Without vaccination, 300 Tucson workers face termination

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TUCSON, Arizona (KOLD News 13) – Up to 300 workers in the city of Tucson may face dismissal for not receiving a COVID-19 vaccination, which is a condition of employment.

On August 16, the city passed with 6: 1 votes an ordinance to implement a vaccination mandate for the almost 4,000 city employees.

Almost 90% of urban workers have received a vaccine, but some have denied or received a medical or religious exemption.

In a memo to the mayor and council, city manager Michael Ortega said the 300 workers who failed to comply face a five-day ban without pay.

But he recommends that the council take the punishment one step further and set a deadline for dismissal.

In the memo he says: “Employees who are not compliant on December 1, 2021 will be notified no later than December 3, 2021.

You can find a copy of the memo here.

“So the cancellation date of December 1st is the limit in the sand for me,” said Steve Kozachik, a member of Ward 6 city council. “I said from the start that five days off would nibble on the sidelines.”

Kozachik says that some of those facing a five-day ban “wear this as a badge of honor” and “laugh at us,” which is why he believes the city needs to get serious.

The non-compliant workers therefore have six weeks to decide whether they want to save their jobs.

Some are expected to quit their jobs, and some could be police officers or firefighters, both of whom have close to 100 employees who do not comply with regulations.

“So yeah, there will be costs to reinstate people,” Kozachik said. “But there are also costs to the public in terms of a) our credibility and b) public health the longer we just do this.”

The entire council will apply the harsher punishment at its study session on October 19.

Another immediate concern is how the suspensions can be staggered so as not to burden those who have adhered to them.

If too many workers are unemployed at the same time, the workplace will be disrupted.

In addition, workers who have received exemptions must be tested weekly.

“It’s going to affect our workflow, it’s going to be expensive, you have to go to the test every week,” he said. “That’s going to get to the point where we say that’s too much.”

Copyright 2021 KOLD News 13. All rights reserved.

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