To Protect Employers and Employees, Governor Wolf Should Rescind Mass Shutdown Order
ERIE – In response to Governor Wolf’s executive order last evening to close all “non-life-sustaining” businesses in the state, Manufacturer & Business Association President and CEO John Krahe issued the following statement:
“We share the governor’s concern for the health and safety of Pennsylvanians and applaud the efforts of our elected officials to prioritize these strategies. However, it is for these reasons we strongly urge caution to implement such broad and drastic measures unless they are based on consideration from stakeholders.
In uncertain times, well-intentioned, hasty decisions can do more harm than good. As far as we understand, no industry specific or business organizations were consulted to determine the governor’s definition of ‘non-life-sustaining,’ or how businesses that were not granted exemptions would suffer.
The urgency with which businesses were mandated to comply fails to recognize the physical reality of modern industrial practices and further serves as evidence this decision was not made following counsel. The order contradicts guidance issued by the Cyber-Security and Infrastructure Security Agency and further impedes the Department of Health and Human Services efforts to mobilize manufacturers to convert and repurpose production lines for critical supplies.
It is critical that immediate provisions are made to permit supply and distribution chains to remain open to allow ‘life-sustaining’ goods reach their end users. Vendors and distribution chains are not limited to the geographical boundaries of our state and will suffer long-term economic and public health damage if action is not quickly taken.
It is incumbent on individuals, businesses and government to work together to protect our future. It is for this reason it is imperative Governor Wolf rescind his mass shutdown order and work with those stakeholders that would be affected by any future mandates.”
