— Workers Comp Benefit Increase for Dependents of Essential Workers Who Died of COVID Released from Committee and Posted for Assembly Floor Vote
— Higher Education Anti-Subcontracting Bill Released from Assembly Labor Committee
A-3998 (Murphy / Giblin / Verrelli) was released from the Assembly Appropriations Committee today by a vote of 7-2. Voting in favor were Assembly members Conaway (D-7), Pintor Marin (D-29), Mosquera (D-4), Schaer (D-36), Burzichelli (D-3), Swain (D-38), and McClellan (R-2). Voting against the bill were Assemblymen Webber (R-26) and Bergen (R-25). The bill provides a COLA increase annually from workers compensation to the dependents of essential workers who contracted COVID during the course of their employment and later died of the disease. The Senate version (S-2476: Singleton / Addiego) passed the Senate in June by a vote of 38-1.
The bill has been posted for a vote in the Assembly on Monday, March 1, 2021. Please TAKE ACTION right now by clicking HERE to send an automatic pre-written e-mail to your Assembly members asking them to support this important piece of legislation for essential worker who fell victim to COVID.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO thanks Speaker Coughlin for posting this legislation.
Also today, the Assembly Labor Committee released legislation (A-4680: Burzichelli) supported by the New Jersey State AFL-CIO and AFSCME, AFT, AAUP, HPAE and others. We thank Assembly Labor Committee Chairman Joe Egan for posting the bill and thank the prime sponsor, Assemblyman Burzichelli, for his leadership. The bill, which would place restrictions on the ability for higher education institutions to subcontract – and therefore eliminate good-paying union jobs – was released from committee by a vote of 7-1-1. Supporting were Assembly members Egan (D-17), Verrelli (D-15), Moriarty (D-4), Catalano (R-10), Sumter (D-35) Mazzeo (D-2), and Houghtaling (D-11). Assemblyman Space (R-24) voted “No” and Assemblyman Scharfenberger (R-13) abstained. The Senate version (S-2932: Sweeney) passed the Senate by a vote of 38-2 in December.
Thank you to the affiliated unions that have been advocating for the passage of these bills and thank you to the Assembly members who voted in favor of them today in committee. The working men and women of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO appreciate your support.