HARRISBURG – Senator David G. Argall, echoing the sentiments of many local employers and employees, is calling for increased transparency from the Governor’s office as local workers struggle to understand his orders for non-essential employers to close. As this order has been implemented and enforced over the past 2 weeks, it has raised more questions than answers for employers and employees whose livelihoods are at stake. There have been many cases of companies within the same industry receiving different results from the waiver process Wolf’s administration has used to give employers a chance to justify why they should be allowed to remain open.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. It is frankly irresponsible that the administration is closing down many employers without any degree of transparency,” said Argall. “I believe the Governor should immediately release a list of the employers granted a waiver as well as those whose requests were rejected to ensure that every employer across the state is treated fairly, and no employer or employee loses their income due to a unilateral decision.”
Senator Mike Regan (R-Cumberland/York) in a recent editorial published on Capitolwire, referred to inconsistencies in the manufacturing and construction industries as egregious. He referenced examples of “businesses who have received waivers calling law enforcement to shut down competitors in the same industry that haven’t.” To date, over 25,000 companies have submitted waivers requesting to remain open. Of those, about 4,000 have been approved, 4,400 have been rejected, and over 16,000 are still waiting to be evaluated.
Contact: Christine Verdier
570-773-0891