“Across this country and this State, people are struggling. Real wages and income growth for working people hovers at its lowest level in 50 years, while personal and household debt levels have not been this burdensome for a century. Without political leaders to challenge this equation, the disparity in income and security between the wealthy and powerful and everyone else will only continue to grow. Steve Sweeney realized this and as Senate President has fought for workers of all stripes, from union to non-union, public to private, all while executing his duty to keep New Jersey fiscally solvent. Steve Sweeney has stood up to demand a living wage for all of New Jersey’s workers. Not simply a token increase in the minimum wage that would keep our working families struggling every day, but a significant raise to incomes as a lift to New Jersey’s workers.

“For some legislators, the door is always open to lobbyists and representatives of the powerful. Steve’s door is open for working people in New Jersey.

“In Atlantic City, we have often served as a playground for the wealthy and powerful. But through the years, workers and their Union have fought to create a quality standard of living here. When workers stood up to stop Wall Street from gutting jobs here, Steve Sweeney was the first person to stand with us. When workers gathered and stood publicly on the Boardwalk to fight back against Wall Street’s plan to take more from those who work, Steve Sweeney was there with us. When legislation in Trenton was needed to curb abuses by the wealthy and powerful, Steve Sweeney led the fight to pass limits on corporate power. Because Steve knows there is a line that cannot be crossed, that New Jersey workers come first.

“Steve Sweeney has also been a tireless advocate for New Jersey’s children, from fighting for a fair public school funding plan, to providing opportunities for all.

“Leadership requires hard choices, the ability to look at the bigger picture for the state and its people, while navigating the constraints of partisanship and competing political forces. Steve has these qualities, and is guided by the principle of doing what is right by working people. We just learned that 8 men have wealth equivalent to one half the entire planet – billions of people. Political leaders like Steve are one line of defense for New Jersey’s workers.

For that reason, Local 54 wholeheartedly endorses Steve Sweeney for Re-Election.”