Plea to protect PG&E workers goes viral: 'These men and women have families'

AUBURN, Calif. -- As outrage mounts over PG&E's public safety power shutoffs, one utility worker's wife is making a public plea: don't lash out at the workers on the frontlines.

Her message with a poignant photo of a line worker holding his newborn son is going viral.

"It kinds shows the softness. That these employees at PG&E aren't just workers they're also humans."

Photographer Katie Barbier has a personal connection to the utility: her husband works for the company. The man pictured in her viral post is her husband's cousin and he also works for the company.

Here is Katie's full Facebook post:

"Whether you agree with the power outage or not, please remember that the guys you see out in the blue trucks working in the hard hats are not the people to lash out at. These men and women have families that they are trying to provide for (who's power is most likely also affected). They are simply employees and have no say in any decision making so shouting profanities or resorting to violence towards PG&E workers will never do any good but it would instead hurt someone's father, mother, brother, sister, husband or wife. Please remember to stay kind."

At last check the post had already been shared over 20,000 times and has thousands of comments.