Governor Phil Murphy this morning in Woodbridge said he looks forward to passage of a minimum wage hike bill later this month.

“This is a tremendous victory for working families in New Jersey,” said Murphy, alongside Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac and Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet, on the heels of a deal he struck with Democratic legislative leadership.

“As Joe Biden would say, ‘This is a big deal,'” he added. “This is a true team effort.”

In a year, making minimum wage for their work will go from $8.50 to $11 an-hour, followed by an incremental upward tick until it gets to $15 an hour five years from now.

“Trust me, the net benefits are going to be enormous,” Murphy said.

He highlighted his partnership with Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3) and Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19).

“I wish the three of us could have announced this in person, together,” the governor said.

Editor’s note: an earlier version of this story made reference to the presence of Coughlin at the event but he was not, in fact, present.