Recently, New York City removed its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for municipal workers, which has caused police and firefighter unions to call for their workers who had been let go to return to work. The COVID vaccine mandates were lifted for workers under private employers and professional athletes last year, which has sparked controversy amongst police and firefighter unions who felt singled out by the persistence of the requirement for only municipal workers. As a result, these unions are suing they city for back pay for their members who were put on leave without pay due to their refusal to be vaccinated.
See "NYC removes COVID vaccine mandate for its municipal workers, while police and firefighter unions sue the city for back pay ", Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, February 10, 2023