BILL TO AMMEND NEW JERSEY ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT OF 2020 PASSES NJ SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
The amendments extend prevailing wage for building service workers to the Historic Preservation and Brownfields programs

Trenton, NJ – Earlier today, the NJ Senate unanimously passed S3993. The Assembly passed their version of the bill, A5939, last week with overwhelming and bipartisan support. The bill’s prime sponsors were Senators Teresa Ruiz and Nelsa Cruz-Perez in the Senate, as well as Ileana Pintor Marin and John Burzichelli in the NJ Assembly.

The New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020 which reauthorized and created new economic development programs made New Jersey a pioneer when it comes to benefits to the working class. New Jersey is the first state in the country to require that building service workers at projects receiving financial assistance be paid the prevailing wage. The New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020 also included provisions for community benefits agreements. Despite these notable achievements there were still some areas where the law needed improvement, namely ensuring that buildings service workers receive the prevailing wage in all programs in which that is feasible and ensuring that the community has a greater say in the negotiation of community benefit agreements. The amendments passed today will have a direct impact on building service jobs at sites receiving state support under the Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program Act and the Historic Preservation Reinvestment Act. These permanent jobs will become the cornerstone of working class neighborhoods, which have been devastated by Covid-19. 32BJ SEIU along with our members will continue to advocate to the state legislature and the Administration for the community to have a greater say in the negotiations of community benefit agreements in projects receiving EDA support.

“We commend the New Jersey legislature for extending the prevailing wage for building service workers to include beneficiaries of the Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program Act and the Historic Preservation Reinvestment Act. Prevailing wages will guarantee that these tax incentives will not only support businesses in our state, but also directly benefit workers with family sustaining wages and benefits. We look forward to the law’s enactment which will have long lasting positive effects on the lives of many janitors, security, porters, concierges, and handypersons working in commercial and residential sites across our state”, said Kevin Brown, Vice-president and Director of 32BJ.

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With 175,000 members in 11 states, including 85,000 in New York, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country