Gottheimer meets with North Jersey labor leaders to address job security, infrastructure funding amid government shutdown
NEW JERSEY — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) convened North Jersey labor leaders this week to discuss ongoing efforts to protect jobs and support working families amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The meeting focused on the Trump Administration’s recent freeze on Gateway Project funding, the largest cut to Medicaid in history, and the potential expiration of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits — measures Gottheimer and labor representatives said could jeopardize union jobs, hinder infrastructure projects, and increase health care costs for New Jersey residents.
“We all stand together in the fight to create better-paying jobs, safer working conditions, more job opportunities, and health care,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer, a member of the Congressional Labor Caucus. “We have a common goal: the desire to make things better for our hard-working labor force, to gain dignity and respect on the job, and to create economic growth and security for the families we care so deeply about. On top of slashing our workforce, this Administration has also been cutting protections for workers and critical investments that will kill good-paying union jobs, like their recent attacks on the Gateway Project and on health care. Right now, I’m working around the clock to reopen the government to support Jersey, and I will never stop fighting for our men and women of labor.”
Gottheimer was joined by more than two dozen North Jersey labor leaders, including representatives from IBEW Local #164, the Bergen County and Passaic County Central Labor Councils, the Port Authority PBA and LBA, the FMBA, and several teachers and trade unions.
Throughout his time in Congress, Gottheimer has pushed for policies to strengthen New Jersey’s workforce. He helped craft and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, delivering more than $10 billion to repair roads, bridges, and public transportation systems while securing Davis-Bacon protections to ensure fair wages for union workers.
He has also championed public safety and labor protections, introducing legislation such as the Invest to Protect Act, which supports local police departments, and the FIRE Cancer Act, which funds cancer prevention testing for firefighters. Gottheimer has additionally backed measures to safeguard collective bargaining rights, expand paid family leave, and ensure tax fairness for union workers.
“As long as I’m in Congress,” Gottheimer said, “I’ll continue fighting to protect jobs, strengthen labor rights, and make sure every worker in New Jersey gets the dignity, respect, and support they deserve.”
