The current vaccine mandate by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is oppressive  and reckless.  The good people of Illinois have fought this virus and continued to work tirelessly for over 18 months now.  As essential workers, we continued to provide services to the people of this state and the people under our charge.  We have been on the frontline of this pandemic and still did our jobs with courage and integrity.  In the beginning we had only our wit's, nerve, and the barest of PPE that we mostly provided ourselves.  We then received better equipment and training on the matter and have been very successful at keeping our numbers down and mitigating the viruses spread.

Now, after 18 months of duty to this state and to it's  individuals, Gov. Pritzker has decided that he must force a vaccine on us, the people that have kept this state running for the past year and a half.  This is a reckless maneuver.  There is no certainty that this will help alleviate the spread.  Facts show that the vaccinated can still get Covid 19 and spread it.  Some people that are fully vaccinated are still ending up in hospitals.  Why?  Because no two people are the same.  Some people feel little to no effects of the virus, while others unfortunately end up in the hospital.  Blanket mandating everyone is an archaic and counterproductive way of handling this issue.  

As stated above, no two people are the same.  What might work for one may not be good for another.  Each individual employee should be responsible for their own choices.  They are the ones that know what's best for them, not you.  The people that feel as is if the vaccine will help their situation can take it.  Thats perfectly acceptable.   Those that feel as if they don't need it should be left alone.  We know that you made the choice because you felt that all employees should be vaccinated to protect others.  The problem is that those people are already protected.  They felt that they needed it, so they got it.  Vaccination won't stop the spread.  It's proven.  The rest is our choice.  

If patients, residents, and individuals in custody can refuse medical care and treatment (such as the vaccine), then the people that provide this state a service should be free to choose for themselves.  They are hard working members of the community that just want to provide for themselves and their families.  

This mandate has the potential to cause a major crisis in the staffing levels across many departments.  This could leave the citizens of this state in peril.  We, the employees, do not wish to see that happen.  We want to continue to provide Illinois with our expertise and hard work.  We ask that you allow us to do this freely without mandates.  

AFSCME knows how we feel.  We hope that they are able to secure our freedom to choose.  It is in their best interest and the interests of the people in this state that rely on our services.  Unions are a wonderful thing in this state.  We would not like to see them lose members and funding (dues).  

Nobody wants to lose their job over this.  We are more than willing to continue our hard work, but we will not concede to this mandate.  We will not falter from our beliefs, morals, ethics, and values.  We will not be bullied.  We are a proud workforce.  We stand together as proud members of this state that demand our freedoms and liberties be honored.  Freedom of choice is what made this country and this state.   You openly state that you fully support a woman and her right to medical freedom.  How about you support ours.   It's time to do the right thing and end this vaccine mandate.  Thank you and God bless.