Thousands Of State Workers Face Termination As Vaccine Mandate Takes Effect

BOSTON — Thousands of state employees face disciplinary action this week as Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID-19 vaccination mandate takes effect.

The mandate, which impacts some 45,000 workers, went into effect Monday. The Boston Herald reported up to 5,000 employees are at risk of being suspended or fired.

State employees who remained unvaccinated Monday are not necessarily losing their job. They will first be subject to a five-day suspension without pay. They can then be fired, some after being suspended for 10 more days.

The mandate has survived multiple legal attempts to undermine it.

A judge on Friday denied the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union's request for a preliminary injunction to keep the state from enforcing the mandate. The judge ruled, among other things, that it is not one's fundamental right to refuse a vaccine.

"Even considering the economic impact on the Plaintiffs if they choose not to be vaccinated, when balancing that harm against the legitimate and critical public interest in preventing the spread of COVID-19 by increasing the vaccination rate, particularly in congregate facilities, the Court finds the balance weighs in favor of the broader public interests," U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Hillman wrote in his ruling.

Forty percent of the 3,300 members of the correctional officers union were unvaccinated as of last Wednesday, the union's attorney said. Baker has activated 250 National Guard members to fill potential holes in staffing.

The State Police Association of Massachusetts also recently failed in its bid to have a court block the vaccine mandate.

The union said about 150 troopers have either resigned or begun the process of resigning due to the mandate, according to NBC Boston.

The state said workers who resign or are fired due to vaccinations will generally not be eligible to collect unemployment benefits.

Materials from the State House News Service were used in this report