Good riddance. Those are the two words we have for Walmart, which vows to cancel plans for at least three of six stores being built in Washington D.C. if the city requires them to pay a living wage. Walmart’s actions are in response to a city council approved ordinance requiring large retailers to pay a living wage of at least $12.50 per hour to employees.

Mostly along party lines, (Sen. Singer joined all Democrats present in voting “yes”) the State Senate today passed ACR-199 by a vote of 24-13-3. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO thanks the prime sponsors, Senators Gordon, Greenstein and Lesniak for their leadership, as well as Senate President Sweeney for posting the resolution.

Also Vetoes Legislation to Protect Domestic Jobs From Outsourcing

Early Friday evening, Governor Christie quietly vetoed legislation that required a cost analysis of proposed privatization contracts.  Despite strong support for the concept from his own Privatization Task Force Chairman and former Republican Congressman Dick Zimmer, Christie continues to illustrate his desire to undermine government transparency and undermine taxpayer protection efforts   from the negative financial impact of privatization boondoggles that have plagued our contracting process in the past.  Privatization “gone wrong” has resulted in squandering millions in taxpayer dollars while simultaneously rewarding politically connected contractors. The bill, S-968 / A-1494 (Weinberg, Turner / Vainieri Huttle, Watson Coleman) sought a common sense approach to contracting by requiring a cost analysis prior to privatizing a government service, as well as conducting the same audit after the contract was implemented, in order to assure that potential savings actually materialized.

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO was proud to join today with top New Jersey elected officials – Senator Barbara Buono, Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, and Newark Mayor Corey Booker – along with many community partners, during two events to support approval of this year’s ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage. The event was organized as part of the Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. “Raise the Wage” campaign.

Endorsement Decisions Made for all 120 State Legislative Seats and a Slate of 60 Rank-and-File Union Members Running for Public Office

ATLANTIC CITY – “New Jersey State AFL-CIO conference delegates voted overwhelmingly today to endorse Senator Barbara Buono for governor,” said New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech. “Senator Buono has a consistent and clear record of supporting New Jersey’s working families. She is the only candidate who understands that in order to grow our economy we need to work from the bottom up – ensuring access to a quality education, family-sustaining jobs, and economic opportunities to achieve a middle class lifestyle.”

And Endorses Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler & Executive Vice President Arlene Holt-Baker as part of national AFL-CIO Leadership Team

ATLANTIC CITY – “A focused vision, strong leadership, and an unflagging commitment to building the labor movement are among the many reasons that New Jersey State AFL-CIO conference delegates voted unanimously to endorse Richard Trumka for a second term as President of the national AFL-CIO; Liz Shuler for Secretary-Treasurer; and Arlene Holt-Baker for Executive Vice President,” said New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech. “Union members are facing unprecedented attacks which threaten to erase generations worth of workplace rights and protections, but there is no leadership team better suited or capable of navigating the labor movement’s current challenges than the one endorsed today.”

On behalf of the more than one-million-member New Jersey State AFL-CIO, we express our opposition to Governor Christie’s decision to hold a special election for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate seat just 20 days before the scheduled general election.  Experts estimate that the cost of scheduling this special election will be $12 million.

On behalf of the more than one-million-member New Jersey State AFL-CIO, we express our deep sadness at the passing of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg.

This Memorial Day, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO remembers our brave service men and women who gave their lives in defense of our country and freedoms. We honor our soldiers for their selflessness and their sacrifice. These men and women are the pride of our nation, and we are ever grateful to them.

A report released today by PolitiFact NJ in the Star-Ledger confirms some disturbing facts regarding Governor Christie’s policies. PolitiFact found that in 2010, the Governor made two cuts to education which totaled about $1 billion. The study also found that the Christie administration is on target to hand out $2.3 billion is corporate tax breaks, which is almost double the $1.2 billion spent on corporate tax breaks over the entire previous decade.