Two pro-labor bills supported by the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, one concerning the prevailing wage and another seeking to combat wage theft by employers, were favorably voted out of the State Assembly and Senate today. We would like to thank the sponsors of these bills and the State Senate and Assembly members who voted in favor.
The Prevailing Wage Act (A-4291): Sponsored by Assemblyman Eric Houghtailing (D-11), Assemblyman Wayne P. Deangelo (D-14), Assemblyman Joesph V. Egan (D-17), Assemblywoman Joann Downey (D-11)
A-4291 revises the application of the prevailing wage to a property being leased by a public body. It also revises the current application threshold for such properties.
This bill passed with broad bi-partisan support: 73-6-0.
The Wage Theft Prevention Act (S-1790): Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg
S-1790 strengthens and expands current laws and measures regarding the theft of an employee’s wages. The bill would, among other things, increase employer penalties, expand the Commissioner of Labor’s authorization to audit employers and extend the window for an employee to file a wage claim against an employer.
This bill passed mostly along party lines, with Democrats voting “YES” and Republicans voting “NO”. The only exceptions were Senator Andrzejczak (D-1) who voted “NO” and Senator Brown (R-2) who voted “YES”.
Click here to see the complete voting record.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO once again thanks the legislators who voted in support of these bills. We also thank all our affiliates who were in Trenton today continuing to push for the passage of these important pro-worker pieces of legislation.