Rather than get vaccine, nearly 2,000 state workers lose jobs
OLYMPIA — Exactly how many people will be out of work for ignoring Gov. Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate isn’t known yet.
But it became a lot clearer Tuesday, as details emerged about 1,887 workers who quit or were terminated by Monday’s deadline. Tens of thousands of workers in the state needed to prove they were vaccinated against COVID-19, or had a valid reason for an exemption, to keep their jobs.
Overall, 1,696 employees were fired, with 112 choosing to resign and 79 to retire, according to figures released by the Office of Financial Management. Those totals will rise as another 2,887 people are in the process of getting vaccinated, retiring, seeking accommodation or facing termination.
As of Monday, a quarter of those who were fired or quit — 462 people — worked in the state Department of Transportation, the report shows. The figure includes an exodus of 129 from the Washington State Ferries, where leaders already had to slash service on major routes including Mukilteo-Clinton and Edmonds-Kingston, due to staffing shortages.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/rather-than-get-vaccine-nearly-2000-state-workers-lose-jobs/
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