This is arguably the first American supply chain giant to announce the imposition of the vaccine edict on its employees. Union Pacific is one of the big seven railroads in the United States. While I’m unsure what percentage of all American freight is transported by UP specifically, about forty percent (by ton-miles) of all American freight is transported via railroad. A significant disruption to production at Union Pacific is likely to result in significant disruption to the US supply chain overall. This may represent the greatest threat to the supply chain and in fact to national stability since the initial onset of lockdowns. This is especially true given that other railroads are likely to follow UP’s lead, not unlike what we observed with the airlines. Therefore, UP is unlikely to be the only railroad suffering such disruptions this winter.

However, it should be noted that UP did lay off a large number of employees during the pandemic, despite skyrocketing profit. It also mothballed a large number of locomotives. It’s theoretically possible that any employees lost due to non-compliance could be easily replaced by drawing from the pool of laid off employees now prepared to submit to vaccination out of desperation, and that any locomotives which fall into disrepair due to loss of access to adequate maintenance (parts, mechanics) could also be easily replaced. UP may be in a better position than other railroads to withstand the effects of imposing the vaccine edict on its employees, and that may be why UP was the first railroad to pursue the imposition. UP is however not very innovative, is considered rather backward when compared to other railroads, and could easily have erred in its judgment in this matter.

“Union Pacific and its labor unions are suing each other to determine whether the railroad has the authority to require its employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The unions argue that the Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad should have negotiated with them before announcing it would require all employees to get the shots. The railroad contends in its own lawsuit that it believes it has the authority to require the vaccine under its existing contracts because it can set standards for when employees are fit for duty. Union Pacific announced this month that it would require all employees to be vaccinated by Dec. 8 ... On the same day the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers — Transportation Division, or SMART-TD, union filed its lawsuit against the railroad, Union Pacific filed its own lawsuit Friday against SMART-TD and two other unions that objected to the vaccination mandate to force the issue. ‘This action is necessary to prevent any disruption of the national rail network and to avoid any impact on America’s supply chain, as it continues to recover from the pandemic,’ Union Pacific spokeswoman Kristen South said ... The railroad told employees that they would be medically disqualified under their contracts rather than fired if they didn’t get the shots. But the unions said Union Pacific was unfairly changing the conditions of their employment without bargaining over it as required ... The other unions that objected to the mandate were the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way unit of the International Teamsters union and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.“
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/u...ch-other-over-vaccine-mandate/ar-AAPJ4q0

“The White House said on Friday that millions of federal contractors must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8”
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ex...tractors-vaccinated-by-dec-8-2021-09-24/

“Adobe told U.S. employees Friday that they will have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 by Dec. 8”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/othe...heyre-not-vaccinated-by-dec-8/ar-AAPQzIa

“The Boeing Co. has told employees they must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or possibly be fired. The deadline for workers at the aerospace giant is Dec. 8”
https://www.heraldnet.com/business/boeing-tells-workers-they-must-get-covid-19-vaccine/

“Highmark Health is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8”
https://www.wtae.com/article/highma...to-be-fully-vaccinated-by-dec-8/38029020

“Verizon Communications In VZ.N said on Thursday that about 30,000 non-union U.S. employees must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 by Dec. 8”
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/ver...t-dec.-8-vaccination-deadline-2021-10-14

“IBM told U.S. employees this week that they must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Dec. 8”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/07/ibm...accinated-or-face-unpaid-suspension.html

“American Airlines and aircraft parts manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems (SPR.N) said on Wednesday they would meet a deadline set by U.S. President Joe Biden to require vaccines for its employees by a Dec. 8 deadline”
https://www.reuters.com/business/spirit-aerosystems-mandate-vaccines-employees-by-dec-8-2021-10-06/

“Southwest Airlines said Monday that its 56,000-person workforce must be vaccinated against Covid-19 by Dec. 8”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/04/southwest-airlines-employees-must-be-vaccinated-against-covid.html

“A trade group for air cargo giants like UPS and FedEx is sounding the alarm over an impending Dec. 8 vaccine deadline imposed by President Joe Biden, complaining it threatens to wreak havoc at the busiest time of the year — and add yet another kink to the supply chain.”
http://www.politico.com/amp/news/2021/10/21/joe-biden-vaccine-mandate-supply-chain-516682

“President Joe Biden's vaccine order will force employers to lay off thousands of workers, making the supply-chain crisis much worse, a major business group warned the White House this week. The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, an influential trade group that represents an industry with nearly 6 million workers, is pleading with the administration to delay a December 8 deadline ... ‘If tens or hundreds of thousands of employees are terminated just two weeks before Christmas ... the result could be nothing short of catastrophic’ ... the trade group said some employees across the distribution industry ‘for whatever reason’ refuse to get vaccinated, risking the termination of ‘thousands’ of employees just before the holidays. Many of these workers have told employers ‘directly and unequivocally that they would choose to be fired’ if required to get vaccinated”
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/22/business/vaccine-supply-chain-biden/index.html

“It was certainly no small turnout Friday as the clock struck noon and more than 200 General Electric employees punched out and walked out to protest mandatory vaccinations ... GE confirms to NEWS10 all employees must be fully vaccinated by December 8“
https://www.news10.com/news/local-n...ctady-friday-protesting-vaccine-mandate/

Biden’s vaccine edict will strip myriad Americans of their Liberty and livelihoods on December 8th 2021. Below is an adaptation of a speech made on December 8th 1941, with some words and phrases altered to more precisely fit the present situation, for illustrative purposes:

If only we had leaders today who would stand so effectively and courageously against fascist totalitarianism as our past leaders did, America could still be the last bastion of freedom, a shining beacon of Liberty, standing against authoritarianism and liberating the oppressed peoples of the world from the dystopic nightmares forced upon them by psychotic tyrants and their obtuse quislings.