North Brunswick, NJ -- The City of Newark has a history of being “late” when approving labor contracts, but four years is ridiculous.

Nurses represented by JNESO District Council 1, IUOE-AFL-CIO, have been working without a contract since the last one expired in December 2022. That means: no cost-of-living increases, no wage increases, no enhanced workforce protections for the past four years.

These nurses care for residents of Newark through their work at the Mary Eliza Mahoney Health Center and the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. The lead program currently has 590 active cases and receives over cases 100 each year.

“Every day, these healthcare professionals work tirelessly to keep our families, neighbors, and communities safe and healthy. Yet while the cost of housing, food, transportation, and everyday necessities continues to rise, Newark's nurses have been asked to do more with less,” explained Douglas Placa, Executive Director JNESO. “This is not simply a labor issue; it is a community issue.”

These nurses are vital to protecting the health of local residents, handling immunizations, women’s health care, wellness programs, and the education and testing, monitoring, and tracking of the health of children who have been exposed to lead.

JNESO has worked with a mediator and the City’s attorney, but little progress has been made. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was sent back with changes JNESO requested in April, but the last email communication from the attorney in May stated: “The City is in the midst of its yearly budget process, and that involves the same staff that need to cost out all your changes and tell us what the City is able to afford. As a result we will need some time to confirm that information.”

“More time? They have had four years!” exclaimed Placa. “JNESO currently represent 10 nurses in Newark, so we aren’t talking about hundreds of people. We have served as their local union since 2009, and waiting for the City to get a contract ratified is not unheard of. But at this point, this is not only ridiculous, it is disrespectful to these dedicated nurses who give their all every day to serve City residents.”

The proposed MOA calls for a five-year agreement that would be retroactive and cover January 1 2023 to Dec. 31, 2027. This additional year would prevent the lapse again in December of 2026 when the contract that should have been in place already would have expired, giving the City another year before starting the process again.

The proposal includes 2% base salary increases for 2023 and 2024, 2.5% increase for 2025, 2026 and 2027. These would be paid retroactively for past years by the end of 2026. An increase in uniform allowance, providing additional education and required medical certifications for Basic Life Support and PALS training, increased stipends, and stronger work schedule protections for full and part-time nurses are also included.
JNESO District Council 1, IUOE-AFL-CIO is one of the largest healthcare unions in New Jersey, representing more than 5,000 nurses, technicians, and other health care workers at 16 facilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. For more information, visit jneso.org

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About:
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
The mission of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) is to provide medical and environmental management for lead-burdened children and to conduct lead screening to mitigate the effects of lead. Lead poisoning is a public health concern and is 100% preventable. The goal of the CLPPP is to identify children who are lead burdened, assess the source of the hazard, and remediate the hazard. The program offers lead screening, education & awareness, inspections, and court cases.

The Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness and the Mary Eliza Mahoney Health Center provides affordable high-quality and comprehensive primary care to the residents of the greater Newark area regardless of their ability to pay. Services include: dental care, pediatric care, women’s health care, immunization and infectious disease care, behavioral health care, primary adult health care, infectious disease and STD care.