(TRENTON) — Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) issued a multimedia package Monday of excerpts from a news conference in support of legislation (A-3819) that would extend unemployment benefits to workers on strike for more than 30 days due to unresolved labor disputes.
The measure would have benefited workers in the recent strike against Verizon and would benefit Trump Taj Mahal workers currently on strike.
The multimedia package consists of excerpted comments from Speaker Prieto during the State House news conference and audio and a transcript of same.
The video can be accessed directly via our website — www.assemblydems.com — or by clicking here.
A transcript of comments from Speaker Prieto is appended below:
Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson):
“Thank you, everybody, and I give a lot of credit from the Senate President moving this today. And as you all know, you know, going on strike is never easy. As Local 54 knows, right now, that I think you guys are going on four weeks without wages and benefits. And, just recently we had Verizon, we had CWA and IBEW workers that, for about six weeks, did not have any compensation.
“That’s not right. And, you know what, you should be able to voice your concerns to make a livable wage and good working environment and benefits and not be held hostage that you cannot put food on your table.
“So, we need to make sure we pass this bill. The, as I said, the Senate is doing it today. The Assembly will take it up. We have the same bill that actually Assembly members Quijano, Giblin, Benson, DeAngelo, Zwicker, Houghtaling, so I have a host of great union supporters backing this bill.
“I look forward getting it from the Senate, getting in the Assembly and we will definitely move it as soon as we get together, and that will be in the very, very near future, so we get some relief to you to make sure that if you’re out of work for more than 30 days you can get compensation or, if they replace you, you can get compensation, so we…
[Cheering and applauding]
…because when you can have a voice in your job, everybody wins.
“So thank you, God bless, and I look forward to moving this bill. Again, thank you to the senate president for getting this done early.”