Gottheimer meets with North Jersey labor leaders to discuss jobs, costs and workforce issues
PARAMUS, N.J. (Bergen County) — U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer recently met with North Jersey labor leaders to discuss jobs, affordability, artificial intelligence and other issues affecting workers and their families.
The roundtable was held at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 164 in Paramus. Participants discussed health care costs, rising taxes, the next generation of workers, the future of AI and efforts in Washington to support New Jersey workers and families.
“I’m proud to stand with North Jersey and our hardworking families,” Gottheimer, D-N.J., said. “Labor unions helped build this state, this country, and create the most competitive workforce in the world. I’ll keep fighting in Washington for better wages, safer working conditions, more job opportunities, and the dignity and respect every worker has earned.”
Gottheimer highlighted several legislative efforts he has supported involving organized labor and the workforce.
He helped negotiate and pass the bipartisan infrastructure law, which his office said has delivered more than $10 billion to New Jersey for road and bridge projects and supported construction and manufacturing jobs. Gottheimer also supported Davis-Bacon prevailing wage protections included in the law.
Gottheimer voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill, which he said threatened tens of thousands of union jobs, and has backed several measures related to workers’ collective bargaining rights, paid leave and tax deductions for union dues.
Among those measures are the Protect America’s Workforce Act, the Faster Labor Contracts Act, the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, the Tax Fairness for Workers Act and the FAMILY Act, which would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave for certain medical and family circumstances.
Gottheimer also highlighted his work involving police officers and firefighters, including the Invest to Protect Act, the Fight Fires and Fight Cancer Act and the bipartisan FIRE Cancer Act.
As co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, Gottheimer also helped advance the Social Security Fairness Act, which was signed into law and addresses Social Security benefits for certain public-sector workers receiving pensions.
The discussion also focused on how artificial intelligence could affect the workforce. Gottheimer, co-chair of the House Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the Innovation Economy, has introduced the bipartisan AI Workforce Training Act, which is intended to help workers and businesses prepare for the growing use of AI in the economy.
