Sherry Walker: United Airlines Mandates Do Not Follow the Science

As the video of the Nevada school children celebrating the end of mask mandates is going viral and the world rallies around the Canadian truckers, the public appears to be questioning the efficacy of mandates in general.

Hollywood announced Friday that in a city with mandatory vaccine passports, the elites would not be required to be vaccinated to attend the Oscars. Even Starbucks ditched its vaccine mandate. Meanwhile, masks appear to now be optional, at least at large gatherings such as the Super Bowl.

Yet, for the unvaccinated employees of United Airlines, CEO Scott Kirby’s draconian policy continues. Today, 355 pilots and hundreds of flight attendants remain grounded with the unreasonable accommodation of indefinite, unpaid leave — all this despite Kirby’s public claim that the air on an aircraft is scientifically proven to be cleaner than that in a hospital operating suite.

Speaking of science, this week, Johnson and Johnson halted vaccine production; Johns Hopkins published a study proving natural immunity is more effective than vaccines; and on Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration delayed its approval of vaccine use in children citing the need for further study. While Kirby continues to claim his actions are based purely on safety, the narrative is shifting toward science.

In August, Kirby implemented a companywide vaccine mandate for the “safety” of his employees, implying he knows better than they regarding their faith and their personal health decisions. In fact, he has hidden behind the claim of safety so many times that it has little meaning. Even Judge Mark Pittman, in his decision in Sambrano v. United Airlines — the 2000+ employee class-action case that is back before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, now that the plaintiffs have won their first round before the Fifth Circuit federal appeals court — saw through the marketing claims, stating United’s actions were likely “pretextual.”

In December, the “all-vaccinated” airline canceled hundreds of flights and stranded thousands of passengers as omicron ravaged the carrier, leaving many to question the vaccine’s scientific efficacy. In an effort to save face, Kirby shifted gears, claiming that his vaccine mandate was a success not because it prevented a single case of Covid-19, but because no employees were hospitalized or died. Airline Employees 4 Health Freedom (AE4HF) found a contrary claim.

In fact, while we are thankful Mr. Kirby has not recently been required to write condolence letters to the families of coworkers passing from COVID, we are disappointed he has not reached out to the families of our two members who passed while suffering under his retaliatory and discriminatory policies simply because they requested reasonable accommodations to honor their faith. Was this oversight intentional or merely a case of “Out of sight, out of mind?”

Several AE4HF members who acquiesced to Mr. Kirby’s mandate, in lieu of complete financial ruin, are either hospitalized or continue suffering chronic effects of the forced shot as indicated by their doctors and/or representatives from the CDC. None of these employees have been contacted by Mr. Kirby, either.

Even though 99 percent of United’s pilot force is fully vaccinated, our organization is experiencing a surge in inquiries among those who do not plan to take boosters and those claiming vaccine harm. So much so, we are now soliciting volunteers for a scientific research project among air crew so that medical professionals can learn more.

What we do know is that never in the history of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a new vaccine, drug, or medical intervention been forced on the U.S. pilot population without complete scientific clinical trials and at least one year of additional pilot-specific trials. The agency charged with protecting the safety of the U.S. flying public, the FAA, has turned a blind eye to proven scientific methods, possibly creating a crisis bigger than the pandemic itself.

Meanwhile, as Kirby is expressing his deep concern for his working employees, our members appear to be of little consequence. As one of our flight attendant members who acquiesced and then suffered vaccine harm asked, “What’s the difference between Scott Kirby and what Harvey Weinstein did? Weinstein forced his underlings to surrender their body for their jobs. I see no difference at United.”

At a time when the narrative is crumbling, Scott Kirby could and should do the right thing for his employees, his passengers, and his shareholders. Stop forcing this crisis of conscience and put those of us who remain healthy and unvaccinated back to work. The science proves we can do it safely.