Now it is time to see if the gamble paid off. They should view us as a force in economics in New Jersey. The Garden State still has about 925,000 union members, although that number includes retirees. They wants changes, Marciante said. Labor members want unemployment benefits in New Jersey stretched another 13 weeks beyond the 26 weeks already offered, as 12 other states have already done, he said.
Labor also wants to stop the privatization of state agencies.
When the Division of Motor Vehicles was privatized, for example, several hundred workers in New Jersey lost their jobs, Marciante said. Coupled with these issues are concerns not limited to union members. Protecting Medicare, pensions and college loans were the chief themes of the national AFL-CIO's political advertising this year. Labor leaders think this past election proved those issues can get out the vote. The AFL-CIO estimates union households made up 23 percent of this year's electorate, compared with 14 percent in 1994.