NEWARK – Ahead of a Sept. 27th vote by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy joined airport workers at Newark International rallying for living wages.

Earlier this year, the board affirmed an increase to $19 of a phased-in minimum wage scale for all airport workers, including the catering category. The board voted unanimously following an impassioned argument made by Murphy with cheering SEIU 32BJ workers at his back.

“I have every reason to believe that they will abide by that decision,” Murphy said today at a podium in Terminal C. “It is the right thing to do. This is a long struggle. This is a battle in a bigger battle for minimum wage. We cannot accept levels of wages as they are. This is a about dignity. This is about a livable wage.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka also spoke (see below):