Trenton, NJ – Governor Murphy has signed legislation strengthening workers’ rights across New Jersey. The first bill promotes knowledge of labor rights through education, and the second bill safeguards employees’ freedom to make their own choices at work, free from coercion.
“Workers are the backbone of our state,” said Governor Murphy. “We are honoring the history of the labor movement while strengthening workers’ rights. Our actions will help ensure that students understand the history of labor’s fight for fair wages and safe workplaces, while also promoting respect for our democracy by shielding employees from mandatory political or religious workplace messaging.”
The first bill, A1682/S1054, will ensure that the contributions, history, and heritage of labor movements are included in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Social Studies for students in grades 6-12. The State Board of Education will be required to adopt standards about the history of labor and labor movements. School districts will also be required to provide instruction on United States and New Jersey labor history as part of the Social Studies curriculum, including the history of organized labor, notable strikes throughout history, unionization drives, and the collective bargaining process and existing legal protections in the workplace.
“New Jersey is showing what it looks like to lead for working people,” said Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO. “One bill Governor Murphy will sign bans one of union-busters’ favorite tactics, in which they force workers into meetings to listen to religious and political speech, including anti-union propaganda, in an effort to sow misinformation and intimidate them out of their organizing. The second bill will ensure that New Jersey students learn about unions’ critical role in building the middle class and improving the lives of working people in schools.”
Anthony Abrantes, Assistant Executive Secretary – Treasurer, Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters said “By strengthening protections against mandatory political meetings through A4429/S3302, we ensure that no worker can be coerced into listening to political agendas that don’t reflect their own values. This bill safeguards the basic principle that a worker’s time on the job belongs to their craft and their livelihood, not to political messaging.”
“These new laws address two important issues – protecting workers’ rights to free speech in the workplace by banning “captive audience” meetings and educating students about the role unions play in the economy and society. The labor education law is important because many of these students will soon enter the workforce, and because of this law, they will be knowledgeable about how and why unions are formed and are necessary,” said Charles Wowkanech, President of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO.
“No one should be forced into a captive meeting on the job to listen to anti-union rhetoric and political agendas from unscrupulous employers,” said Bill Mullen, President of the New Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council. “With the help of the governor and the legislature, this law puts an end to that nonsense and ensures the men and women of the building trades — and all workers — can focus on their craft without intimidation, distraction, or fear.”
