HARRISBURG – Echoing the sentiments of many local employers and employees, Senator David G. Argall 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, 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 used by the Administration 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 has closed down many employers without any degree of transparency,” said Argall. “Even the Governor stated himself—‘Transparency is absolutely essential.’ With this comment in mind, 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 employee loses their income due to a unilateral decision.”
The inconsistencies in the construction, manufacturing and auto dealership industries, for example, are egregious. For weeks, Senator Argall has sought information about the waiver process from the Governor and has not received a response. With more than 44,000 companies submitting waivers requesting to remain open and less than half receiving a response, it is past time that our employers and employees receive a justification for why they have been forced to remain closed, Argall said.
Several State Senators, including Senator Argall, have requested an extensive list of documents pertaining to the business waiver process. They are prepared to take additional action in the courts to compel the release of these documents if the Wolf administration does not deliver the information by April 29.
Contact: Christine Verdier 570-773-0891