Local 1037 and 1038 Members Fight for Just Wages and Working Conditions Throughout New Jersey

On Thursday, July 14, CWA 1037 members, Administrative Assistants at La Casa De Don Pedro, delivered a petition to Director Peter Rosario with support from NJ Communities United to demand a pay increase for out-of-title work.

Workers have been fulfilling duties outside of their scope of work including responsibilities such as those of family counselors, food service workers, and cleaning and janitorial staff.

The 1037 members have spoken out about the untenable workload placed on them without adequate compensation, and have declared that they will no longer accept being overworked and underpaid - “Un ‘Gracias’ no es suficiente!” ‘THANK YOU’ is not enough!

Meanwhile, Local 1037 and Local 1038 members at the Department of Children and Families in Trenton, NJ, delivered over 1,400 letters to Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer urging the state to include clerical staff in the telework pilot program. Currently, the pilot program excludes 300 clerical staff who have an average of 16 years of service and are disproportionately women and people of color.

“We already did telework during the pandemic, and we got the job done. Clerical staff was praised and told we were the backbone of the agency, that they couldn’t do the work without us. But now we are being excluded from the telework option. This shows a lack of respect for us, and tells us the work we did during the height of the pandemic is irrelevant,” said Janette Quiñones, head clerk in the Division of Child Protection and Permanency.

The Commissioner did not meet with the workers, but workers promised to continue the fight for equity and respect.