Pittsburgh pauses vaccine mandate as officials negotiate with unions

Pittsburgh officials announced Tuesday that they will not enforce a city-issued vaccine mandate set to take effect Wednesday for at least the remainder of the week as they negotiate with unions representing the city’s police and firefighters.

Mayor Bill Peduto announced Nov. 1 that all city employees without medical or religious exemptions would be required to be fully vaccinated against covid-19. The deadline for the vaccine mandate is Wednesday.

Employees are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks after one dose of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

City officials have, however, paused disciplining employees who don’t comply as they negotiate with the unions representing firefighters and police.

“The city will not take any disciplinary action this week while there is an active grievance,” officials said in a statement. “We are meeting and working cooperatively with the unions.”

In announcing the mandate, city officials said employees who did not get vaccinated before the Dec. 22 deadline could face “employment actions,” including unpaid administrative leave or termination.

Exemptions from the mandate based on medical or religious grounds could be submitted to the city’s human resources department, according to the executive order that implemented the mandate. City officials can interview employees requesting such exemptions, along with their manager and a medical provider.

Any employee who is granted an exemption will face weekly covid-19 testing.