Raise The Wage

Today’s carpentry professionals face a rigged construction industry economy where workers are not able to advance themselves no matter how long or hard they work, due to unethical and nefarious business practices that are rampant within the industry.

We are calling on the New Jersey Department of Labor to convene the New Jersey Wage Board to create a $25 dollar an hour minimum wage for Carpenters in New Jersey. Many of us are getting by, but we aren’t leaving anyone behind. We want a living wage for ALL Carpenters in New Jersey.

Big developers are putting short term profits ahead of local communities and creating long term problems. They manipulate the system incentivizing contractors to enter a never-ending race to the bottom. They are turning what once were middle class careers into jobs that pay poverty wages. Recently the Century Foundation released a report showing that over 2 Million construction workers are misclassified by employers as sub-contractors instead of employees. That means they are paid off the books, often without any benefits like medical, retirement or overtime. Currently the average wage for a Carpenter is $17 per hour! It is ridiculous to think that $17 per hour makes sense to work in one of the most physically demanding and dangerous jobs in America. Meanwhile, homes of construction workers are already more likely to need one or more public assistance programs. Taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidizing low wage paying employers.

It is time to Raise the Wage! We can level the playing field and rise against the forces seeking to hold us back. The New Jersey Department of Labor has the responsibility and authority to advance our values and goals by forming a Wage Board to investigate the poverty wages being paid by unscrupulous actors in the construction industry.
Sign our petition to demand that the New Jersey Wage Board be convened.

Why?

Carpenters need a minimum wage of at least $25.00 per hour. You know that the cost of living in New Jersey is high, one of the highest in our Nation. No matter where you live, or what your job is. It is essential that working people earn a wage that enables them to meet their basic needs. A wage that allows them to enjoy the dignity of providing for themselves without having to rely on public programs to get by. That is why Carpenters in New Jersey need a minimum wage of $25.00 per hour. A recent study performed by the UC Berkely Labor Center points to the fact that 39% of families of construction workers rely on at least one form of public assistance. That adds up to a cost of $28 Billion in taxes. Statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that year after year front line construction workers face far higher rates of injury and death than other industries.

What’s more is that Construction plays a crucial role in providing employment for thousands of New Jerseyans. Making a substantial impact on the larger economy of our state. However, many construction jobs are going unfilled. These unfilled job opportunities not only threaten growth in building and construction but could delay vitally important infrastructure projects. Ensuring a fair and equitable wage for Carpenters is one of the best ways to attract new workers to the field and protect our State.

At one time learning a trade was part of the path to a middle-class lifestyle. It meant economic security for the family. Today Carpenters are struggling to get by. Yet, they still face the same dangerous work conditions. All the while producing the infrastructure critical to advancing our society. Take time now to sign the petition. Protect our workers, protect our economy, protect our State.