In March, when the COVID-19 virus began to rapidly spread throughout Lackawanna County and the state, most of us rushed to grocery stores to stockpile essential goods as we self-quarantined in our homes.
We all know that our personal trips to the local grocery store are stressful during the COVID-19 pandemic, even while we continue to guard our safety with social distancing. Just think of the grocery workers who show up to work every day and endanger their own lives so we can stock our shelves at home.
I am one of the 203 Pennsylvania representatives who unanimously voted in favor of legislation introduced by state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna, that would protect our frontline workers in food packing and processing businesses.
The legislation (H.B. 2435) is being considered in the state Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
Essentially, the bill would create a Food Establishment Pandemic Disease Remediation Cost Reimbursement Grant Program within the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to assist food packers and processors to pay for personal protective equipment for workers.
The legislation also would pay for physical barriers to help protect workers and the cost of hand-washing stations, enhanced sanitation efforts and medical monitoring such as employee temperature checks.
It is vital that the Pennsylvania General Assembly pass legislation to protect our food supply workers. Any type of breakdown in the food supply or delivery chain could have a devastating economic impact on all of us.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, there are more than 120,000 grocery store workers in Pennsylvania and many of them earn less than $30,000 annually.
With the increase in remote grocery shopping through online (apps), which allow people to order from supermarkets from home, we sometimes forget about the safety of the employees who shop for and deliver those groceries in person. Whether its curbside or pick-up, our grocery store employees are always available to fulfill our food requests.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, our frontline food workers are providing us with essential services. They are playing a critical role in our public health during this crisis.
Employees are working in the middle of crowded stores and working well past store operation hours to disinfect surfaces and restock empty shelves.
Lack of access to testing and personal protective equipment leaves essential workers at an even higher risk of getting sick, making the virus more likely to spread and harm more employees.
Employees constantly face uncertainty about what will happen to them if they need to quarantine or if they get sick. How would they pay their bills, take care of their families or still keep their health benefits?
I have concerns about the health and welfare of grocery store employees, and that is why Rep. Kosierowski’ s legislation needs to be passed in both chambers of the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor — to ensure the safety and stability of our food supply workers.
In closing, I would like to say, I praise healthcare workers in Lackawanna County and across Pennsylvania for risking their own well-being to protect COVID-19 patients.
Remember if you have a state-related concern, my office is always available to you. You can email me at RepFlynn@pahouse.com or call my office at 570-342-4348.
State Representative Marty Flynn serves the 113th Legislative District which consists of the city of Scranton, South Abington and the borough of Clarks Green.