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<\/figure>\nNEW YORK (PIX11) \u2014 Former city workers fired over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate<\/a> rallied at City Hall for their jobs as several city agencies struggled with staff shortages.<\/p>\n Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa noted the city\u2019s difficulty hiring and retaining staff has \u201cweakened vital parts of our essential services.\u201d<\/p>\n A report compiled by the New York City Council showed the Department of Health with a job vacancy rate of 19% and the Department of Emergency Management with a 22% job vacancy rate.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThere are labor shortages across the country,\u201d said Barbara Dannenberg, the deputy commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. \u201cNew York City has not been spared.\u201d<\/p>\n Councilmember Joann Ariola told PIX11 News she remains hopeful that Mayor Eric Adams will drop the vaccine mandate for municipal workers, saying, \u201cI see that he has changed many of the mandates and repealed many of them, and it is my hope that he will continue in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement, a City Hall spokesperson told PIX11 News, \u201cWhile we don\u2019t discuss private conversations, we are always willing to sit down with elected officials and members of the community and hear their concerns. We will continue to follow the advice of the health experts to guide our response to COVID-19 and ensure the health and safety of all New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n Read here: https:\/\/pix11.com\/news\/local-news\/ex-nyc-workers-fired-over-covid-rally-at-city-hall\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Ayana Harry, September 9, 2022<\/p>\n