Vancouver councillors support vaccine mandate for city staff even as new rules don't apply to elected officials
Multiple Vancouver councillors are showing support for the city’s new vaccine rules for staff, even as elected officials don't fall under the mandate.
The city announced Monday that all of its employees would need to be fully inoculated by Dec. 6.
However, the mandate does not affect elected city councillors and park board commissioners due to ”different legal considerations in respect of such officials,” said a representative for the city in a statement.
Coun. Pete Fry says he supports the mandate, saying it’s important given that data shows the virus is being spread mainly by unvaccinated people.
Fry was unaware he and his counterparts on council were exempt from the mandate, but added that he is already fully vaccinated.
“As far as I know, all of us are vaccinated. I'm double vaccinated and got vaccinated quite a while ago,” said Fry.
He says it’s an issue he believes the entire council takes very seriously.
“I haven't actually heard anybody on council or the mayor reflecting any kind of anti-vax sentiment,” Fry said.
Later in the day, a statement from the City of Vancouver announced it had confirmed Fry's belief: while not required to be, all councillors are already fully vaccinated.
Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung is also supportive of the policy.
“(I'm) personally proudly double vaxxed and ready to take any booster whenever it may be made available by the (provincial health officer),” wrote Kirby-Yung in an email to CTV News.
She was aware elected officials were exempt.
“I am not surprised by that as legally council are not employees, members have different status as elected representatives. Management can only set HR policies that relate to staff. The governance is very clear,” she wrote.
Kirby-Yung would like to see the city take even further action.
“I’ve been fully supportive of public health measures early on throughout the pandemic including a mask mandate in civic facilities which the majority of council voted down.”
The city says employees who do not comply with the new vaccine mandate will not be permitted in the workplace.
It has yet to specify whether they would be fired, or placed on administrative leave either with or without pay.
“If city councillors, or park board commissioners, wished to impose such a policy upon themselves, the city believes that it is better for them to approve and adopt their own policy,” said a representative for the city in a statement.
It’s a move Fry is open to.
“That's certainly something that I think this council would probably support,” he said.
The city will accommodate employees who require an exemption from the policy for medical reasons or other grounds protected under the BC Human Rights Code.
“We have a lot of frontline staff. We have a lot of staff that are working with vulnerable populations. So we do recognize this as an important imperative. But we also recognize that there are personal liberties and freedoms and medical issues that are going to play into this,” said Fry.
The full details of the policy are still being finalized.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.