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Employees in small Arkansas town protest company-wide vaccine mandate

The decision to enforce a vaccine mandate in the workplace is generating debate everywhere, including south Arkansas.

CAMDEN, Arkansas — Some companies in Camden are requiring that employees get a COVID-19 vaccine or risk losing their job. 

For Kristen Temple, she is sending a clear message that she does not agree with her company's decision to mandate the vaccine.

"My husband and I both work for government contractors, so we are both a risk for losing our jobs and our 1-year-old is going to suffer," Temple said.

Earlier this month, she said she received a letter from her job that said her company would be requiring all employees to be vaccinated.

That notice was something she know she could not stay quiet about. 

"I just decided to start a Facebook group to try to, you know, get a little bit of a semblance between the folks of us out here in east Camden that were going to be affected," Temple said.

After posting and getting a large response, she quickly found out that she is not alone.

"It exploded into a group of almost 900 people in less than a week," Temple said.

The people are against a company vaccine mandate are employees of several Aerospace businesses like Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne.

People like Nancy Beaver said that being forced to get the vaccine is a slap in the face.

"Some of these people have worked for these companies for 20 years or more. And now all of a sudden, you know, they're not essential anymore," Beaver said.

She said her right to a religious exemption is the reason why she will not stand for a vaccine mandate.

She did not want to tell us the company she works for, but she said the blame should go to the government.

"We don't blame the employers at all. It's, it's our president that has done this to us," Beaver said.

Sen. Trent Garner said the state could even face more economical challenges if the companies lose employees.

"If these people don't go to work, that means our troops, our allies, our defense system can't get the necessary equipment they need," Garner said.

He is calling the decision unconstitutional and hopes that the companies will allow exemptions.

"These people are vital to the security of our nation and standing up for their medical choices is something that they should do."

Most of the employees said they have until Dec. 8 to get the shot.

If they don't comply, they will face hefty consequences like being fired. 

One of the companies that is requiring employees to receive a vaccine is Lockheed Martin.

The company released the following statement:

"Lockheed Martin plays an essential role as part of the national security industrial base, supporting the critical missions of our customers in the United States and abroad. As we have done throughout the pandemic, we continue to follow federal, state and local mandates, including those requiring vaccinations. We also use other best practices to mitigate risks and protect the health and well-being of our employees and partners, while ensuring we meet our commitments to national security.”

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