Thanks to the efforts of Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. and our many community partners, progress continues to be made in pursuit of statewide earned sick days. Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to release this bill (S-799), by a vote of 7 to 6. Votes were cast mostly along party lines with Democrats voting in the affirmative and all Republicans as well as Senator Jeff Van Drew (D) voting in the negative.

Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. was invited by Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto to participate in a discussion this morning with legislative leaders and progressive grassroots partners to advance a coordinated strategy to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.

CLICK HERE for pictures.

Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. is continuing to champion efforts to raise the state minimum wage to a living wage. Our coalition applauds announcements from state and national lawmakers to advance bills that would raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

The state Senate is set to vote on the earned sick days bill (S-799) this Thursday. Just as our coalition won passage of the bill last session, we must once again urge our elected officials in the state Senate to support earned sick days for all New Jersey workers.

CLICK HERE to send a message urging your state Senator to support S-799.

Today’s Senate floor vote, in favor of a statewide earned sick days law (S-785), marks a major step forward in our coalition’s ongoing campaign to ensure that 1.2 million hard working New Jerseyans no longer have to choose between their health and their paycheck. The bill passed mostly along party lines, 22 to 17. Our coalition thanks the bill’s many supporters, its prime sponsor Senator Loretta Weinberg, and Senate President Steve Sweeney for bringing this bill to the floor.

To see how your state Senator voted, please CLICK HERE.

Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. understands that the fight for strong communities and the battle for workers’ rights are one in the same. Without family-sustaining jobs and a collective voice for workers, the ability for communities to thrive is greatly diminished.

Therefore, the impending U.S. Supreme Court case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, which threatens to undermine workers and their unions, must be addressed head-on by our coalition. We recently produced a video, outlining the effects of this case that we encourage you to share with your family, friends, and neighbors.

Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. is proud to support our communities by spreading Thanksgiving cheer and serving families in need. We applaud our Chair Charles Hall, Jr., the members of RWDSU Local 108, and our many community partners who have been active throughout the week to give back to the community.

CLICK HERE for pictures.

Strong communities depend on informing ourselves and those around us on the issues that impact our lives and freedoms. That is why I must draw your attention to a matter of paramount importance. A case called Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association will be brought before the U.S. Supreme Court this winter. An unfavorable outcome would devastate the ability of all workers to exercise their collective voice on the job, resulting in reduced family incomes and unnecessary hardships for our communities.

Since Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. (WFUNJ) began the campaign for earned sick days, we have not only made incredible progress in our state, but also helped raise the issue to national prominence.

The success of our efforts were most recently affirmed by President Obama’s signing of an Executive Order that requires federal contractors to offer their employees up to seven paid sick days a year. The White House reports that this could benefit more than 300,000 workers out of about 44 million Americans that still lack access to this basic workplace right.

Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. (WFUNJ) continues to lead the charge for a statewide earned sick days law. This afternoon, our progressive partners joined together during a Senate Labor Committee hearing to make the case that all workers in New Jersey should have the right to accrue paid sick time to use in the case that they or a family member become ill.