City appeals court order partially blocking vaccine mandate

 Boston is appealing a judge’s order blocking its COVID-19 vaccination mandate on certain classes of firefighters and police officers.

Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu’s office on Friday appealed a state Appeals Court ruling from earlier this month declaring the city’s mandate couldn’t be enforced on members of the city firefighters union and two police officers unions until their ongoing legal challenge is resolved, WBZ-TV reports.

Wu’s office said the appeal will help protect public health while the administration continues to negotiate with the unions.

“Courts across the country have repeatedly recognized the rights of state and local governments to require full vaccination of public employees,” a spokesperson for Wu said in a statement, according to the station.

The Boston Police Superior Officer Federation, one of the three unions challenging the mandate in court, said in a statement the city’s appeal “reflects a disregard” for the unions, city workers and taxpayers by “continuing to use public monies on outside law firms,” the station reports.

The unions argue that Wu undermined their collective bargaining rights when she imposed a mandate that all city workers receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or face being placed on unpaid leave.

Wu’s office has said most of the city’s 19,000-plus workers have already met the requirement.

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-police-boston-public-health-dbf49445a4072cf9878a2c2e06876537