Montco Lawmaker Criticizes 'Overnight' PA Turnpike Layoffs

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A Montgomery County lawmaker joined other leaders from the state legislature in issuing a statement on the Pennsylvania Turnpike layoffs this week that have left around 500 individuals without jobs.

State Rep. Steve Malagari (D-53), a Teamster member and legislator from the Lansdale area, said that the cuts did not need to be made in this manner.

“This could have been done as a phased response on a shorter timeline," the statement reads. "It didn’t have to happen overnight.”

>>PA Turnpike Makes Cashless Tolls Permanent, Laying Off Hundreds

The decision by the Turnpike came as they made the cashless system they instituted in March permanent in order to minimize the spread of coronavirus.

The layoffs, which include mostly toll collectors and fare-collection personnel, means there will be no return to cash collections on the PA Turnpike system following the coronavirus closures.

“This is heartbreaking. The governor and the Turnpike Commission had an agreement with the toll takers to phase out operations in 2022, but in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the commission voted to do away with these workers immediately," the statement from Malagari and other lawmakers continues.

That statement was also signed by Teamster president and State Rep. Dave Dellose, as well as State Rep. Pat Harkins.

"These workers were expecting to return to work soon and were caught completely off guard. They understood that their jobs were being phased out, but they were led to believe that they would have time to plan ahead, and they were relying on that assurance. Instead, they had the rug pulled out from under them."

The Turnpike had already announced plans to go cashless by the end of 2021 but the financial impacts of coronavirus has escalated that timeline.