New: “Ciattarelli Repeatedly Tried to Roll Back Workers’ Benefits” in Assembly, Putting Him at Odds with NJ Police

TRENTON, NJ – Jack Ciattarelli’s running for governor to benefit himself and to benefit Donald Trump – not to stand with New Jersey workers.

We know that because, as a member of the Assembly, he “repeatedly co-sponsored legislation that would have slashed benefits for public employees" that the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police opposed, according to a new report.

“Ciattarelli has a lengthy anti-labor record, opposing collective bargaining for all public workers, opposing the right to strike for train engineers, opposing paid family leave, voting to eliminate lifetime health benefits for Somerset County employees and their spouses, and repeatedly voting against proposals to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage.”

The New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police, who opposed the bills to cut benefits that Jack cosponsored, “argued against the change,” according to NJ 101.5, saying at the time, “It’s like a little bit of a shell game.”

Jersey Independent: Ciattarelli co-sponsored bills to limit sick leave for New Jersey public workers

By Josh Israel

• New Jersey Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, a former state legislator and former member of the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, repeatedly co-sponsored legislation that would have slashed benefits for public employees. 

• During his time as an assembly member, Ciattarelli co-sponsored bills that would have prohibited payment to public employees at retirement for unused sick leave and required a doctor’s note for those using six or more days of sick leave in a row.

• His 2017 gubernatorial campaign website highlighted this as one of his “employee benefits reform” proposals that would have slashed benefits for New Jersey public employees, alongside proposals to limit health care benefits for current and future retirees, privatize pension plans, and prohibit high-benefit employer-funded health care plans.

• None of these proposals are currently listed on his 2025 campaign issues page, and his campaign did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

• The Ciattarelli-backed sick leave proposal was strongly opposed by labor organizations representing public employees.

• According to a May 2018 New Jersey 101.5 radio report, New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police president Robert Fox warned that passage of the change would disincentivize law enforcement officers from showing up for work. “These guys earn it,” he said of the paid sick leave.

• “I’m not anti-union, but I think our economy is best served when there’s balance,” Ciattarelli told the New Jersey Business & Industry Association in June. “Right now, we don’t have that kind of balance.”

• The New Jersey AFL-CIO, which represents more than 1 million New Jersey workers and their families, endorsed Sherrill in June.

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