October 1, 2015
LaborPress Staff
North Brunswick, NJ – Whether talking about the labor movement or society in general, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO is keenly aware that young workers represent the future. This week, the group sponsored more than 50 young union members who participated in an innovative power-building workshop called Commonsense Economics [CSE] on September 29.
The event, hosted by Assemblyman Joseph Egan, IBEW 456 business manager, and organized by the New Jersey State AFL-CIO and its Young Workers Advisory Committee, brought together young workers from all sectors of the labor movement to provide lasting lessons that cultivate economic awareness, leadership skills and solidarity. The core tenet of the CSE program is that workers have the power to retool state and national economic systems, and make them work for the middle class again. More than 50 young workers 35 and under, took part in the initiative.
In order to exercise labor’s collective voice, many of the young workers committed to supporting the Labor 2015 political program by signing up for Saturday labor walks and Election Day GOTV. A new app-based technology allows neighborhood canvassing to be conducted from smart phones rather than traditional paper walk packets makes the walks faster and more efficient than ever.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO Young Workers program is a year-round endeavor of the state federation that seeks to educate, empower, and engage young workers in the fight for progressive reforms that strengthen the labor movement, working families, and communities as a whole.
