Syracuse, N.Y. — Another 67 St. Joseph’s Health workers have been suspended without pay for refusing to get Covid-19 shots.
The workers had temporary religious exemptions to the state-mandated vaccination that were lifted by a court ruling earlier this month.
Nearly half of the suspended workers were part-time employees. St. Joe’s said any suspended workers who do not comply with the mandate by Jan. 8 will be fired. It also said any employees who don’t get a second dose of a two-shot vaccine by Dec. 15 will be suspended without pay.
“We were hoping that all of our previously exempt staff members would receive the vaccination and we’ve been educating them on the importance of it,” Leslie Paul Luke, St. Joe’s president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “It’s the single most effective way to protect themselves, patients and the community from this deadly virus.”
The state required workers who lost exemptions to get the first dose of vaccine or prove they have a medical exemption by Monday.
St. Joe’s fired 78 workers last month for not complying with the mandate.
Crouse fired 45 employees Monday for refusing the shot. The jobs of another 153 workers at Upstate University who lost religious exemptions also are on the line. Upstate has not yet disclosed how many will be suspended or terminated for not complying with the mandate.
The latest round of job cuts come at a time when hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities are severely understaffed.
St. Joe’s said its level of staff availability determines how many elective surgeries it can do each week.
“Despite staffing challenges, we are continuing to care for the community and we are not turning any patients away,” Luke said.
James T. Mulder covers health and higher education. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com
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