Riggs

BACKGROUND

1. The City’s vaccination requirements In August 2021, the City adopted Ordinance 187134 requiring that all present and future employees, by October 19, 2021, become vaccinated against COVID-19—or request an exemption for religious or medical reasons—“[t]o protect the City’s workforce and the public that it serves.” The ordinance stated, “Employees with medical conditions/restrictions or sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances that prevent them from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine shall qualify for COVID-19 vaccine exemption, upon approval of documentation provided by the employee to the appointing authority or designee.” Exempted employees were subject to weekly testing “at no cost during their work hours.” The ordinance included an urgency clause declaring “this ordinance is required for the immediate protection of the public peace, health, and safety.” The City then negotiated with its labor organizations— including Riggs’s union, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL)—about the consequences of noncompliance with the ordinance. After reaching an impasse, the City issued its “Last, Best, and Final Offer” (LBFO) on October 14, 2021. The…