By Cassie McGrath
masslive.com
BOSTON — Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association members voted against a proposal from the city offering incentives for police to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Out of the 1,600 members, 900 people voted, with 800 of them choosing to reject a new benefit to provide mental health and wellness days for all vaccinated officers. They were also offered a path for unvaccinated members to be rehired after they get their dose, according to the Boston Globe.
BPPA, the largest police union in Boston, was advocating for the mental health day and for the city to freeze a booster shot mandate, NBC 10 reported.
Mayor Michelle Wu issued two vaccine mandates on the city of Boston. The first applies to guests of restaurants, bars, fitness centers and venues and went into effect a few weeks ago. The second applies to employees of the city. It was supposed to go into effect on Jan. 15 but has since been pushed back twice to Jan. 31 due to ongoing negotiations with unions.
About 94% of city workers have complied with the mandate, according to Wu and union President Larry Calderone reportedly said that 93% of members are vaccinated. Those who don’t have at least one dose by Monday will be put on unpaid leave.
Calderone also told reporters that the offer from the city was not enough.
“We chose to go to the bargaining table,” he said, according to the Globe. “We were hoping to get concessions in benefits, some type of testing, some form of testing. We were hoping to secure some wellness benefits for the members that I think are well deserved, but that didn’t happen [because] we didn’t get as much as the membership wanted.”
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BPPA said the mandate violates their collective bargaining agreements because they previously made a deal with Former Mayor Kim Janey which allowed officers who aren’t vaccinated to get tested twice per week, according to NBC 10.
“I would beg the mayor to come back with something more advantageous to the members we represent,” Calderone said, according to the Globe.
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