The federal government is giving us an ultimatum.  They are forcing us to choose between our livelihood and getting vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. BNSF Railway has been identified as a federal contractor and the deadline for mandatory vaccination is on January 4th, 2022.  It has been clearly stated that while some mandates are being stayed by the courts, employees of federal contractors, like ourselves, are being forced under the Executive Order to be vaccinated with no alternatives such as a testing option, antibody testing, etc. and we currently have no one fighting for us.

When the pandemic first started, we were considered "essential" employees and were forced to continue "moving America's freight" even before we fully understood the effects the virus could have on our bodies.  They were willing to put our health and the health of our families in harm's way because the government deemed us "essential".  Now that we actually have a better understanding of the risks and effects of the virus and can now make an educated decision, they are trying to strip us of our God-given choice for our personal health. Now, somehow we're only "essential" if we quietly submit to their forced vaccination. This is not an issue about whether or not an individual should get vaccinated—because that should be a personal choice—this is about the government trying to force us to put something into our bodies, whether we want it or not, and holding our jobs hostage until we comply. Even those among us who fully support the vaccination should be aware of the implication of the government choosing FOR US what goes into our bodies. Ownership and autonomy over our bodies and the ability to freely choose what does or does not enter our bodies is a critical aspect of individual liberty.

Now is the time to stand together and let the government know we have the right to decide what is best for our health and the health of our families.  As employees, it's been a long time since we've united on any issue and let our voices be heard, but now is the time to say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!"  Good jobs are hard to come by, but people have risked much more for much less important causes than this, and it's about time we take a stand together.  Please join us in support of this petition to call upon BNSF Railway, it's employees and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. to stand with us in telling the federal government to remove this mandate immediately, or at the very least to offer alternative options and allow unvaccinated workers to keep their jobs.