TRENTON, NJ – As the United States observes Labor Day, a holiday dedicated to honoring and recognizing the American labor movement, several unions in New Jersey are engaged in strikes or are operating without contracts, leading to increasing unrest among workers in the state.
NJ Transit workers, who have been without a new contract for nearly four years, recently voted unanimously to authorize a strike. Although the transit agency claims to remain committed to good-faith negotiations, a federal court injunction obtained last summer stands as a barrier to any potential strike action. The contract dispute has already been in national mediation for three years, with little visible progress.
In a similar vein, more than 1,700 nurses in New Jersey are presently on the picket line. Monday marked the 32nd day of their strike against Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Registered nurse Jenny Torres expressed her frustration, saying, “I just can’t believe how they are treating us this way.” The situation for these healthcare workers became even more dire on Friday when they learned the hospital had terminated their health insurance.
But it’s not just New Jersey that’s seeing labor unrest. Nationwide, approximately 11,500 screenwriters have been on strike since May 2, leading to the shutdown of late-night shows and writers’ rooms across the country. SAG-AFTRA members joined the writers in July, with around 160,000 actors taking to the picket lines. They are fighting for higher wages and protections against the encroachments of artificial intelligence in their industry.