The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is an umbrella group of unions representing more than 1 million working men and women and their families. The state federation is a charter organization of the national AFL-CIO, which represents more than 12.5 million workers across the country in a wide range of occupations, from bricklayers and machinists to nurses, firefighters and teachers.

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is committed to representing the interests of all New Jersey union members and their families, whether by legislative and political work or through working with our affiliates in organizing and member mobilization.

Through our Committee on Political Education (COPE), we have launched a nationally acclaimed award-winning Labor Candidates Program that has helped rank-and-file union members tally over 1,232 election victories since 2001 at all levels of our government. By electing our union brothers and sisters to office, our members gain a powerful voice on critical public policy matters.

We work to promote the adoption of federal and state laws that serve the interests of all working families. Our Legislative Affairs Department, with the help of our many affiliated unions and community allies, has successfully lobbied the New Jersey Legislature and Governor and other elected officials on a multitude of pro-worker pieces of legislation.

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO promotes civic engagement through We Are One New Jersey, an organization that operates centers in Union and Hudson counties, offering naturalization and education services to new Americans. We are the only state federation to host an annual union women’s conference, Women in Leadership Development (WILD), which cultivates knowledge and leadership skills to benefit our unions and communities.

ln addition, our state federation maintains a robust communications network that enables us to engage our members and supporters through social media and various other channels. Our Media Relations Department gives us a direct line of contact to our state’s major and local news outlets, ensuring that we can broadcast our message to the widest and most relevant audiences.

Working together with our many affiliates and community allies, we have accomplished great things on behalf of New Jersey’s working families.

Leadership

Charles Wowkanech
President

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Laurel Brennan
Secretary-Treasurer

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Executive Board Members

Joyce Alston, BCTGM
Michael Barnes, IATSE
Karen Bellamy Lewis, Greater NJ CLUW
David Birch, ALPA
Joseph Calabro, IBEW 1158
John F. Capo, BAC
James R. Chew Jr., IBB
Donna M. Chiera, AFT
Noel Christmas, UWUA
Donna DeCaprio, UNITE HERE
Joseph Demark, SWMIA
Wyatt Earp, IBEW
Fran Ehret, CWA
Lynne P. Fox, Workers United
C.J. Gesemyer, HFIAW 68
Thomas P. Giblin, IUOE
David F. Gonzalez, AFGE
Charles Hall Jr., RWDSU
Michael Hellstrom, LIUNA
Michael Maloney, UA
Sean McBride, IFPTE 196
Matthew McCarty, GMP
Steve McConlogue, PFANJ
John T. Niccollai Jr., UFCW
Debbie Parks, AFSCME
John Potts, GCC-IBT
Orlando L. Riley, ATU
Ronald E. Sabol, SMART-TD
David Schneck, AFM
Michael Schneider, Bergen CLC
Joseph Soresi, SIU
Steven M. Tully, AFSCME
Cristino Vilorio, IAM
Del Vitale, USW
Harvey Whille, UFCW