From the PA Chamber of Business and Industry
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Friday that the Biden Administration could proceed with its COVID-19 vaccine or testing requirement for employers with 100 or more employees. This proposal, first promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in early November, had been enjoined by an earlier court decision. Plaintiffs have already appealed last week’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The mandate, which the Board of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce opposes, is scheduled to take effect Jan. 4, 2022, though OSHA announced this past weekend that it would not issue citations before Jan. 10 in order to give employers additional time to develop and implement policies. OSHA issued this proposal as an Emergency Temporary Standard, which expedites implementation and allows the agency to forgo the standard public comment period.
The ETS was issued as part of a series of Biden administration vaccine mandates, including one for federal contractors and another focused on the healthcare industry. Both of these additional mandates were similarly challenged in court and stayed, though a decision last week may allow the healthcare rule proceed in roughly half of the states, including Pennsylvania.
The Associated Press outlines what the ruling means for businesses.
From the Columbia Montour Chamber: Members have been inquiring about testing resources. A reminder that employers are not required to conduct or pay for employee testing. Area facilities that provide testing include the Bloomsburg Medicine Shoppe and WorkPlace Health. If you are a member that provides testing or knows of another resource, please contact us. The lowest-cost option we’ve identified to date is a home test that can be observed by the employer.
Last Wednesday, we held our Holiday Open House, sponsored by Montour Solar One, at the Pine Barn Inn in Danville. The networking event would not have been possible without the support of member sponsors. We want to send a big thank you to My Benefit Advisor, Java Momma, One Focus Property Management, Century 21 Covered Bridges, Service 1st Federal Credit Union, North Shore Railroad Company, BIDA, Luschas, Naparsteck & Crane LLP, McTish, Kunkel and Associates, McKonly & Asbury, First Keystone Community Bank and First Columbia Bank.
A highlight of the event is the local food and beverages our members provide. Participating members were Craft Catering, Flavor City Oils, Wild for Salmon, Steph’s Subs, Freas Farm Winery, Profile Coffee and Roasters, Turkey Hill Brewing Co., and the Farmhouse at Turkey Hill.
And what would a holiday gathering be without some giving? A number of attendees walked away with certificates for Bloomin’ Bagels and beautiful centerpieces from Pretty Petals and Gifts by Susan. Thanks to our guest bartenders from Java Momma, Bloomsburg Volunteer Ambulance Association, and the Bloomsburg Public Library, the event also raised $429 for non-profit organizations.
By Curtis Dubay, Senior Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
When the Biden Administration or others suggest inflation is happening because businesses are price gouging, they are ignoring the hard and fast laws of supply and demand in a free enterprise system as well as how federal policies impact the economy.
Prices are rising for a variety of reasons, including the supply chain bottlenecks, workforce shortages, and excessive fiscal stimulus. Supply chain issues and the worker shortage are raising input costs for businesses. At the same time, fiscal stimulus from the various COVID packages has left Americans sitting on nearly $3 trillion of excess savings over and above the pre-COVID baseline, which is fueling increased demand.
More money chasing fewer goods is always a recipe for inflation.
Policymakers could make matters even worse by, for example, enacting the so-called “Build Back Better” bill. Over the next year plus, the reconciliation bill will increase inflationary pressures because of its deficit financed spending, transfer payments and tax cuts.
Click here to read more.
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Hibu joins 417 members of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.
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United Way of Columbia and Montour Counties to hold Recovery Resources Event
Being held at the Community Giving Foundation on W. Front Street in Berwick, this educational event will offer individuals and families experiencing substance use disorder access to free assessments, childcare resources, counseling, and more.
The event will be held Thursday. December 9th from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Click here for more details
Last week, the PA Department of Labor & Industry announced that it was refusing a request from statewide business organizations to extend the public comment period on a proposed rule that would overhaul the regulations governing tipped employees and clarifies how the base hourly rate for overtime of salaried employees is calculated.
In a letter to state officials, business leaders noted that the 30-day public comment period, which was announced in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Nov. 20, does not allow enough time for employers to fully understand the proposal and provide comment.
The department’s proposed regulation covers five primary areas for tipped workers, including:
- Increasing by 450 percent the amount of tips an employee must receive monthly to qualify as a “tipped employee” from $30 to $135 before an employer can reduce an employee’s hourly pay from $7.25 per hour to $2.83 per hour.
- Codification of a recent federal regulation requiring that an employee spends at least 80 percent of their time on duties that directly generate tips, commonly known as the 80/20 rule.
- Allowing for tip pooling among tipped employees under certain circumstances.
- A prohibition on employers deducting credit card transaction charges from an employee’s tip left on a credit card.
- A requirement for employers to educate patrons on the employer’s use of service charges, clarifying that service charges are not gratuities for tipped employees.
The last day to submit comments is Dec. 20, 2021. Comments can be emailed to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission at irrc@irrc.state.pa.us. Reference Department of Labor and Industry, Regulation #12-114: Minimum Wage, IRRC Number 3322.
Click here for more details.
Less than half of Americans polled who lost their job during the pandemic and remain unemployed say they are actively and consistently looking for work, with one in five reporting that they are not looking for work at all, according to a new poll released last week by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Here are some top findings from the poll:
- More than half (53%) of Americans who became unemployed during the pandemic say they are only somewhat active, or not very active at all, in looking for work.
- Nearly two-thirds (65%) don’t expect to be back working before the new year, and 8% say they never plan to return to work.
- More than one in ten (13%) have left multiple jobs during the pandemic.
- Among those currently unemployed who have held multiple jobs since April 2020, 57% held their most recent position for three months or less.
- Almost half said they have been using pandemic incentives or stimulus payments, or tapping into savings and investments, to get by.
- A third (32%) want and expect to switch industries.
- A hiring bonus of $1,000 remains the top incentive most apt to bring unemployed workers back.
Pennsylvania’s labor force in October of this year was 3.9% lower compared to the same month in 2019 and the number of people working in non-farm jobs was down 5.2% compared to 2019.
Click here for the full report including the state data.
IMC, the Innovative Manufacturers’ Center, helps Central Pennsylvania manufacturers tap into the most effective regional, state, and national resources in order to innovate, grow and prosper.
For over 30 years, IMC has helped over 600 Pennsylvania companies become more innovative, productive, and profitable. As one of the seven Industrial Resource Centers in Pennsylvania, IMC is an affiliate of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and is supported through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
IMC’s service area includes 12 counties in the heart of the Commonwealth including Montour, Lycoming, Northumberland, Snyder, Clinton, and Mifflin Counties.
You can visit IMC and all they have to offer on its website Central Pennsylvania Manufacturing Assistance | IMC (imcpa.com)
IMC joins 417 members of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.
From the PA Chamber of Business and Industry
Over the past couple of weeks, the PA Chamber of Business and Industry has voiced opposition to bills that would prohibit employers from enforcing health and safety policies, including vaccine requirements.
In mid-November, the House Health Committee considered H.B. 2013, a proposed Constitutional amendment that would have the effect of prohibiting employers from enforcing standard and critically important workplace health and safety policies. The bill would permit an individual to refuse any medical procedure, treatment, injection, vaccine or prophylactic and may not be questioned or interfered with in any manner.
While discussion among Committee members focused on vaccine mandates, the impact of this proposed Constitutional amendment goes much further and could compromise workplace health and safety measures.
On Nov. 8, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee considered S.B. 471, to prohibit mandatory vaccination of Pennsylvania residents by the Commonwealth, political subdivisions or as a condition of employment. The bill was amended in committee to focus exclusively on the COVID-19 vaccination.
The PA Chamber opposes the measure because employers could be forced to scrap policies aimed at protecting employees and customers and could find themselves caught between conflicting state and federal laws. Click here to read the PA Chamber’s memo of opposition to S.B. 471 that was sent to the Senate Health and Human Service Committee.