Bernadette Mejia, NYC Firefighter
Sep. 15th, 2022 12:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
transcriberbNew York City Committees on Oversight and Investigations & Civil Service and Labor
Gail A. Brewer, Chair
September 9, 2022
https://councilnyc.viebit.com/player.php?hash=U2mDNKAEkDJA
Source:
https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/Calendar.aspx
[screenshot]
4:04:10
BERNADETTE MEJIA: My name is Bernadette Mejia. I'm a Hispanic single mother who had worked for the Fire Department for over 22 years. I was a female fire fighter. I was forced to retire after being threatened that I would lose my job and my pension if I would not get vaccinated. I was denied a religious exemption. My right to privacy of medical information was violated by the Fire Department. And I was outcast and alienated from the coworkers I had worked with for so many years because of my right to medical choice.
We're being violated. The very freedom this country stands for, and I knew this was wrong. This was not just my job. My life-long career was being taken. It seemed like, in the blink of an eye. I'm still in disbelief that this has happened. I worked during 9/11. I worked during Hurricane Sandy. And I worked during the most recent disaster of covid-19.
I would just like to remind everyone what firefighters and many city workers experienced during that time. While working throughout the pandemic tirelessly every other day at risk to my health and safety, and the risk of contaminating family members without the appropriate protective equipment, because even the Fire Department of the City of New York did not have adequate resources for protection of its workers, while being exposed to coworkers who had tested positive for covid 19 and were told by the Fire Department to report to duty. And while personally exposed at home with my fiance who tested positive with an active cough and fever, and I was still told to report to work, for duty, at the risk of countless further contaminations all while being told I was essential.
I was an essential worker. I was essential until my civil rights were violated. My right to choose. My body, my choice. [time alarm sounds] I was essential until the vaccine mandate.
I ask you now, with all of the new data concerning vaccine and its efficacy, new treatment availability, the information of transmission as well as no differentiation between vaccinated and unvaccinated, why are the leaders of this city still imposing a vaccine mandate?
My future stability was taken from me, the future of a stable pension to provide for my family is now gone.
Return all workers who were affected and punished for their right to a medical choice. Restore justice to a civil rights violation that was imposed by failed city leaders. End this vaccine mandate.
GALE A. BREWER: Can you wrap up?
BERNADETTE MEJIA: [nods]
GALE A. BREWER: Thank you. Thank you very much, I appreciate it.
4:06:50
[END]
> Transcriptions by Transcriber B (home page)
Gail A. Brewer, Chair
September 9, 2022
https://councilnyc.viebit.com/player.php?hash=U2mDNKAEkDJA
Source:
https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/Calendar.aspx
[screenshot]
4:04:10
BERNADETTE MEJIA: My name is Bernadette Mejia. I'm a Hispanic single mother who had worked for the Fire Department for over 22 years. I was a female fire fighter. I was forced to retire after being threatened that I would lose my job and my pension if I would not get vaccinated. I was denied a religious exemption. My right to privacy of medical information was violated by the Fire Department. And I was outcast and alienated from the coworkers I had worked with for so many years because of my right to medical choice.
We're being violated. The very freedom this country stands for, and I knew this was wrong. This was not just my job. My life-long career was being taken. It seemed like, in the blink of an eye. I'm still in disbelief that this has happened. I worked during 9/11. I worked during Hurricane Sandy. And I worked during the most recent disaster of covid-19.
I would just like to remind everyone what firefighters and many city workers experienced during that time. While working throughout the pandemic tirelessly every other day at risk to my health and safety, and the risk of contaminating family members without the appropriate protective equipment, because even the Fire Department of the City of New York did not have adequate resources for protection of its workers, while being exposed to coworkers who had tested positive for covid 19 and were told by the Fire Department to report to duty. And while personally exposed at home with my fiance who tested positive with an active cough and fever, and I was still told to report to work, for duty, at the risk of countless further contaminations all while being told I was essential.
I was an essential worker. I was essential until my civil rights were violated. My right to choose. My body, my choice. [time alarm sounds] I was essential until the vaccine mandate.
I ask you now, with all of the new data concerning vaccine and its efficacy, new treatment availability, the information of transmission as well as no differentiation between vaccinated and unvaccinated, why are the leaders of this city still imposing a vaccine mandate?
My future stability was taken from me, the future of a stable pension to provide for my family is now gone.
Return all workers who were affected and punished for their right to a medical choice. Restore justice to a civil rights violation that was imposed by failed city leaders. End this vaccine mandate.
GALE A. BREWER: Can you wrap up?
BERNADETTE MEJIA: [nods]
GALE A. BREWER: Thank you. Thank you very much, I appreciate it.
4:06:50
[END]
> Transcriptions by Transcriber B (home page)
