WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:04.629 vaccine mandates surfer municipal workers is about to take effect 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:06.620 later on this afternoon. As a matter of fact 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:08.080 , I wonder if you are the next mayor of 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:11.009 new york, if you will continue the same policy 00:00:11.009 --> 00:00:13.890 requiring workers to get these vaccines, even as many 00:00:13.890 --> 00:00:21.329 threatened to walk off the job. The conversation that 00:00:21.339 --> 00:00:25.410 what the mayor must do and I encourage them to 00:00:25.410 --> 00:00:27.739 do is to sit down with the union members. 00:00:27.750 --> 00:00:30.899 I use the term credible messengers. Uh, they 00:00:30.899 --> 00:00:33.590 are the credible messengers for their members, uh, 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:35.799 to find out what are the hurdles. We have 00:00:35.799 --> 00:00:38.979 heard the union state often, uh, that they 00:00:38.979 --> 00:00:41.729 believe this should be a contractual conversation. It doesn't 00:00:41.729 --> 00:00:43.670 even, it has to take months. Uh, 00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:46.100 something that we can do now and I think at 00:00:46.100 --> 00:00:48.780 this time is the mayor's call to make the right 00:00:48.789 --> 00:00:53.549 decision. I believe the vaccines are one of the 00:00:53.549 --> 00:00:56.420 most potent weapons against Covid, it's going to be 00:00:56.420 --> 00:00:58.560 here a long time and we could do it in 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:00.759 a manner that we can reach the finish line Together 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:03.509 . We understand about a quarter of city workers have 00:01:03.509 --> 00:01:04.980 not received a shot. Eric is it possible to 00:01:04.980 --> 00:01:07.159 run a city with that many people off the job 00:01:08.540 --> 00:01:11.390 ? Uh, no, it's not. But you 00:01:11.390 --> 00:01:12.560 know, we are resilient as a city and I 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:15.760 don't think we have to get to that place. 00:01:15.769 --> 00:01:19.079 I believe that there's a real opportunity here has, 00:01:19.090 --> 00:01:22.909 has been a trend in the last few uh, 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:26.159 hours where the numbers have uptick and I think that 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:29.769 we should see this as a real win a thought 00:01:29.780 --> 00:01:33.629 Thoren Thoren of the opportunities. And let's sit down 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:36.629 and come to a conclusion? Our city workers want 00:01:36.629 --> 00:01:38.340 to see the city move forward in the right direction 00:01:38.349 --> 00:01:41.569 . Uh They're the heroes and heroes of the city 00:01:41.579 --> 00:01:44.359 . And I think that a good conversation can all 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:46.180 have all of us take a deep breath. If 00:01:46.180 --> 00:01:49.379 we if we move past the loud talk you'll see 00:01:49.379 --> 00:01:52.650 that we're all saying the same things and I think 00:01:52.659 --> 00:01:55.230 we should get there together. How would you treat 00:01:55.230 --> 00:01:57.909 schools once a vaccine is available for young kids? 00:01:57.909 --> 00:01:59.659 Would there be a mandate for them as well? 00:02:00.739 --> 00:02:02.750 Um I am clear that we're going to follow the 00:02:02.750 --> 00:02:07.900 science. I believe it's imperative to listen to the 00:02:07.900 --> 00:02:10.590 Department of Health and mental hygiene. Our healthcare professionals 00:02:10.590 --> 00:02:14.169 the C. D. C. Uh we should 00:02:14.169 --> 00:02:17.310 not allow these policies to be based on our emotions 00:02:17.310 --> 00:02:21.669 or philosophical beliefs. If the science is saying that 00:02:21.669 --> 00:02:23.310 we should put in place a mandate and I say 00:02:23.310 --> 00:02:25.379 let's do it. Let's speak with the parents. 00:02:25.379 --> 00:02:29.490 Let's give them the understanding. And what's really fascinating 00:02:29.490 --> 00:02:31.719 here is that you and I both know that the 00:02:31.729 --> 00:02:36.360 vaccines for polio for months for measles and so many 00:02:36.370 --> 00:02:40.560 other viruses. Uh really those vaccines have saved millions 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:46.879 of lives throughout our centuries and it's imperative that we 00:02:46.889 --> 00:02:51.629 look at. It's already in place. So the 00:02:51.629 --> 00:02:55.610 slippery slope every state that we're not doing vaccines for 00:02:55.610 --> 00:02:58.830 Covid? Then what happened with the new arrive in 00:02:58.830 --> 00:03:00.120 students that are coming in. Do we also say 00:03:00.129 --> 00:03:04.569 we're not doing vaccines for mumps, measles, smallpox 00:03:04.580 --> 00:03:06.979 and the other things. So I think we need 00:03:06.979 --> 00:03:09.789 to tread very lightly here to protect Children and families 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:10.750 during this moment.