Committee on Political Education (COPE)

Every year, the affiliated union organizations that comprise the New Jersey State AFL-CIO vote on which election candidates to endorse based on voting records and working family issues. the New Jersey labor movement has a proud history of supporting candidates who support working families. working in partnership with the New Jersey State AFL-CIO’s political department, the state’s central labor councils and affiliated local unions, the Committee on Political Education (COPE) makes every effort to educate union members and their families about these endorsements and why they were made.

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Labor 2022 Endorsements

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Endorsed  Congressional Candidates

*Incumbent

The list of endorsements for Congress is:

These Candidates support our values, including:

Retirement Security

Union-backed candidates will protect the retirement benefits you’ve worked hard to earn. That’s why Congress a pension rescue that the saved the pensions of more than 1 million workers and why we’ll fight against any attempt to privatize Social Security and risk your benefits.

Funding Public Education

We all want a good education for our children and our public schools are working hard to bring children up to speed after the pandemic. Your union supports candidates who will work with our public schools to make sure they have the funding and flexibility they need to keep our schools strong and with sufficient staff.

Worker’s Rights

Americans across the country are joining together to form unions because we know management only listens when we speak together with a strong voice. Your union has endorsed candidates who will defend the rights of working people and will ensure that you continue to have a voice on the job.

Defending Democracy

We’ve made it easier to vote in New Jersey in recent years without sacrificing any procedures that ensure our elections are secure. Our union endorsed candidates will make sure that all working people have access to the ballot and fight back against false claims of insecure or fraudulent elections.

Fighting for Public Workers

We’ve passed Postal Service reform that protects workers, ensures USPS is financially stable and guarantees six-day delivery. We need to make sure schools and local governments receive the funding they need because public service jobs are a pathway to the middle class. Your union has endorsed candidates who will protect these vital services.

Lowering Health Care Costs

After years of fighting for it in Congress, we’ve finally passed legislation to lower the costs of prescription drugs. The law also prevent prices spikes in health insurance coverage. Your union has endorsed candidates who will protect our health care and ensure that all Americans have access to the health care they need.

Investing in Public Transit

Last year we finally passed a much-needed bipartisan infrastructure law. This law will repair roads and bridges and invest in public transportation. Union-backed candidates also supported vital funding during the pandemic that kept transit employees on the job.

Expanding Apprenticeships

We all know that apprenticeships are a great way to learn a trade and earn money while you’re learning. Union-backed candidates have worked to modernize the Registered Apprenticeship Program and increase funding for registered apprenticeships and youth apprenticeships.

Supporting Prevailing Wage and PLAs

We all know that construction projects needs strong protections to ensure that workers are being paid fairly and working in safe conditions. That’s why union-backed candidates support strong prevailing wage laws and Project Labor Agreements that protect workers.

Fighting Higher Costs

Costs have gone up for many staples this year due to disrupted supply chains, overseas manufacturing, and corporate greed. But union-backed candidates have a plan to fight this by upgrading our infrastructure to strengthen our supply chains, bringing manufacturing jobs home, and raising wages for working people.

Raising Wages

As costs have risen, working people have had their incomes squeezed. That’s why union-backed candidates supporting increasing the minimum wage, strong prevailing wage laws, and equal pay for equal work. They will ensure that workers are paid a fair wage that they can live on.

Buy American/American Manufacturing

We need strong “Buy America” laws that will bolster homegrown manufacturing and ensure government projects use American-made iron, steel, construction materials and manufactured products. The candidates we’ve endorsed will make sure we have these laws and will work to bring manufacturing jobs home.

Saving Public Services

We worked with pro-labor election officials to prevent drastic cuts to essential public services by securing $350 billion in the American Rescue Plan that saved the jobs of America’s public service workers. We need to keep union-backed elected officials who understand the importance of public workers in office.

Protecting Social Security and Medicare

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are programs that working people rely on. Union-backed candidates understand that these need to be protected and improved, not cut in order to facilitate tax cuts for the big corporations. Just this year, our allies in Congress capped spending on prescription drugs for Medicare recipient to $2,000 a year.

Right to Organize

The candidates we’ve endorsed are committed to defending our right to negotiate together for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. They will protect the right of New Jersey workers to organize in the workplace and collectively bargain.

Focusing on School Safety.

Schools have had to increase their focus on school safety and student mental health in recent years. Union-backed candidates will ensure that these issues are a priority and receives the focus it needs to keep our schools safe.

Expanding Higher Education Options.

Union-backed candidates will work to expand opportunities for students to go on to higher education by making college more affordable and increasing opportunities for community college and apprenticeship programs.

Ensuring Safety for Patients and Workers.

In the health care system, patient care requires safe staffing levels. The candidates we’ve endorsed will ensure that health care facilities are hiring sufficient staff. And they supported sending Personal Protective Equipment for health care workers during the pandemic.

Prioritizing Workplace Safety.

Union-backed candidates knows the importance of workplace safety and take it seriously. They will work to ensure that OSHA enforcement and funding is a priority, including new standards for unreasonably high temperatures.  

Expanding Transportation Options.

New Jersey keeps growing and we need our transportation options to grow too. The Gateway Tunnel, airport expansions, and bus upgrades will significantly expand public transit options for New Jersey and union-backed candidates will work to ensure that these projects continue moving forward and receives the funding they need.

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Our Labor Values

All workers have the right to form and join unions.

Collective Bargaining is a public good.

All workers should have the right to collectively bargain for their terms and conditions of employment.

All workers have the right to a safe and healthy work environment.

All employers have a duty to provide a safe workplace.

All workers should be paid a fair or “living” wage.

Our Labor Candidates have pledged to uphold all of these values.

Endorsed Labor Candidates

*Incumbent

Arranged by Union Affiliation:

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