Unvaccinated employees on unpaid leave would have been terminated on January 15.
The city of Prince George suspended its mandatory COVID-19 vaccine program Friday, two days before unvaccinated employees on unpaid leave were to be terminated.
The program was suspended after negotiations between the city and CUPE Locals 399 and 1048, which represent outside and inside workers in the city. City employees who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 14, 2022 and did not have exemptions under the BC Human Rights Code were placed on unpaid leave and would have been terminated on January 15.
“As a result (of the suspension of the program), the employees affected by the program will continue their employment with the City of Prince George after January 15,” said a statement issued by the City of Prince George on Friday at 5:00 p.m. “The mandatory vaccine program came into force in November 2021 in response to the provincial government’s recommendation at the time that employees in large organizations be fully vaccinated against coronavirus.”
In an interview with the Citizen on Thursday, Mayor Simon Yu said 16 unvaccinated employees remained on unpaid leave.
“This was put in place before I became mayor and my position was very clear during the campaign and I still stand by what I said then,” Yu said. “The administration is working hard on this file and I will have an official announcement to everyone addressed to the 16 directly affected workers. We will look into this before the deadline.”
Yu promised to end the city’s vaccine mandate during his campaign this October.
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