Malinowski to Kean: Don’t Score Points on the Backs of New Jersey’s Working Families

Kean Opposes Protecting the Right to Organize Act

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – Last night the House of Representatives passed the Bipartisan Protecting the Right to Organize Act; landmark legislation that raises wages and enhances working conditions by strengthening collective bargaining rights. From his perch on the sidelines Tom Kean, Jr. has crowed his opposition to this win for working families, and worked to stoke fear among independent contractors not actually affected by the bill.

The PRO Act strengthens the National Labor Relations Act, which guarantees employees the right to form unions and to collectively bargain. It does not touch wage and hour laws that affect employees or independent contractors. As a 20-year Trenton insider, Kean should understand the difference.

It’s disappointing to see him pit our freelancers and independent contractors against union families and working people fighting for a living wage, just to score political points. Disappointing but not surprising.

Kean has never been a friend to working Americans. He has voted 5 times in Trenton against raising New Jersey’s minimum wage, 4 times against prevailing wage laws, and to undermine the collective bargaining process. He has voted against providing health and unemployment insurance for employees in labor disputes, and just last year, he opposed landmark legislation to  crack down on wage theft and protect New Jersey workers from exploitation.

Senator Kean is proving again that he is no moderate. He is a career politician perfectly comfortable following the Trump playbook of lies, fear, and divisiveness, beholden to corporate money, and owned by his party.