Labor Day Is Over, But Struggle Continues For New Jersey Workers

NEW JERSEY — Did you enjoy the Labor Day holiday weekend? Good. There are plenty of chances to thank the labor movement by supporting workers in New Jersey, advocates say.

Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the achievements of U.S. workers. The holiday has roots in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to the nation.

Although Labor Day has been around for a long time, its meaning is still just as important today, worker advocates in New Jersey point out.

Some battles are taking place locally, such as a 24-hour "unfair labor practice strike" held Monday by residential counselors and maintenance employees for SERV Centers of New Jersey in Mercer County.

Other struggles are taking place on the state and federal levels.

In the week leading up to the holiday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that New Jersey will not extend unemployment benefits past Sept. 4. The move was expected to impact more than 500,000 residents.

• Read More: 500K To Lose NJ Unemployment Benefits
• Read More: Here's The Unemployment Rate In New Jersey As Labor Day Nears

But despite “steady job growth” – New Jersey has recovered 62 percent of the 717,000 jobs lost at the onset of the pandemic in March and April 2020 – the state still has a long way to go when it comes to getting people back to work, according to a report from New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP).

Employment levels in the state are still “well-below” pre-pandemic rates, according to the study, which was released on Labor Day. This spells trouble for hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents who will no longer receive unemployment insurance now that federal pandemic unemployment programs [have] expired, the NJPP stated.

The report also claims the state’s recovery is “uneven,” as jobs paying over $60,000 have already surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 5 percent. Meanwhile, jobs paying less than $27,000 remain 28 percent below pre-pandemic levels.

And unsurprisingly, it’s low-wage workers who have the most to risk, the nonprofit said.

“With COVID-19 cases rising and unemployment well above pre-pandemic levels, the crisis is far from over,” said Vineeta Kapahi, a senior policy analyst at NJPP.

“The latest data show that jobs are returning to New Jersey, but these top-line numbers gloss over which jobs have come back and which ones have not,” Kapahi said.

On the federal level, worker struggles have included the fight for a "pathway to citizenship" for immigrants.

On Thursday, in advance of Labor Day, immigrant essential workers from warehouses, food service and care economy hosted a virtual press conference to urge Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship through reconciliation that includes the more than five million undocumented immigrant essential workers - 209,000 of whom live in New Jersey.

"If you ordered a package during the pandemic and had it delivered to your door step so you could shelter in place, chances are you were relying on undocumented immigrants' labor," said Walter Fernandez, a truck dispatcher from Elizabeth and member of Make the Road New Jersey.

"But we still worry about being deported every day, despite risking our lives to keep our state safe," Fernandez added. "New Jersey is my home. I don't want to fear being separated from my wife and three daughters any more."

'UNION STRONG IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES'

Meanwhile, several labor unions with large presences in New Jersey issued their own statements over the holiday weekend, urging their members to keep up the fight in 2021.

According to Debbie White, president of the Health Professionals & Allied Employees (HPAE), which represents 14,000 nurses, social workers, technicians and other health care professionals in New Jersey:

“On this Labor Day, New Jersey health care workers are union strong in unprecedented times. Deep into the second year of this global pandemic, let’s take a moment to honor our health care workers, who continue to sacrifice and risk all—themselves and their families—to care for those most affected by the coronavirus. Because they don’t have the luxury of working from home, health care workers must put it all on the line for the benefit of everyone in society. As we commemorate a day in honor of workers, we must remember to strengthen and promote laws that will bring dignity and fairness to the workplace. We must support legislation such as the Protecting the Right to Organize Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, giving workers a stronger voice in their working conditions.”

“Health care workers deserve our respect and attention to their concerns and suggestions,” White urged. “We must protect them from violence and injury and make safety a priority as they continue in this life-saving work.”

• See related article: NJ Nurses Push For Hazard Pay, 'Safe Staffing' Amid Pandemic

“This Labor Day, we recognize that organized labor is the strongest force in America for building the middle class and ending poverty,” SEIU 32BJ President Kyle Bragg said.

According to Bragg, some of the union’s recent achievements include winning health care for thousands of frontline airport workers through the Healthy Terminals Act in New Jersey and New York.

“We have much more work to do to secure full dignity and respect for all workers. Our nation’s essential workers who put themselves and their families’ health on the line during our darkest days need more than an applause,” Bragg said.

“We must show essential workers our gratitude for their sacrifices by securing family sustaining wages, benefits and workplace protections,” Bragg added. “Supporting the workers who risked it all for this country is a smart investment — and a moral imperative.”

• See related article: Thousands Of NJ Security Guards Want Pay Raises Amid Pandemic

Other 2021 Labor Day messages seen on social media included:

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