New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech issued the following statement on Gov. Christie’s recent veto of a bill establishing standards for privatization of government services:

“By vetoing legislation ensuring that a government service was privatized only if it saved money, Gov. Christie ignored a recommendation from his own task force that savings drive future privatizations,” said Wowkanech. “What the governor erroneously describes as the bill’s ‘many restrictive provisions’ are built-in fiscal protections for taxpayers and job protections for public workers.”

A record-sized class of rank-and-file union members representing 23 local unions from across all sectors of the labor movement took part in the New Jersey State AFL-CIO Labor Candidates School August 9-10, 2014, at the union-staffed Rutgers University Inn and Conference Center in New Brunswick.

CLICK HERE to see photos from the 18th Annual Labor Candidates School.

New Jersey State AFL-CIO-endorsed candidate Roy Cho received a strong commitment from organized labor on Wednesday to help him win New Jersey’s 5th District congressional election.

Union members who are volunteering on Cho’s campaign leading up to the Nov. 4 election met the pro-labor Democrat who is challenging Tea Party extremist Scott Garrett at an event co-hosted by the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, Bergen and Passaic County Central Labor Councils and the Bergen County Building Trades Council, and held at IBEW Local 164 in Paramus.

CLICK HERE for photos.

Statement from New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech regarding the governor’s executive order:

“New Jersey needs a blue ribbon panel on job creation, economic recovery and how to slow the number of housing foreclosures. It doesn’t need a study commission to remind police officers, teachers, firefighters and government workers that Gov. Christie is failing to uphold his own law to fund public pensions and has vetoed every solution the Legislature has sent to his desk.”

On tomorrow night’s show, Bill Maher will announce the last candidate to fill out the final four contenders for #FlipADistrict – a competition to determine which House of Representatives member is most deserving of being booted out of office. As we know here in New Jersey, that candidate is Scott Garrett.

There is no time to spare. We need everyone to log onto Twitter and Facebook right now to send a message to Bill Maher asking him to add New Jersey’s 5th District to the final four. Make sure to use the hashtags #FlipADistrict and #NJ5 in your posts and tweets.

Organized labor came out in force for Bonnie Watson Coleman on Wednesday, showing its unified commitment to helping elect a longtime ally as the next congresswoman from New Jersey’s 12th District.

CLICK HERE for event photos.

Subway Workers Vote to Unionize in Bloomsbury,
Crossing Guards in Hudson County Secure First Contracts

In the midst of nationwide protests against the fast food industry, which is known for unfair working conditions and substandard wages, RWDSU Local 108 is doing what it does best by helping these workers to stand up together for their livelihoods and for respect on the job. Despite the challenges of organizing fast food workers, we are thrilled to share the news that workers at a Subway in Bloomsbury, NJ voted decisively to unionize and join Local 108.