The city's Department of Education turned into Scrooge this holiday season, demanding cash from employees it fired for refusing to take the coronavirus vaccine.
Diane Pagen, a social worker who was fired three years ago for violating the city's vaccination mandate, received a “bill” from the DOE after Thanksgiving asking for $2,290, which meant she was unable to work. The amount covered 10 days of salary in 2021, which he was ordered not to do.
Pagen, 54, called it a “shameful extortion” and a “shakedown.”
“What kind of upside-down clown world has the New York City Department of Education turned into? This agency refuses to let me go to work and now wants to charge me,” she wrote in the post. told the paper.
Pagen is one of 1,780 city employees (including 1,100 at the Department of Energy) who were forced to resign on October 4, 2021, for not complying with COVID-19 vaccination requirements. be.
But the DOE kept them on the payroll until Oct. 15. This time, the city is seeking 10 days of back pay for employees it placed on “involuntary unpaid leave” for not getting vaccinated.
Pagen and others worked without pay during spring break during the 2020 coronavirus shutdown. The teachers union later won an arbitration that required the city to compensate employees who worked for the DOE during that time, even if they no longer worked there.
“Why don't they call Diane about compensation?” I owe her? asked Michael Caine, founder of Teachers for Choice, a group of urban educators who oppose mandatory health care mandates.
“The fact that they are asking her to pay after keeping her out of work for so long is nothing short of outrageous,” said Queens Borough Councilwoman Joanne Arriola (R). .
“We will be speaking with the DOE to correct this mistake.”
The DOE declined to explain or comment on Pagen's bill, since she has filed a lawsuit against the city seeking $10 million in damages for infringement, wrongful termination and fraud.
“We thank our school community and city leaders for taking the necessary steps to protect our youth during the pandemic,” spokeswoman Jenna Lyle said only.
Mayor Adams lifted the vaccination requirement for city employees in February 2023.
In a related move, the City Council this week passed a resolution calling on the state Legislature and Gov. Cathy Hochul to enact legislation to reinstate Big Apple employees who were fired for violating the law. The labor committee vote was canceled. Mandatory vaccination.
Staten Island City Councilman Joseph Borelli, a Republican who supports Resolution 5, said an informal poll showed that the nine-member committee needed to approve Resolution 5 for a City Council vote. He said it showed that five votes were missing.
“I'm not dead,” he said. “We're going to go back to committee in January or February and find a way to pass it. We're very confident that we have the votes to pass it across the board. Masu.”
Arriola agreed.
“This is a civil rights bill, not an anti-vaccination measure,” he said.
Adams continues to fight a lawsuit brought by city employees seeking reinstatement of his job, along with back pay and seniority.
Jim Walden, an attorney running for Adams for mayor, said he would rehire employees who were fired for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine.
“We need to resolve this inequity by welcoming them back into city services and certainly accepting some form of back pay depending on cost.” Walden said.
