CWA Members, Legislators Forge Alliance on Healthcare Affordability at South Jersey Breakfast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2025
Story Justice Communications
Name: Rodrigo Brandao
Phone: 917-434-6168
Email: [email protected]

BURLINGTON, N.J. – Union members, CWA local presidents, and state legislators concluded a powerful legislative breakfast yesterday morning, solidifying a shared commitment to tackling New Jersey’s healthcare affordability crisis. The event, hosted by Communications Workers of America District 1 (CWA D1), featured emotional testimony from workers and strong pledges of action from attending lawmakers.

Held in Burlington, the forum allowed CWA members to share personal stories of how skyrocketing healthcare costs are affecting their families, their coworkers, and hurting public services. Ryan O'Dwyer, a Burlington County Library worker, highlighted how the system is broken, charging workers and taxpayers more, while insurance carriers and PBMs hide behind a lack of transparency. 

“Year to year, there is no way to know what workers should expect when the County sends open enrollment notices every October,” said O'Dwyer. “Prices keep going up, no one understands why, and the costs get shifted onto me and my coworkers and to taxpayers. The only people getting rich off me and my family’s healthcare are hospitals, and the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. The system is broken and we need the courage to fix it.” 

Bjana Swinson, a CWA Local 1036 Steward and Social Worker, detailed the direct financial impact on her family and coworkers. “Premiums under the State Health Benefits Plan have gone up over 112% in just five years. I now pay over $600 a month—more than 10% of my salary before taxes,” Swinson stated. “Our hard-fought raises were nearly wiped out by these hikes. Many of my full-time colleagues qualify for the public assistance programs we administer because their take-home pay is so low after healthcare deductions.” 

Their experience underscored the urgent need for legislative solutions like bill A5903, which aims to create transparency and cost controls to keep healthcare prices in check for working families.

In a significant show of solidarity, CWA leaders used the event to officially throw the union's political weight behind the allies who stood with them.

“Today, we saw the power of our membership and the importance of electing leaders who listen to working people,” said Anna-Marta Visky, CWA D1 New Jersey Political & Field Director. “Assemblymembers Bailey Jr., Simmons, Spearman, Kane, Murphy, and Katz didn’t just listen; they committed to being part of the solution. CWA is proud to support these pro-worker champions, and we will continue to mobilize our members to help re-elect them on November 4th. The path to fixing the healthcare crisis runs through the statehouse, and we need these allies in Trenton to get it done.”

The attending legislators, all CWA-endorsed candidates, engaged in one-on-one conversations with members and heard firsthand how the healthcare cost crisis is impacting families across South Jersey. They reaffirmed their commitment to making A5903 a legislative priority.

“I went back to work as a teacher after my husband passed away, because I needed health insurance for me and my sons. Without employer funded insurance I was facing a $2,200 a month premium for the four of us,” said Assemblywoman Kane. “Since then, costs have only gone up, from health insurance premiums to groceries, and our families can’t take it. We need to take action to address New Jersey’s affordability crisis.”

“I’ve seen first hand the difference access to health insurance can make in someone’s life, it is truly a life or death issue,” said Assemblywoman Katz. “The premium increases we’re seeing year after year are simply not sustainable, we have to take action to get at the root causes and fix the system.”

“I appreciate the work that CWA is doing to lead the charge on this, on behalf of all state and local government workers. We see people struggling within our district, between Medicaid cuts and premium increases in public and private plans, families are being bled dry,” said Assemblywoman Simmons. “I will continue to fight to see this through, to help keep New Jersey’s middle class afloat.”

“The CWA members who spoke today represent the heart of New Jersey’s workforce, and their stories are a powerful reminder that our healthcare affordability crisis is real and urgent,” said Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D–Burlington), Chair of the Assembly Health Committee. “I stand firmly with them in this fight. No worker should see their hard-earned raises wiped out by skyrocketing premiums or have to worry about affording care for their families. That’s why I fully support legislation to bring greater transparency and cost controls to our healthcare system. Together with CWA, we’re demanding accountability and building a system that works for working families—not the powerful special interests profiting off their struggles.”

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Story Justice Communications

Name: Rodrigo Brandao

Phone: 917-434-6168

Email:[email protected]

  
About Communications Workers of America District 1: CWA District 1 represents 145,000 workers in 200 CWA local unions in New York, New Jersey, New England, and eastern Canada.