New Jersey labor has always been a force too large, too unpredictable, and too divided to fit neatly into any one political box. With more than a million members statewide, the Garden State’s unions remain one of the most influential voting blocs in the region. Yet today, the labor movement faces a crisis of unity, direction, and leadership at a time when the stakes for workers could not be higher.
At its core, the battle lines remain familiar: public sector versus private sector, educators versus tradesmen, progressive organizing versus traditional union power. The fractures have grown over decades, but the past few years have brought them into sharp focus.
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The Legacy of Division
The split in New Jersey labor is not new. For years, private sector unions—especially the Building Trades—have clashed with public sector unions like the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA). A flashpoint came when former Senate President Steve Sweeney, himself a proud ironworker, spearheaded pension reform that cut deep into the public sector.
That move left scars that never fully healed. Even as Sweeney later struck a deal with the NJEA on other issues, mistrust lingered. By the time he lost his seat in 2021 in one of the most stunning upsets in New Jersey political history, public workers celebrated his downfall as long-overdue vindication.
Fast forward to the most recent Democratic primary: both Sweeney and NJEA President Sean Spiller—each representing one arm of labor—failed to connect with voters. Their poor finishes underscored not only personal setbacks, but also the deepening fractures across the labor movement itself.
Trump-Era Chaos Meets Biden-Era Disappointment
Complicating labor’s internal battles is the national political climate. Former President Donald Trump’s bombastic style and direct attacks on traditional labor institutions didn’t stop many rank-and-file members from supporting him. In fact, large segments of the Building Trades and law enforcement broke Republican in recent elections, drawn in by Trump’s messaging on security, patriotism, and frustration with Democratic elites.
At the same time, President Joe Biden’s record—while objectively strong for labor on paper—failed to inspire the kind of loyalty Democrats hoped for. From funding the Gateway Tunnel Project to mandating project labor agreements for major federal work, Biden delivered concrete wins for unions. But optics matter, and his faltering public appearances and political struggles eroded confidence.
By 2024, Biden’s decline left a vacuum that Kamala Harris struggled to fill, while Republicans doubled down on pocketbook issues like taxes and public safety. For labor members in New Jersey, it wasn’t enough to hear about infrastructure bills and federal dollars—they wanted leadership they could trust.
The Murphy Record vs. New Jersey’s Reality
In fairness, outgoing Governor Phil Murphy left a labor record few Democrats could rival. His administration oversaw the state’s minimum wage increase from $8.60 in 2018 to $15 in 2024, expanded paid sick leave, passed equal pay protections, and strengthened project labor agreements.
These were landmark wins that should have united labor’s public and private wings. But even with these victories, Murphy’s low approval ratings dragged on the Democratic ticket, and critics painted any candidate running in his shadow as “Murphy 3.0.” That dynamic hurt Mikie Sherrill, despite her labor endorsements, and gave Jack Ciattarelli a critical opening to court disillusioned union voters.
The 2025 Election: A Labor Vote in Flux
Heading into the 2025 general election, New Jersey labor found itself at a crossroads. With the old guard of Sweeney and Spiller sidelined, attention shifted to Sherrill and Ciattarelli. Neither candidate carried deep union credentials, but both recognized that labor could swing the race.
Sherrill pointed to her support for workers’ rights, reminding voters that Ciattarelli opposed minimum wage hikes, prevailing wage laws, and other pro-labor measures during his time in the Assembly. Ciattarelli countered by aligning himself with police unions, touting his support for restoring Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs), and hammering Democrats on affordability and high taxes.
Polls reflected just how tight the race was. Affordability and taxes topped the list of voter concerns, with each candidate holding slight edges on different aspects of the economic debate. For unions, that meant their endorsements and boots-on-the-ground efforts could truly decide the outcome.
A Movement Searching for Leadership
What becomes clear in all this is that New Jersey labor is not suffering from weakness at the local or regional level. Union halls still organize. Rank-and-file members still turn out. What’s missing is a unifying vision at the state level. Without it, labor risks becoming a fractured voting bloc, vulnerable to being picked apart by savvy candidates and national political forces.
Labor’s strength has always come from its ability to mobilize en masse. If unions remain divided between public and private, progressive and traditional, left-leaning and Trump-curious, they will lose the leverage that historically gave them power at the bargaining table and in the ballot box.
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The Path Forward
The 2025 election is about more than one seat or one candidate. It’s about whether labor in New Jersey can reclaim its voice in a state where affordability, taxes, and economic growth dominate the political conversation.
For now, the movement resembles a giant, restless animal—powerful but untamed, snarling at every corner, and waiting for a leader to give it direction. Whoever succeeds in bridging the divide—between public and private, progressive and moderate, skeptical and loyal—will not only win union backing but may also unlock the key to governing New Jersey in the years ahead.
