“For anyone who thinks that oh, you know, I had a choice whether to be vaccinated or not and that would be just fine, that’s not true. You would definitely lose your job. And if you’re affiliated with a union, depending on your union . . . you would not be represented at all. . . . Where is my justice? Where is my case? No one is actually advocating for me and for my coworkers. I have coworkers who still have not returned to work.” - Hermione
In this episode of the New York Mandate podcast, I talk with Hermione, a hospitality industry worker who was working in three different premium stadium and arena venues when a series of corporate and New York City COVID-19 vaccination requirements were introduced at her workplaces.
Hermione was barred from her workplaces after she declined to take a COVID-19 vaccine and was not granted the religious exemption she requested. Unable to address the issue through her union, she was obligated to give up her apartment and stay with family out of state while trying to resume work in New York. She has succeeded in getting back to work at two of the venues.
Hermione talked with me about how she was excluded from her workplaces without ever having her employment terminated, her efforts to exercise her rights through her union, and what it was like to see unvaccinated athletes able to work at the venues she was barred from. She also talked about working through the era of pandemic shutdowns, reopenings, and workplace restrictions.
Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode:
NBA player Kyrie Irving speaks on Instagram in October 2021 :
Irving was barred from playing and practicing with his team, the Brooklyn Nets, under New York City’s vaccine mandate. The restriction was later lifted when Mayor Eric Adams created an exception to the vaccine mandate for professional athletes and performers. Irving spoke in support of workers who were subject to the mandate.
“Key to NYC” Vaccination Mandate Executive Order
The “Key to NYC” mandate required both employees and patrons of restaurants, entertainment venues, and gyms to show proof of vaccination. It began on August 17, 2021, and was lifted on March 7, 2022.
Order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to Require COVID-19 Vaccination in the Workplace
This is the order that former Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi issued on December 13, 2021 requiring all workers in New York City who work in a workplace or interact with other workers or the public to be vaccinated. An exception to it was later added for “Performing artists and college or professional athletes.” This mandate ended on November 1, 2022.
UNITE HERE Local 100
This union represents food service and restaurant workers in the New York/New Jersey area.
National Labor Relations Board
The NLRB is an independent federal agency that enforces the National Labor Relations Act. It provides processes for filing complaints against both employers and unions.
About the New York Mandate Podcast
The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I talk with workers, students, and parents who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts.
In late 2021, the City introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio. They covered nearly all workers in New York City, in both the public and private sectors. They also barred unvaccinated adults, including parents, from schools.
Current mayor Eric Adams kept the mandates in place until November 1, 2022 for the private sector and February 10, 2023 for City workers, and has encouraged private employers to put their own vaccine requirements in place.
The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice.
Join the Conversation
Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a vaccine mandate in New York? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com.
New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 53: Hospitality Industry Worker Hermione