I wanted to share with everyone an op-ed I wrote on behalf of our coalition that appeared in today’s Star-Ledger, stressing the importance of passing a statewide paid sick leave law. Just as raising the minimum wage brought benefits to our entire community, the same goes for this law, which would allow employees to earn paid time-off to use when they or a child get sick.

TRENTON – “Governor Christie’s budget speech presented a false perception for New Jersey’s working families when he indicated that a $2.25 billion payment into the pension system would detract from state spending on education, tax relief, transportation, and health care,” stated Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. Chair Charles Hall, Jr. “The question remains that if the Governor is so committed to these initiatives, why has his record worked in complete contradiction to these goals? He cut $1 billion in education funding his first year in office; he cut property tax rebates and reduced the earned income tax credit, increasing the financial burden on thousands of middle class families; he cancelled the ARC Tunnel Project which would have revolutionized New Jersey’s transportation system and boosted jobs and economic growth; he cut funding for women’s health care services; and he recently allowed a $7.6 million federal grant to expire which could have helped to enroll New Jerseyans for health insurance.”

During its “Raise the Wage” campaign, Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. indicated that increasing the state minimum wage was only a first step in our efforts to achieve equitable and fair pay for working families. Now, only three short months after the campaign, Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. and its coalition partners continue to take the next steps towards promoting workers’ justice and will join to celebrate another historic milestone as Hudson County becomes New Jersey’s first county to establish a cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for its “living wage”.

Thursday, April 17, 2014, 6:00 p.m.

Newark Symphony Hall
1020 Broad Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102

Please CLICK HERE for event registration form.

TRENTON – Today, Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. announced that Edward Correa, a seasoned community mobilizer and activist will join as the coalition’s new Executive Director.

JERSEY CITY, NJ – Hudson County’s “living wage” policy has been in place for several years, providing workers, who are hired by contractors doing business with the county, a current base hourly wage of $10.88 per hour, as well as health insurance support, vacation pay, among other benefits. That base rate could rise 25 cents to $11.13 per hour or $520 per year for a full-time worker under a cost-of-living ordinance championed by County Executive DeGise and Freeholder O’Dea that will be considered by the Board of Freeholders over the next month.

Following its successful “Raise the Wage” campaign, Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. was honored to once again be asked by legislative leadership to shepherd another social economic justice campaign for working families on earned sick days.  The campaign will seek to educate the public and elected officials about the importance of establishing an earned sick time policy for workers - a policy that brings social and economic justice to the workplace.

Thanks to the united efforts of our community partners, we were able to achieve extraordinary success and significantly expanded our coalition in 2013. In 2014, Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. will continue to blaze a path towards unlocking the full potential of our grassroots strength.

If you agree that corporate influence on our legislative process and democracy has gone too far, today’s day of action is for you. The American Legislative Exchange Council, better known as ALEC, is a corporate-funded shadow group which manufactures legislation at the federal and state level to attack workers’ rights, gut corporate regulations, disenfranchise voters, weaken environmental protections, undermine public education, and advance the agenda of the extreme right-wing.

Kellogg’s company has locked out 220 members of the BCTGM since October 22, 2013, at its factory in Memphis, Tennessee, in order to force the union’s acceptance of plans to replace decent family-sustaining jobs with “casual” workers – essentially, this means low-paying jobs with no guaranteed hours.