virus. Ansbro estimates at least 5 to 10 firefighters receive a warning from the city each week to get vaccinated or step down.