Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island says a bonus of up to three thousand dollars for state employees who get vaccinated was a horrible idea, but it will remain in the recently signed contract with the state employees’ union, according to the governor.
The Governor stated that the bonus language is now being rewritten, although he did not specify what the new language will be like.
The administration had completed negotiations with the state employee unions, and the incentive was included as part of the settlement agreement. When asked about the payments at his weekly press conference, the Governor, who had been chastised for them, to begin with, said it was a “mistake.”
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On other concerns, the Governor adds that with the state already surpassing 200 thousand Covid cases; he says that all options are on the table, but he continues to think that Rhode Islanders will do what is right for them and get vaccinated or boosted as recommended. The Governor has stated that he is not inclined at this time to revive the mask requirement.
Despite his commitment to listening to the advice of his Health Department, the Governor stated that at this time, modifications to masking are not in the works.
