State Assembly Approves Bills Concerning Prevailing Wages, Health Insurance for Locked Out Workers, Safety Protections for Hotel Employees and Subcontracting of Education Services
The State Assembly today advanced several bills supported by the New Jersey State AFL-CIO. We thank Speaker Coughlin for advancing these measures and all sponsors for their leadership. We also thank the members of the Assembly who voted in favor and all the affiliated unions that lobbied in support of these legislative priorities.
A-108: Allows Stop Work Order for Prevailing Wage Projects. Sponsored by Assembly Members DeAngelo (D-14) and Lampitt (D-6).
The bill allows the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development to issue a stop work order against any employer who continues to pay less than prevailing wage rates after the commissioner has issued a final order assessing a penalty for the violation. The bill passed by a vote of 73-3-1.
A-1056: Grants COBRA Health Insurance Benefits to Workers “Locked Out” by their Employers. Sponsored by Assembly Members Houghtaling (D-11) and Downey (D-11).
The legislation is funded by a small (five cents per employee) increase in the employer portion of their Unemployment Insurance bill. The bill passed by a vote of 50-25-1.
A-4439: Creates a Panic Device System to Protect Hotel Workers from Sexual Assault. Sponsored by Assembly Members Armato (D-2) and Mazzeo (D-2).
The bill requires large hotels to equip certain hotel employees performing housekeeping or room service duties with panic devices for their protection against inappropriate conduct by guests when they are servicing guest rooms by themselves. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 76-0.
A-3395: Concerns Sub-Contracting in K-12 & County Colleges. Sponsored by Assemblyman McGuckin (R-10).
The bill prohibits an employer from entering into a subcontracting agreement that may affect labor union members during the term of an existing collective bargaining agreement. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support by a vote of 70-6.
Image: Members of UNITE HERE! Local 54 gather at New Jersey State AFL-CIO in Trenton before heading to the State House to lobby in support of A-4439