In New Jersey, the Passaic County CLC is at the forefront of engaging and empowering our young union brothers and sisters through a program called Passaic County YES (Youth Engagement in Solidarity). The group which began meeting last year has an action packed agenda for 2015 that will focus on building grassroots solidarity among young workers and combining our strength with the broad labor movement to achieve progressive reforms.

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is proud to join our nation in commemorating Black History Month. This is a time for us to reflect on the diverse contributions and perseverance of African Americans throughout our country’s history. While this month is a reminder of our nation’s darkest days, it is also a testament to enduring human strength, spirit, and the ongoing pursuit of justice in America.

The future of the labor movement will depend on today’s union leaders ensuring that young union members are able to carry forward our collective message of progressive middle class values. The Young Workers Summit being held in Chicago from March 19-22, 2015, will provide an opportunity to engage, educate, and cultivate young union members as never before.

Therefore, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO is encouraging all affiliates to consider sponsoring their young brothers and sisters to participate in this upcoming summit. The State Federation is proud to sponsor participants for the summit, and together with our affiliates, we can send a message that demonstrates New Jersey’s commitment to the future of our labor movement.

We’d like to extend a hearty congratulations to union brother Tom Sullivan, president of IBEW Local 164, who has been selected to fill an open seat on the Bergen County Freeholder Board.

The Bergen County Democratic Committee chose Brother Sullivan to fill the seat at its convention this week. He succeeds Jim Tedesco, who was elected Bergen County Executive in November.

We are pleased to share good news for New Jersey’s labor movement: The Bureau of Labor Statistics Annual Union Membership Report released Friday, January 23, 2015, shows the percentage of workers in our state represented by unions has risen to 17.2 percent, the sixth-highest of any state in the country.

“The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.”– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we remember the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 19^th, 2015, for his unparalleled civil rights achievements, it’s important that we also recognize and honor Dr. King as a champion of workers’ rights.

Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson heard oral arguments on Thursday, January 15^th, 2015, to consider the legality of Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to cut the pension payment in this year’s budget.

Gov. Chris Christie delivered his sixth State of the State address on Tuesday, January 13, 2015. Despite his attempt to paint a glossy portrait of the state under his leadership, working families and many of our communities continue to struggle under the weight of policies that benefit his wealthy friends but hurt the middle-class. New Jersey tops the nation in out-migration and the state is one of three where poverty is going up. Since 2009, the year Christie was elected, 196,000 more New Jerseyans are living in deep poverty.