Labor & Employment (Collective Bargaining)

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jun 26, 2026

S 4529: Excludes certain properties from definition of public work and payment of prevailing wage under certain conditions.

This bill amends New Jersey's prevailing wage laws to exclude specific types of construction and maintenance work from requiring union-scale wages. It clarifies that work on properties owned or leased by public bodies does not count as "public work" if the site is in a distressed area, temporarily closed to the public for events, limited to short-term installations under 21 days, or involves no permanent structural changes. Additionally, the legislation defines "maintenance work" to include repairs exceeding $50,000 that require bidding and exceed the capabilities of in-house staff. These changes directly affect contractors and public agencies by narrowing the scope of projects where workers must be paid prevailing wage rates.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill excludes certain public work from prevailing wage requirements, effectively reducing mandated wages for workers under those conditions.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 11, 2026

A 5035: Prohibits use of prevailing wage fringe benefit portion of prevailing wage rate to fund certain bonus programs.

This bill prohibits employers from using the fringe benefit portion of the prevailing wage rate to fund bonus, incentive, or retention programs for employees. It also prevents employers from automatically enrolling workers in specific pension or retirement plans designed to meet prevailing wage requirements without first obtaining written consent. Employees who opt out of such retirement programs will still receive their required fringe benefits through other allowable methods. The law does not apply to workers employed by companies that have collective bargaining agreements used to determine prevailing wage rates.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill restricts employer use of prevailing wage funds for bonuses and requires written consent for retirement plans, limiting worker benefits and incentives.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3544: Prohibits toll-free passage for SJTA employees, officers, and members except while commuting or carrying out official duties.

This bill modifies New Jersey's existing toll regulations to prohibit free toll passage for South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) employees, officers, and members. It specifically restricts toll-free access to vehicles operated only during commuting to/from work or while performing official duties for the SJTA. Collective bargaining agreements covering these employees will not override this requirement. The change applies to all SJTA personnel covered under current or future labor agreements.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill restricts employee toll benefits and explicitly prohibits collective bargaining from overriding this, limiting labor negotiation rights95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 691: Limits certain unused sick leave pay and vacation leave carry-forward for public officers and employees.

This bill caps the retirement payout for unused sick leave at $10,000 (down from $15,000) for public employees in New Jersey, including those working for political subdivisions, agencies, authorities, and school boards. It applies only to employees who began service after a 2010 law took effect, not affecting existing collective bargaining agreements. The bill also requires unused vacation leave to be taken in the following year, unless related to a state emergency declared by the governor. These changes modify how public employees receive compensation for accrued leave upon retirement.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentReduces capped sick leave payout from $15k to $10k for public employees, directly cutting a retirement benefit and weakening worker compensation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3728: Concerns unemployment benefits for certain individuals.

This bill amends New Jersey's unemployment benefits law to clarify disqualification rules, primarily affecting agricultural workers. It specifies that workers who voluntarily leave agricultural jobs without "good cause" lose benefits until they work 8 weeks and earn 10 times their weekly benefit rate. The bill also adds protections: workers switching employers within 7 days (with equal pay/hours) won't lose benefits, and disqualifications for "misconduct" now require employers to provide written proof. It further clarifies that refusing work due to strikes, poor pay, or union requirements won't disqualify individuals. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Labor Committee (introduced January 13, 2026).

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill restricts unemployment benefits access by disqualifying workers who leave agricultural jobs without 'good cause', requiring 8 weeks work before eligibility.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Employment Discrimination Unemployment

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 467: Allows political subdivisions of State to purchase unused sick leave from officer or employee under certain circumstances; prohibits authorizing special emergency appropriations for unused sick leave purchases.

This bill (S 467) modifies New Jersey law to regulate how local governments can purchase unused sick leave from public employees. It sets a $15,000 cap on supplemental retirement payments for unused sick leave, limits annual purchases to 120 hours per employee (at 60% of the leave's value based on pensionable compensation), and requires employees to retain at least 800 hours of unused sick leave. The bill applies to political subdivisions (like cities and counties) and covers most public employees, excluding certain licensed professionals (e.g., health officers, tax assessors, municipal clerks). It also clarifies that sick leave purchases are discretionary and not subject to collective bargaining.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill imposes $15k cap on sick leave purchases, limits annual spending to 120 hours, and prohibits special emergency appropriations - directly restricting government spending on this specific budget item.92% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill restricts employee benefits by capping payments at $15k and limiting value to 60% of pensionable compensation, reducing financial gain from unused sick leave.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 3054: Provides that earned sick leave law does not apply to certain workers in concrete industry.

This bill clarifies that workers in the ready-mix concrete industry who are represented by a union for collective bargaining are excluded from New Jersey's earned sick leave law. It specifically amends the definition of "employee" to explicitly include these workers in the existing construction industry exemption. The change affects union-represented concrete industry workers, meaning they are not entitled to accrue or use earned sick leave under the law. This is a technical clarification to ensure consistent application of the existing exemption for construction workers covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill excludes union-represented concrete industry workers from earned sick leave law, restricting their workplace benefit access.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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