Tag Archives: essential workers

“NY City Workers for Choice” Presser : Let Us Work!

Sept 9. 2022;  NY Workers for Choice held a press conference with the bi-partisan Common Sense Caucus on the steps of NY City Hall. Workers for Choice represents all New York workers who’ve been fired or banned for declining covid vaccination. … Thousands of NYC Workers have been fired & banned from their jobs for declining the covid shot. WORKERS ARE ESSENTIAL for a strong economy: Let Us WORK!

NY Workers for Choice held a press conference with the bi-partisan Common Sense Caucus … After, at 1 pm, testimony was given inside City Hall regarding vaccine mandates and city worker shortages. Workers for Choice represents all New York workers who’ve been fired or banned for declining covid vaccination. … Thousands of NYC Workers have been fired & banned from their jobs for declining the covid shot.

.Council members Joe Borelli, Vickie Paladino, Joann Ariola, Bob Holden and David Carr were all present at the press conference. Inna Vernikov was unable to attend but she did have a staff member address the press conference. FDNY: Sophy Medina ,  Bernacet Mejia; Teachers for Choice, Joy Amanda ; UFA vice president Robert Eustace showed up and spoke in support of fired firefighters. Councilman Robt Holden laid out why he believes the city does not need a municipal vaccine mandate anymore. “We’re not in 2020, we’re not in 2021, the city should get back to normal,” he said. “The city should lift everything.” [NY Daily News]

FLICKR Slide show

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.Speaker 1 – Councilman Joe Borelli:  CDC guidelines say you can no longer discriminate between vax and un-vaxed. The city’s response should be to ease those restrictions that left the city UNDERSTAFFED on many levels: teachers, firefighters, police. sanitation.

Representing teachers for choice: Joy Amanda, today 365 days since her termination.

Court officer, Chris Sperber, running for State Assembly, District 11. . Court Officer for the New York State Court System Fired for no vax.

 Sophy Medina marine corp vet and FDNY. When will Mayor Adams fire Dr. Vasan and put an end these mandates.

Bernacet Mejia,  a female firefighter, was orced to retire. Worked for NYFD 22 years.  Denied religious exemption, her civil rights violated. ( he was emotional)

Police officer born raised in Albania. 16 yrs ago came to US. Valued freedom of speech.

Council member, Joann Ariola.  Teachers, essential workers, NYPD, FDNY: pre-vaccine they never stopped working. Many did not want to submit to the forced vax. Referring to new mayor’s administration, new health commissioner, she says they are willing to listen. CDC now admits natural immunity which  is just as good as vax in fight against covid.

Video Part 1: Councilman Borelli of Commonsense Caucus … begins the presser; 3:09 Teachers for Choice, Joy Amanda; 5:38, FDNY, Sophy Medina and at 6:28, Bernacet Mejia( sp); 8:02, councilwoman, Joann Ariola ( 11:16- end Part 1]

Councilman Robert F. Holden said,  Mr Mayor: time to put every New Yorker back to work. Mandates were  de Blasio’s creations.  It’s a shame to carry them forth. This is not 2020. CDC says covid is not a serious threat of illness or death. Health commissioner is ignoring the CDC. We need to go back to NORMAL. Back to work. We need the courage to stand up.

Councilmember Vicky Paladino. I started this fight a year ago. Never thought it would go this far. People have lost their jobs. Leave without pay. It’s now 2022. Time to put people back to work. In 2020. the police/fire department  were out of the streets working. New CDC guidelines says it’s TIME to get back to normal.

Councilmember David Carr: Vax mandate was NEVER necessary. No one should be punished for personal medical decision. NY is supposed to be a labor friendly town. . The mandates need to end. They should never have started. Travesty. Should have ended months ago

Daniel….  spoke instead of Councilwoman Inna Vernikov . He said termination of employees unvaxed must end immediately.

UFA vice president Robert Eustace — mentioned 9-11 in 2 days. Pointed out there was not enough testing of vaccine. Common sense is “get back to work”.

Reporter CBS asked questions: only NY – drs heatlj commison- forced vax mandates. how many termininated- Michael Kane answered. 400-500.  want job back must be vaxed ( blk man) woman – nypd- lots are retiring.

Video Part 2: – 00:22 Councilman Robt Holden; 2:40, Councilwoman Vicky Paladino; 5:13, Councilman David Carr; UFA VP, Robt Eustace; 9:18, CBS Reporter asks two questions, followed by statements from protestors in response. [12:47- end Part 2]

So many sirens thru the whole un-amplified presser that I was unable to post a couple of speakers: Court officer, Chris Sperber, running for State Assembly, District 11, an NYPD officer born and raised in Albania and Daniel…. who spoke for councilwoman Inna Vernikov.

Later, in the City Council Labor Meeting, forced to retire FDNY Capt. Brendan Fogarty railed against the vaccine mandates.

The following Council Members participate in this Common Cause Caucus:

A quartet of conservative City Council members turned a hearing on the municipal government’s soaring vacancy rates into an anti-vaccine mandate spectacle Friday amid buzz that Mayor Adams could be on the brink of peeling back some of New York’s remaining coronavirus restrictions.

“We’re not in 2020, we’re not in 2021, the city should get back to normal,” he said. “The city should lift everything.”

Despite their focus on the mandate, only 1,761 city employees had gotten fired for refusing to get vaccinated as of Aug. 30 — a fraction of the more than 330,000 posts across all municipal agencies, according to data from the mayor’s office. Another 583 unvaccinated workers remain on unpaid leave while waiting on the city to review their applications for exemptions to the mandate, the data shows.

The hearing in the Council’s Civil Service and Labor Committee featured testimony from members of Adams’ administration on what they’re doing to improve the city government’s job vacancy rate, which stands at 8.3% — more than five times higher than pre-pandemic levels. [NY Daily News]

.UPDATE:

“As of July, more than 1,750 city workers were fired for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine — including at least 36 from the NYPD.A spokesman from the city Law Department said: “A court has previously upheld the NYPD’s reasonable accommodation process, ruling it complies with all applicable laws. Both the NYPD and a citywide appeals panel carefully reviewed this officer’s accommodation request. The city is reviewing this decision and is considering its options.The NYPD and City Hall deferred comment to the Law Department” [NY POST]

Mayor Adams END these illegal mandates.

LET US WORK!

[Where indicated, pictures and videos property of Pamela Hall-VSB]

Essential and Expendable Heroes Protest/Rally at Pfizer Headquarters NYC

November 13, 2021. Outside Pfizer Headquarters in NYC, a protest against the government mandates. Point made that day was they are not anti-vax, just opposed to forced injections.

NO FORCED INJECTIONS.

Apparently this was why the Essential to Expendable Heroes Protest was not happy with Nick Fuentes and his America First (groypers) …who they claimed attempted  to hijack the event with their anti-vax protest. So the two group were kept separate.

 Part 1 of 2 –  Flickr Slide Show gathered outside Pfizer Headquarters on 42nd St. The New York Freedom from Mandates Rally Protest and March was in support of our Essential to Expendable Front line Heroes. However, there was an unfortunate conflict with Nick Fuentes and his America First followers who also came to protest outside Pfizer (and later at Gracie Mansion)

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Part 2 – Flickr Slide Show

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“The decision to take the emergency use authorization vaccines currently offered should be a personal choice based on a careful risk-benefit analysis of receiving the vaccine compared to the risks of the disease for which the vaccine is intended to provide protection,” [Epic Times]

Video 1 John Matland [wethepeoplearethenews /SonsAndDaughtersOfLibertyUSA] (Excerpts from video) Matland  began with a brief drum beat to gather everyone together. The crowd was just starting to form as  John Matland spoke of  health care field and the government mandates.  “He spent 15 years doing cat scans. re the mandates. so many people think if someone says you have to do something- you just gotta do it. So many were scared they were going to lose their job. Slowly we learned religious exemptions and lawsuits don’t work out.

HOLDING THE LINE: That works out. Be resourceful. what you’ve done all your life is not all you can do. never thought he’d find himself blocking a garbage truck and getting zip tied by the SR Team. (and they thanked him). I am not taking another boosters. mentions the dangers. somethings wrong. Done with the propaganda. Wake from the nightmare. Health Care was decimated for years. Before covid. The media ignoring the PPEs being destroyed. not picking up theses stories. WE the People are the News. they (?) will eventually stop taking the boosters. (took ties off his sweat pants. I said I will not Epstein myself. I will walk thru fire cause we the people will win. (from the crowd) We are WINNING.” (cheers)

Video 2 A nurse dressed in long black PPE garbage bag.NYCH (?) against medical mandates, fighting to keep their jobs in health care. (her name, (p)aige?) She was wearing a long black garbage bag representing the lie that they HAD to wear them as PPE. NYC gave them GARBAGE BAGS. And N95 masks with a brown paper bag to reuse them over and over, the next day and the next day and the next. Shame on you, OSHA.

Shared her multiple emotions. Over whelming with no support, to fend for themselves.  Fear and intimidation, because her institution thought they could force her to vax against her beliefs. In JUNE, she was told no religious exemptions. BEFORE the mandates. (somebody knew what was up) Intimidation. Coercion. Her 97 yrs old grandmother was isolated from them. She was vaxed and she died (heart failure they said) Pfizer. Moderna. J&J have manipulated the data in their favor. We will not stand for it. Stand for freedom in this country. Courage. Fight the fear. G-d will take care of you.  Take vax if you want. Or not. don’t give in. A quote from her Yogi Tea: The challenge you are facing today, may become the greatest gift you ever had.”

Video 3 Teacher, Michael Kane (holding his young son) representing [TeachersForChoice.org] Today I have some good news re his lawsuit against de Blasio (cheers ) No fans of de Blasio here! His case argued with another case on Nov 10th at Second Circuit Court. Three judges (Carter and Clinton nominees) liberal justices.  Don’t want to be reversed, so they care about making the correct call. What we know NOW is the DOE has conceded to reinstate the 15 named plaintiffs in their case to their jobs (re religious exemptions) However, they will not allow them back in to their school buildings cause they are a “clear and present danger” to the school community, because they are unvaxed. Meanwhile wholly vaxed schools are CLOSED now due to covid outbreaks. RIDDLE ME THAT.

We opened the door to justice on Nov 1oth. The path to justice maybe long but we are going to succeed. Many disagree with religious exemption because we should be able to just say NO. (He explains) for almost 60 years vaccinations have been mandatory. There has always been a RELIGIOUS exemption to vaccination. SIXTY YEARS of Case Law argued in Federal Courts. The courts are not seeming to be ready to say “no mandate”  but there is some hope on the Religious Exemption. Also, NO ONE has to co-sign your beliefs. No church, no building, no man, no human: NO ONE. That is between you and your god, your maker and your higher power. The courts have been clear on this. The belief of the individual is supreme in America. Also, re United Federation of Teachers, he has left that union. They are NOT a union. I hate that union. They are an arm of the bio-security state. We plan on forming a NEW organization. 40% of his fully vaxed colleagues did not return to teaching in person. I made the choice to be there (teaching) even though unvaxed. He was teaching and monitoring in person. He was a hero. Serving. NOW he’s on unpaid leave because he won’t be coerced through fear of de Blasio (who’s gone in a few months: hallelujah)”

Video 4 Nurse 2 (also wearing a PPE garbage bag) … collective humanity, that’s what has appealed to people around the world. To come here for a better life. But we’re hanging on the edge now. We need to keep waking people up. Speaking the truth from a place of love. People need to hear it. They have fallen asleep. They don’t see the truth anymore. Be brave despite your fear.

It’s our job to light the way. Why am I wearing a garbage bag? It’s symbolic. There were many people at the peak of the “pandemic” (she used air quotes) who had to wear garbage bags as PPE. They (the gov’t?) burned the standard materials because they want everybody in fear. Treating us like garbage. People have right to choose what they put in their bodies. Are you okay with this mandate? What about the next mandate. Health care was first industry impacted. It’s not over. Pray. We’re not finished. Building a coalition. The peoples coalition all over the state. (sound issue affected audio briefly) Keep branching out from sea to shining sea. Stronger together. Act now!

Video 5 A business owner (slight sound issue from board) “She starts with some stats on (approx) how many restaurants (8700), bars (2500) and gyms (2700) in NYC. She put the “I will not discriminate “sign in the window of her business. She thought other restaurants, bars and event spaces would join with her. NONE of them did. There are actually supposed to be about 50 restaurants that are with them. What kind of country are we, separating people based on a vaccine. What happened to everybody. We are human. I know there are people with us, who believe the mandates are wrong.

Re the protests, this is the greatest awaking in New York. In the world. Unfortunately this is global. They KNEW before ( the pandemic) what they were going to do. We’re 10 steps behind. We cannot comply. We cannot give up our freedom. We cannot give up ourselves. We cannot become a One World Government. Unfortunately our government isn’t protecting us. Every institution has turned its back on me. I know we will get through this together. (re her business) She has a lot to lose, but she will not turn somebody away because they are not vaccinated. I believe in our country. I believe that we will get through this. I believe that we will win. They have a lawsuit against de Blasio. We’re going to win. (cheers) You are the heroes!”

Video 6Children’s Health Defense NY– John Gilmore and NY Alliance for Vaccination Rights (autism) 20 years activism. “He is convinced WE Will Win. The cat is out of the bag. Millions of people are fully aware of what Pfizer and CDC and other co-conspirators are  doing in this immense racket. We are dealing with a form of organized crime. Pfizer is the leading corporate criminal in history. Paid more fines and penalties than any other entity in the world. Biggest drug company in the world. Johnson and Johnson in the last year has paid over a billion dollars in penalties and fines. He doesn’t think American people will be fooled much longer. NY is in the belly of the beast. California. DC. Here is the worst. Get out of NY, in the rest of the country: Florida . Texas. They are up and out of this (re mandates). They do not believe the CDC anymore. The FDA. They are going their own way.

This is a long fight. Feels badly for those who have lost their jobs for sticking to their convictions. This is just the first round. (a boxing match is 15 rounds) But things are beginning to change. Battles in the courts. Battles in the streets. Last week – in the appellate court – judges said mandate is staggeringly over broad. Next is the supreme court. Our numbers are getting bigger and bigger (crowd jeers hecklers passing by in the street) Courts are important, but what do ordinary folks like us do. Rallies. Marches.  They make us visible.  Need to get involved in legislation.  There is a  bill to force college students to get vaxs. Mentions Gov. Hochel, our un-elected governor (BOOS) She claims a revelation from G-d. Engage your elected officials.  Not a single Republican in Albany backs the mandates. Problem is with the Democrats. Dems are afraid. Don’t what to say they support mandates. Coming up on Nov 20, the next rally on CPW. Living at  91 CPW is Assemblyman, Richard N. Gottfried.  (he no longer supports us) But we Are Gonna Win (Chants) We are WINNING.”

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Nick Fuentes’  VAX POSTER  – apparently not welcomed  by the other group because of their aggressive anti-vaccination stance.

Video 7 –  This woman pushed her walker in to the center of the crowd, demanding that John Matland allow her to speak. He said no. She wasn’t scheduled. He doesn’t know her. Her issue was he knows the other group – Nick Fuentes’ America First – Anti Vax group. She was angry they were separated from the Freedom From Mandates Rally/Protest. Insisting on a common cause. The Essential Workers made very clear they are not anti-vax. They are anti-mandate. The two groups were not going to able come together in a common cause.

Video 8- Nick Fuentes – I knew nothing about this popular 23 years old leader of disaffected youth. He joined the blue-hatted America First/anti-vaxers waiting for his arrival. They swarmed him making it very difficult to get a good view – though I did manage to grab a few shots.

.Fuentes’ 4 PM protest outside Gracie Mansion was long, but illuminating.  Whether you agree with him and his methods – or not- Fuentes  is a leader of disaffected young men looking for strength thru purpose and numbers. That he seems to deliver.

Meanwhile, so did the Essential and Expendable Heroes Protest/Rally. The speeches, and the march after, were very encouraging.

[Where indicated, Pictures and Videos Property of Pamela Hall-VSB]

NYC Workers Pro-Choice, Anti-Mandate : Hold The Line!

 

 

 

 

 

 

…October 28, 2021. 11 am. NYC- outside Gracie Mansion.

On Nov 1st Mayor De Blasio will send city workers home. Fire them if not vaxxed. Creating a manufactured crisis. City workers who refuse to begin their vaccine series will be terminated …

Fire and EMS unions have fought the mandate since its inception, claiming the weekly COVID tests for unvaccinated employees were keeping everyone safe. The Mayor should have hammered out a vaccination compromise with union leaders instead of threatening to take away workers’ pay, they said. [NY Daily News]

Flickr Part 1 slide show: Recognize Natural Immunity!

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NY Post: FDNY firehouses shuttered

The FDNY’s vaccination rate was at 72 percent at the end of Friday. the city’s deadline for workers to get at least one shot of the Covid vaccine. The mandate is expected to be enforced beginning Monday. The NYPD’s number stood at 84 percent vaccinated.

A memo sent Friday to the members of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association said it was “still in negotiations” with the Office of Labor Relations “for an extension to the deadline as well as alternate methods of implementation to maintain the safety of the public and choice for our membership.”

The memo, which was seen by The Post, advised all members, whether vaccinated or not, to report for duty when scheduled and to make notations in the fire company’s journal about why they were asked to leave. De Blasio has held firm, saying Thursday the city would not extend the deadline.

Flickr Part 2 – HOLD THE LINE!

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A high number of city emergency medical technicians and paramedics called in sick Saturday suffering side effects from their first COVID-19 vaccine shot, leaving the city down 40 ambulances, FDNY officials said. A majority of the ambulances out of service were in the Bronx, sources said.  [NY Daily News]

What follows are 6 short videos excerpted from an hour long protest outside Gracie Mansion.

Part 1 -excerpted from an hour long protest. First speaker, stressed accepting natural immunity. Why aren’t they recognized. “We’re not anti-vax we’re pro-choice. We give our bodies and our souls to this job” (FDNY) Also, not political. not Left/Right.  (He was annoyed with political signs.) Hold The Line!

Part 2 .”We took an oath. We will honor that oath. we will be there to work on Nov. 1st. We’re not sick. We will be there to work on Nov. 1st.We were told exemptions for first responders. We were keeping fire houses open. Yet our careers are in jeopardy. 9 days to make ‘choice’. Over 70% FDNY are vaxxed. Where’s the science!”

Part 3.This is a manufactured crisis. We will have to close down fire houses. Sanitation workers, EMTs sent home. Police. If the mayor sends them home this whole system will collapse. NEGOTIATE with your workers. Respect them. WHY are they doing this. HOLD THE LINE.”

Part 4. We were there for NYC. The mayor says he’s a friend of labor, but he has turned his back on labor/city workers.We built this country. These sky scrapers. All we ask is to be treated with dignity and respect. The mayor took an oath to protect the citizens of this city. He turned his back on us. Mr. Mayor: STAND DOWN.”

Part 5.  A woman spoke, a powerful speaker, I think her name is Jackie. “We always showed up to work. We want to work. So I ask this question: If the weekly testing was working. Why are YOU , Mayor de Blasio eliminating it! We are not anti-vax. We are pro-choice. we should be able to make a personal medical decision. Not to be forced. No mandates. THIS is how to say thank you, mr. mayor, to the essential workers who take care of the citizens of New York.”

Part 6 –  woman speaker continues. “The government of the United States cannot over ride our Constitutional rights. Our Health Care rights. Let me clear, we are not anti- vax. We are PRO choice. You are not alone. WE stand with you and your families. Hold The LINE.”

NY Post: de Blasio won’t budge . Creating a manufactured crisis. On Nov 1st  Mayor de Blasio will send city workers home. Fire them if not vaxxed. It’s an OUTRAGE!

[Where indicated, pictures and videos property of Pamela Hall-VSB]