It is with a heavy heart, full of anxiety and disbelief that I write to you today. For the first time in my 11 years as a Registered Nurse I am concerned about the security of my employment, and therefore my ability to provide the necessities of life for my young family. I worry about this every day. Yesterday when I saw the CNA position statement on mandatory vaccines for health care workers, I had bouts of uncontrollable crying throughout the day. I am exhausted and afraid. I am grossly disheartened and concerned as I watch other Countries, and Provinces within our Nation employing punitive measures with experimental COVID vaccine mandates of their health care workers. Take the shot – or lose your job. This is certainly against our human rights, and an extraordinarily fear-based form of coercion. My body – my choice. How is it possibly an acceptable or fair choice, between my health and safety and providing housing and food to my children? ……………………my personal story here…………………… Further to this, in using my critical thinking and through rigorous independent research from ALL sources, I feel that I would be as well protected, and have less uncertainty of health risks, using the many prophylactic methods available to ensure my continued health and well-being as COVID continues to be circulating in this world. I am writing to ask how you, my union - here to protect me and my colleagues, and be our collective voice – is going to stand up for me, should the BC Ministry of Health also decide to impose such violating mandates? How will you fight for my rights? What are you currently doing to ensure the security of those of us in the BCNU who refuse to be coerced into becoming part of this medical experimental treatment? I am not against vaccines, I am not an “anti-vaxxer”. I have received many vaccines, and have taken my yearly influenza vaccine diligently for years now, since we were instructed to for work in BC. I was, however, very proud of and encouraged by the BCNU president Christine Sorenson taking action to demand just, ethical, treatment of ALL nurses in BC, in her statement in 2019, advocating for the agreement of the “punitive nature” of the previous mandate - to vax or mask – to end. I so very much appreciated the respect of the professional judgement of nurses. "This allows the nurse to use their professional judgment to understand the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, to take the flu vaccine because it benefits them personally and professionally, and then they can, when providing care to their patients, again utilize their professional judgment to decide whether or not they need to wear a mask," - Sorenson. I agree with her statements wholeheartedly, and in addition believe that, better than vaccine mandates would be widespread prevention strategies to improve health and subsequently our immune systems, adoption of early treatment medications that are proven safe and effective around the world, and better policies that protect nurses, their families and the public we serve – by providing greater opportunities to stay home when sick – flexibility to pick up a child who may become sick while in the classroom, etc. It is time again, to show respect for nurses’ professional judgement, as well as upholding Canadian rights and freedoms, and acknowledging that there are other ways to protect our nurses, and the public, citing the emergence of substantial international data.   I know I am not alone in this decision – and in this fear. I have many colleagues who have in confidence disclosed to me their anxiety around the vaccine mandates – some who have, against their will, taken the vaccine – not because they thought it was the best decision for themselves and their family – or their patients – but because they were afraid to lose their job. – Feed your family or take this experimental vaccine with no long term studies on safety or efficacy – THAT IS NOT A CHOICE. That is coercion, bullying,; a disrespectful violation of our rights and freedom. Two of my dear colleagues who had their first shot are now so full of regret and anxiety for having compromised their integrity – one is off on mental health leave. I have sat in meetings with leadership – where I have listened to managers say, that their nurses and care aids have told them they will quit their job, the profession even, if they are mandated to take the vaccine. How many nurses will we lose in BC? We cannot afford to lose ONE. Especially our senior nurses and leaders. Please BCNU, I implore you, how will you stand up for your nurses?