Stand with us in New Jersey to fight for
Expanding Access to Unemployment for NJ Workers
NJ's unemployment system excludes 700,000 workers, especially people of color and low-wage earners, leading to housing instability, health issues, and declining job quality. The Job Bridge Program offers universal benefits and community navigators, boosting NJ's economy by $1.50 per $1 invested. Sign the petition to support here. For more info, contact Meghan Hurley at mhurley@cata-farmworkers.org.
The current unemployment system excludes 700,000 NJ workers. The Job Bridge Program creates universal unemployment insurance benefits for ALL workers to ensure no one is left behind.
New Jersey's current unemployment system disproportionately excludes and is difficult to access for people of color and low-wage workers. It reinforces long-standing socioeconomic and racial inequities. Also, a lack of benefits harms families during unemployment, causing housing instability, foregone healthcare, long-term impacts on children, and pressure to take low-quality jobs.
The Job Bridge Program would also establish unemployment insurance navigators based in community centers and unions to help workers apply for benefits, learn their rights, and obtain good jobs as they reintegrate into the workforce.
When more workers can access unemployment insurance and job training, the resulting stimulus and macroeconomic boost would expand the NJ economy, promote business, and provide stability during downturns. For every $1 invested in the program, an estimated $1.50 would be put back into the economy through the stimulus generated.
The Job Bridge Program creates an important safety net for workers and will help to strengthen our economy to ensure ALL workers have access to good jobs.
Sign onto the petition here to show your support.
For more information on how to support this campaign and if your organization is interested in signing on to support, contact Meghan Hurley, mhurley@cata-farmworkers.org
NJ Workers Protections from Extreme Heat!
Hundreds of workers have died from extreme heat exposure. NJ is acting to protect workers with laws for water breaks, heat training, cooling stations, and shade. Urge the NJ Legislature to pass NJ A5022 for worker protections.
"I was a farmworker. I know the struggles firsthand." - Edgar Aquino Huerta, CATA Organizer
Farmworkers are at the core of our food system, yet they continue to work under hazardous conditions, especially in extreme heat. New Jersey must implement a heat standard to protect workers from heat-related injuries, especially as climate change intensifies extreme temperatures. We continue to push for stronger workplace protections, and we need your help. Join us in this fight to demand that farmworkers receive the safety measures they deserve! Send a message to your NJ legislator here.
Read CATA Organizer Edgar Aquino Huerta’s op-ed on the need for heat protections here.