De Blasio calls city workers back to offices; some aren't happy

Workers call for change to return plan

Protests over the weekend call for the de Blasio administration to rethink its plan to call back 80K municipal employees expected back Monday.

NEW YORK - As things are slowly re-opening here in New York City, 80,000 city employees are expected to return to the office on Monday. But not everyone is happy to go back.

"It is disgusting how the mayor and city agencies have been treating city workers and using us as a pawn to bring back New York City," a city employee, who didn't want to give her name, said.

Some city employees say the buildings are not safe and claim they haven't been told what safety protocols are in place.

But Mayor Bill de Blasio said it is safe to return.

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Concerns over NYC workers return

Thousands of NYC workers returned to the office Monday but not without serious concerns over their safety and health.

"Our health care leaders are clear — this is the right time for folks to come back," the mayor said.

Back in January, de Blasio announced that city workers would come back into offices in May. So he said the workers knew it was going to happen.

NYC workers to return to offices

Mayor Bill de Blasio says workers employed by the city must return to their respective offices by Monday. But many say it is too soon.

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"180,000 city employees have been vaccinated — very important to know that 80% of the workforce is right now at their jobs and has been through the height of the pandemic," de Blasio said. "We've got to do the work to bring the city back."

The mayor claimed that working from home just isn't as productive as working in the office.

The grassroots organization City Workers for Justice will be holding a rally on Saturday afternoon to demand the mayor push back the start date to September. The group said many families are now scrambling to find childcare in the midst of a pandemic.

"We demand a return to work plan that is safe and equitable," said Jeremiah Cedeño of City Workers for Justice.

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The mayor said the plan is set and has been tested, citing the success of the reopening of schools.

"Based on what we saw in the public schools, which has been literally extraordinary and proven over and over again, a million tests to confirm how safe the schools have been," de Blasio said. "We're taking the exact same methodologies, applying them here."