Analilia Mejia’s campaign for New Jersey’s 11th congressional district picked up another set of notable labor endorsements today, this time from the Communications Workers of America District 1 and from two Rutgers faculty unions.
CWA District 1, which represents 70,000 workers in New Jersey, is part of the progressive labor orbit that Mejia, a former labor organizer, comes from; Mejia was previously endorsed by 32BJ SEIU, the SEIU New Jersey State Council, CWA Local 1037, and the Working Families Party (which has close ties to the state’s most progressive unions).
“Analilia Mejia earned our support because our Locals recognized and appreciated her always standing shoulder-to-shoulder with working families,” CWA District 1 New Jersey political and field director Anna-Marta Visky said in a statement. “We know she’ll be a relentless advocate for raising wages, expanding collective bargaining rights, fighting for healthcare and ensuring every New Jerseyan can afford to live in the communities they help build.”
The two Rutgers endorsements, meanwhile, come from Rutgers AAUP-AFT, which represents full-time faculty as well as post-docs, graduate workers, and counselors, and from the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union.
“Our members need people in Congress who understand the threats we are facing today, as workers, as educators and scholars, and to our basic civil rights,” Matthew Buckley, the co-chair of the unions’ joint legislative committee, said in a statement. “With her long experience as a labor and community organizer, Analilia knows our issues and will be the voice we need.”
Mejia is one of 12 candidates competing to succeed Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, but thus far the battle for organized labor support has largely been between her and one other contender, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill (D-Montclair), who has gotten more than a dozen union endorsements of his own.
And indeed, Gill picked up another labor supporter today: the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers and its New Jersey affiliate, IFPTE Local 196.
“For working people, Brendan Gill isn’t just another politician – he’s the son of a union member who understands firsthand the power of a union contract and the importance of strong workplace protections,” IFPTE Local 196 President Sean McBride said in a statement. “He understands the pressures our members face every day and has proven he will fight to protect collective bargaining rights, invest in public services, and stand up for working families. That’s exactly the kind of leadership we need in Congress.”
