New Jersey State Workers Rally, Win Agreement to Defray Massive Healthcare Premium Hikes, Fight Continues for Local Government Workers

CWA public workers in New Jersey mobilized over several weeks - including a massive rally on September 13th - to win an agreement with the State to dramatically reduce the impact of a recent proposal to increase the workers’ healthcare premiums.

State workers from CWA locals up and down New Jersey joined hundreds of other public sector union members to rally at the State House in Trenton to protest the proposed increases to their healthcare premiums. Workers and community allies also made phone calls to the Governor expressing their concern about the proposal. The workers, who served the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, voiced their anger and frustration that the State was proposing to increase health insurance costs so much even after all of the work our members put in to keep New Jersey going through the pandemic.

“State, county, and municipal workers were called upon to continue working, often putting ourselves at risk to ensure we continued to serve our communities with critical services and now it's time for the state to help those who took the risks to continue serving our communities,” said Katwanna Noble, a member of CWA Local 1037 and an employee at the New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services.

The workers were joined by supporters and the mayor of Trenton, N.J., Reed Gusciora, who reminded the crowd, “Without the unions, without the workers, the city and the state would be shut down.”

Unfortunately, the struggle against massive premium hikes for local government workers continues. CWAers in New Jersey will not rest until a solution is also found for local government workers.