Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has signed a bill sponsored by Assemblyman John Allen and state Senator Raj Mukherji (both D-32) to bolster prevailing wage enforcement into law.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“In Hoboken, Jersey City, and throughout our state, fair work deserves fair pay, plain and simple. This bill will finally ensure that out-of-state cooperatives operating here are held to the same standards as our own contractors,” Allen said in a statement.
“If a cooperative allows a vendor to violate our prevailing wage laws that uplift our workers, they should not receive any public contracts.”
Bill A-4194/S-3041 prevents public entities from providing contacts to vendors who did not pay their works prevailing wages.
On the Assembly side, Michael Venezia (D-34) and Annette Quijano (D-20), joined Allen as primary sponsors, while Joe Lagana (D-38) was a primary sponsor with Mukherji in the state Senate.
According to Mukherji, this will close a commonly exploited loophole in cooperative purchasing agreements by prohibiting government agencies from receiving public works contracts when their vendors violate the state’s prevailing wage laws.
“In Hudson County and across New Jersey, hard work must always be matched by fair pay. This legislation ensures that out-of-state cooperatives operating within our borders are held to the same rigorous standards as our local contractors,” he added.
“If a cooperative allows any vendor to violate New Jersey’s prevailing wage laws — laws that safeguard the rights and livelihoods of our workers — they should be ineligible for public contracts. We must stand firm in our commitment to the dignity of work and the just treatment of all who labor in our state.”
The legislation also clarifies the use of cooperative purchasing agreements across state lines, enhances accountability in awarding indefinite delivery contracts, and reinforces New Jersey’s commitment to supporting workers with updated contracting practices.
