Partial win for teachers

In a blow to Mayor de Blasio’s vaccine mandate for all teachers without exception, an arbitrator has ruled the city needs to provide accommodations to staff with medical conditions or religious beliefs that preclude them from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

The decision — coming late Friday, just before Monday’s start of the new school year — declares that public school teachers who refuse to get inoculated against COVID-19 have to be offered unpaid leave or a severance package.

Under the ruling by meditator Martin Scheinman, most teachers can stay on payroll while their application for a vaccine or medical exemption is being heard, or if they appeal a denial of their request.

Teachers who resign due to refusal to get jabbed won’t be immediately fired; they will be able to take leave without pay and will be entitled to health insurance through September 2022, the decision states.

Teachers who get vaccinated while on leave without pay and provide proof of a jab to the DOE before Nov. 30, “shall have a right of return to the same school as soon as is practicable,” the ruling reads.

The decision also bars objections to the vaccine on political and philosophical grounds, and puts in place strict criteria on who is allowed to be exempt because of their religious beliefs or medical condition.

“As a group, teachers have overwhelmingly supported the vaccine, but we have members with medical conditions or other reasons for declining vaccination,” United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew said.

A DOE spokeswoman said the department was “pleased” with the ruling, adding it had “always supported narrow and specific accommodations for those with valid medical and religious exemptions!”

De Blasio announced on Aug. 23 that all DOE staffers need to receive at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 27.