Resolution 5 Update: NYC City Council Floor Vote Date Pushed Forward
Supporters of the resolution backing reinstatement of NYC municipal workers who lost their jobs under the City's vax mandates hoped for a full City Council vote this week, but it's not on the agenda.
After the June 24 New York City Council Civil Service and Labor Committee hearing where Resolution 5 was considered, supporters of the resolution had hoped for it to be approved by the committee and brought to the full City Council for a floor vote on July 18.
However, a vote on the resolution appears to have been pushed forward into August at the earliest, since the resolution has not been added to the City Council meeting agenda for July 18.
Resolution 5 calls on the New York State legislature to pass, and the governor to sign, S.7466-A and a companion bill to reinstate NYC employees who lost their jobs under the City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The reason for the voting delay appears to be the fact that several of the resolution’s supporters, including prime sponsor Councilman Joe Borelli, are attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week. Borelli has posted updates from the event on X.
At the June 24 committee hearing, City Council members heard testimony in support of Resolution 5 from 17 municipal workers who were put on leave without pay and lost jobs under the City’s vaccine mandate.
Matt Connor from the organization Bravest for Choice commented on Resolution 5’s status this week:
“Bravest For Choice looks forward to a vote on Resolution 5 by the entire New York City Council as soon as possible during a stated meeting of the council. We have been advocating for the reinstatement of city workers for more than two years now; the issue is still urgent—people's careers and lives are in limbo.
The resolution calls for the New York State Legislature to step in to effect the reinstatements, which won't be possible until the next legislative session in January. However, the passage of Resolution 5 would have an important impact in the short term, as it sends a clear and strong message to the Office of the Mayor— upon passage of the resolution will the city continue in its obstinance, and force the state to step in to correct this mess the city has created? Or will they come to their senses and remove the administrative barriers to reinstatement under new leadership at the Law Department and DCAS? The vote is the first step to answering this question.”
More on Resolution 5:
Connor and other City workers who attended the June 24 committee hearing spoke with me in this episode of the New York Mandate Podcast:
Watch the City Council’s official livestream of the committee hearing.
Resolution sponsor Joseph Borelli and other City Council members spoke about Resolution 5 and questioned representatives from City agencies, then heard testimony from workers who were put on leave without pay and lost jobs under the City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
New York City Council Member Joann Ariola spoke with me after the hearing:
Senate Bill S7466A
This is the New York State legislation that Resolution 5 supports. It requires the reinstatement of officers and employees of the City of New York who were dismissed from employment due to a COVID-19 vaccine requirement, including retirees, vested members, and terminated members.
Text from Senate Bill S7466A:
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 12-142 to read as follows:
§ 12-142 REINSTATEMENT OF CERTAIN OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES DISMISSED FOR COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS. OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES INCLUDING RETIREES, VESTED MEMBERS AND MEMBERS TERMINATED WITHOUT A ONE-YEAR LIMIT ON RETURN OF THE CITY OR OF ANY AGENCY THEREOF WHO WERE DISMISSED FROM EMPLOYMENT DUE TO THE FAILURE OF SUCH OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE TO COMPLY WITH A COVID-19 VACCINE REQUIREMENT, SHALL BE REINSTATED TO THEIR FORMER POSITION, IN THE SAME POSITION OR TITLE AND AT THE SAME SALARY AND BENEFITS WITH RETENTION OF SENIORITY, AS SUCH EMPLOYEE WAS RECEIVING IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THEIR DISMISSAL. SUCH OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE SEEKING REINSTATEMENT SHALL ALSO BE EXEMPT FROM ANY WAIVER OF CIVIL SERVICE RIGHTS.Michael Kane talks with Moe Oliver and Alfonso Ventura on Good Morning CHD.
All three were NYC Department of Education employees and lost their jobs under the mandate. They gave testimony at the City Council committee hearing.
Interview of NYPD Detective Marlon Bethel, Who Was Terminated in Regard to NYC's Vaccine Mandate
Bethel gave testimony at the June 24 committee hearing. In this interview, he speaks with (Ret) NYPD Lieutenant Eric Dym and (Ret) NYPD Lieutenant John Macari. Macari was pushed into early retirement from the NYPD under the mandate.
Police Officers Stand Against Vaccine Mandates
Detective Marlon Bethel and (Ret) NYPD Lieutenant John Macari speak with Michael Kane in this episode of Good Morning CHD. Both Bethel and Kane, who lost his job as a New York City public school teacher under the mandate, gave testimony at the June 24 committee hearing.
Unvaccinated Former City Workers Seek Council's Support for Reinstatement
Crystal Lewis covered the committee hearing in this article for The Chief.
Cafecito Break Hearing Coverage
The Perez sisters covered the committee hearing in several videos on their Rumble channel.
Cop Who Lied About COVID Vaccine Gets to Keep Her Job, NYPD Commissioner Caban Rules
Yoav Gonen covered the committee hearing in the last section of this article for The City.
Live Coverage of Testimony at the June 24 Hearing from @nycforyourself:
More from some of the workers who testified at the June 24 committee hearing:
If someone hired back upon this bill do they forfeit the right to sue for the lost wages and seniority? Or does the bill include the wages and the seniority?
Hi. I am so glad to hear that a decision is near. I was terminated as a result of the arbitration too. I was granted a religious exemption after appealing HR's first decisions but was told it was an undue hardship on the school. (Even though they were hiring teachers remotely at the time.) But I don't think the ruling will apply to me because I was teaching at New Visions Charter School even though it is a unionized school.