At its January 2021 regular meeting, the Troy Area Labor Council unanimously adopted this resolution.

Whereas medical research concerning COVID-19 has been either directly funded by governments or indirectly by tax subsidies or deferments;

Whereas pharmaceutical companies make exorbitant profits due to patent laws allowing monopoly pricing;

Whereas Pfizer and others are using patent laws to limit vaccine production so as to enrich stock-holders;

Whereas worldwide thousands die each day from COVID-19 and lack of adequate vaccine production and distribution exasperates this by delaying the development of herd immunity;

Whereas Dr. Jonas Salk refused to patent the polio vaccine stating that the patent belonged to the people;

Therefore be it resolved that the Troy Area Labor Council calls upon the Biden Administration to not only use the Defense Production Act to increase COVID-19 vaccine production, but also to take necessary steps to remove private ownership of COVID-19 vaccines, thereby increasing its production worldwide.