On Nov. 18 Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s administration and AFSCME Council 94 reached a tentative agreement on a new contract that includes two $1,500 bonuses to be paid to state workers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
McKee has declined to comment on the vaccine bonus provision in the contract. The union expects members to vote on the tentative four-year agreement on Dec. 2.
The union’s 3,800 members have not been mandated to get vaccinated against COVID-19, while other workers in the state, including in the health care sector, have been required to do so.
House Minority Leader Blake A. Filippi, R-New Shoreham, thinks the vaccine bonus is a bad idea.
“We should not be giving out taxpayer dollars to fund a bonus to select people who got vaccines,” he told PBN.
Business leaders have also raised concerns about rewarding one group of employees for getting vaccinations but not others.