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COMPTROLLER MYCHAJLIW SENDS LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER VACCINE MANDATES FOR LOCAL COMPANY


Modified: October 21, 2021 3:16pm
Created: October 21, 2021 3:16pm

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October 21, 2021

 

The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin
Secretary
U.S. Department of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1000

 

Dear Secretary Austin:

I write to express deep concern over the future of an engineering company in Erie County and their ability to continue producing critically important components for the United States government.  It appears a policy of forced vaccinations could decimate their workforce.

This is related to the U.S. government’s issued guidance on vaccination requirements for employees of federal government contractors and their subcontractors as stated in the Safer Federal Workforce Task force recommendation dated September 24th, 2021.

It is our understanding that one of Erie County’s largest employers, Moog, Inc., is forcing employees to be vaccinated by December 8th, 2021 or they face termination.

Moog has no other options except to comply or risk losing their federal contracts which are a substantial part of their $2.88 Billion in revenues. This involuntary vaccination mandate forces workers to choose between abandoning their deeply-held beliefs or risking their family’s livelihood.  This forced mandate is more concerned with punishing corporations and workers whose fundamental rights are being forsaken than it is about solutions that are fair to everyone; human rights protections cannot be an afterthought in epidemics.

The effects of losing workers vital to the security and strength of our nation cannot be overstated. Our country faces ever increasingly dangerous and frequent threats from our adversaries from across the globe and we can ill-afford to allow these mandates to weaken our great nation any further.

The current Administration’s forced vaccination mandates will continue to adversely affect our country’s greatest asset, the dedicated workers in the defense industry, including 3,000 workers at Moog.

A return to decency, compassion, and respect for individual choice—even, if not especially, for those choices you disagree with—is the best way forward.  Please contact United States Congressman Christopher Jacobs and Brian Higgins to discuss a solution that will prevent hundreds, possibly more than 1,000 Moog workers from losing their jobs. Families and the defense of our country depend on it.

For pdf of letter, click HERE