I-Team: MassDOT offers jobs back to some workers fired over COVID vaccine mandate

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is offering some employees who were fired for refusing to get the COVID vaccine their jobs back, I-Team sources said.

In a letter to a fired employee provided to the WBZ-TV I-Team, MassDOT says the decision is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conclusion that “high levels of immunity and availability of effective COVID-19 prevention and management tools have reduced the risk for medically significant illness and death.”

Sources told the I-Team the letter was sent to former employees who cited “sincerely held religious beliefs” as their reason to refuse the vaccine.

The letter also cites that more than 80% of Massachusetts residents and more than 90% of state employees are vaccinated against COVID.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker was asked about the possibility following a Tuesday bill signing. 

“We’ve had a mandatory vaccination requirement in place for a long time. More than 95% of the state’s workforce participated in it and the number of members of our workforce who did participate grew dramatically once we put the requirement in place,” Baker said. “But there’s been a process here for dealing with those who sought exemptions and there are a small number of people who based on continued reviews of those exemption requests we believe we have solutions for.”

Baker also added that “there are a small number of people who the Commonwealth wants to talk to because we think we might have an answer for them.”

In the letter, MassDOT offers the employees their jobs back effective immediately. Accepting the offer does not require employees to dismiss and legal action they brought against the organization.