Texas' Response to the Southwest Situation
Will the Southwest strike spark up a rebellion against vaccine mandates across the country?
This past weekend, more than 1,800 flights were cancelled due to air traffic control, staffing shortages, and “bad weather.” I put quote-on-quote bad weather because that is not the case. Southwest was the only airline that experienced severe disruptions while all other airlines were operating just fine. There were severe disruptions because employees went on strike as a result of the covid-19 vaccine mandate.
As a result of the flight disruptions, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order today banning all vaccine mandates from any entity. This applies to both the public and private sector. Keep in mind, Southwest headquarters are in Texas so that is why Abbott issued that order. This is a win for people who do not want to be forced into getting vaccinated. There are some people who do not want to get the vaccine due to religious reasons, medical reasons, or any reason that should not concern anyone. The government and companies forcing anyone to get the vaccine that’s only been on the market for about 10 months (when vaccines were first distributed to the public) will result in chaos. People who end up taking it by coercion will likely experience side effects. And there are those whose lives may change completely as a result of the injection (physical and mental changes, disabilities, or even death). That’s not the only chaotic scenario. People will walk out of their jobs (which seems to be the case for Southwest) and the already staff-shortage crisis will only continue to grow. And that is why Governor Abbott signed that executive order. To put a halt to the disruption of the airline to keep the business moving, have the passengers arrive to their destinations on time, and have the voluntary option of getting vaccinated in all businesses in Texas.
To prevent this destructive mess that happened with Southwest this past weekend, more governors should follow suit with Governor Abbott. There are several governors across the country that have already done this such as Florida, Georgia, Montana, and several more. The United States is already experiencing an economic crisis (supply chain disruption, staff shortage, inflation, etc.), so why should any business or the federal government add fuel to the fire? By either signing bills or executive orders banning vaccine mandates, this will ensure that the staffing shortage does not increase, the economy runs smoothly, and employees are not left in a dire situation to where they either get the vaccine, or face penalties (including up to termination).
Southwest’s strike against the vaccine mandate may mark as the start of the pushback against the mandate that has bled across the country. If people do not stand up now, then when will the line be drawn?