NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Metropolis correction officers on Rikers Island now should work 12-hour shifts, because the division’s vaccine mandate is in impact.
As CBS2’s Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported Wednesday, it’s a transfer to handle the extreme workers shortages, after months of chaos.
It was again to work on Rikers Island, however this time just for workers who’ve had at the least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Wednesday morning, 77% of uniformed Department of Correction workers complied. One other 9% stay on the job as their requested lodging, together with spiritual and medical exemptions, are thought of.
“We’ve seen it with each company. There’s a sure variety of days the place issues must type out they usually do type out. It’s going to occur once more right here,” Mayor Bill de Blasio mentioned.
Unfazed, the mayor pointed to different metropolis companies rebounding after lagging uptake.
However Rikers is totally different, as a months-long staffing disaster has fueled violence.
To forestall magnifying the scarcity, correction officers now should work 12-hour shifts, at the least till extra officers get the shot.
“Bear in mind, lots of people have been already working time beyond regulation right here and fairly hefty time beyond regulation. In some respects, it’s going to even that out. Some individuals who haven’t labored fairly as a lot will now be working 12 hours,” DOC Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi mentioned.
That time beyond regulation makes for a weary workers, in line with the correction officers union, which mentioned Tuesday the mandate, “could have a catastrophic affect on the security of our officers and the hundreds of inmates in our custody.”
“We see that folk initially who select go away with out pay fairly shortly in lots of, many circumstances come again and get vaccinated,” de Blasio mentioned.
However precisely what number of workers at the moment are on go away with out pay due to the mandate? After being requested repeatedly, town has but to say.
MORE NEWS: 2 Correction Officers, 1 Inmate Suffer Minor Injuries After Fire At Rikers Island
In the meantime, the correction officers union has threatened authorized motion.
