Don’t Reward Those Who Refused to Get the Shot
Those who don’t rally around in a crisis shouldn’t expect some kind of remuneration when the crisis fades.
That, however, is what some people are pushing for as Mayor Brandon Johnson lifts the city’s COVID-19 mandate, which required that city employees be vaccinated. Some city workers who refused the vaccine mandate and were suspended or terminated now want back pay for the days they missed.
The courts will decide whether the city should have negotiated the mandate as part of collective bargaining.
The Height of the Pandemic
Let’s look back at the height of the pandemic. People were dying at a frightening rate. Public health officials were scrambling to do whatever they could to save lives. Health care workers were feeling the trauma of their exhausting efforts to rescue a huge number of patients, even as those workers feared they might bring a dangerous virus home to their families.
The same could happen if another pandemic emerges.
COVID-19 Vaccines: A Lifesaving Solution
Looking back today, the public knows COVID-19 vaccines saved many lives, prevented many people from getting far sicker than they did, did not have widespread dangerous side effects and helped slow the spread of the virus. Officials estimate COVID-19 vaccines saved 14.4 million lives worldwide in 2021 alone.
The Fraternal Order of Police
Yet there was Fraternal Order of Police President John Cantanzara back in 2021, urging police officers to resist the mandate and refuse to report their vaccination status, something other people had to do just to gain admission into a corner bar. How was this supposed to help vulnerable people? Not to mention police officers themselves, whose jobs — they have to show up for work and interact with the public — put them at high risk for COVID-19? Thousands of officers became ill with the virus and hundreds died nationwide, including five in Chicago by the end of 2021.
What about the Next Pandemic?
As the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman reported, the Illinois Labor Relations Board has ruled that those who were terminated must get back pay and interest. It’s not clear whether the Illinois Appellate Court will agree with the board. Other police officers received various lengths of “no-pay” status plus five-day suspensions.
The Risks of Another Pandemic
At the heart of this are issues that easily may become extremely significant once again. Public health experts worry contagious and lethal bird flu could break into the general human population, though at this point the risk to humans is considered low. Last week, hundreds of birds killed by bird flu washed up on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, and a new type of bird flu has been found in dairy cows.
The risks of another worldwide pandemic are real and increasing, according to a report from the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, an initiative of the World Health Organization and the World Bank.
Conclusion
Health crises really should be a moment when people come together as a community — and aren’t rewarded for stubborn refusal to do their part.
FAQs
Q: Why should those who refused to get the shot not be rewarded?
A: Because they didn’t do their part in a time of crisis, and now they expect compensation for it.
Q: What about the next pandemic?
A: The risks are real and increasing. Public health experts worry about a contagious and lethal bird flu breaking into the general human population.
Q: What about vaccine mandates in the future?
A: They will likely be necessary to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and save lives.
Q: What about collective bargaining?
A: The courts will decide whether the city should have negotiated the mandate as part of collective bargaining.
