NEW JERSEY UNIONS STRONGLY OPPOSE GOVERNOR MURPHY’S 37% HEALTHCARE COST HIKE AND URGE LEGISLATURE TO RETURN TO TRENTON

NEW JERSEY UNIONS STRONGLY OPPOSE GOVERNOR MURPHY’S 37% HEALTHCARE COST HIKE AND URGE LEGISLATURE TO RETURN TO TRENTON

TRENTON- More than a dozen unions representing well over 140,000 workers in New Jersey stand united in opposition to Governor Murphy’s proposed 37% hike in healthcare costs for state workers and call on Trenton to return to session now to address the state’s healthcare affordability crisis.

This dramatic increase is a betrayal of the public workers who keep our state running, particularly at a time when inflation is already squeezing the pockets of working families. Workers should not be forced to shoulder the burden of these excessive and unfair cost increases. Governor Murphy’s decision to impose these staggering health insurance hikes, 37% for local government workers and 19.7% for state government workers, directly undermines the financial security of New Jersey’s public sector employees, many of whom are already struggling with rising living costs.

It’s important to note that these workers—whose jobs include critical services such as healthcare, education, and public safety—are being hit hardest by this unfair tax on their wages. The coalition is demanding immediate action to halt this steep cost increase and ensure that public employees are not asked to sacrifice their health or financial well-being.

In addition to voicing our concerns over the proposed healthcare increases, we have sent a letter to legislative leaders urging them to return to Trenton and take immediate action to address the $100 million cut to the State Health Benefits Plan (SHBP) included in the FY2026 budget. This budget cut undermines collective bargaining and unfairly shifts costs onto New Jersey’s public sector workers and retirees. The FY26 budget represents a direct attack on the public sector workforce and will lead to catastrophic cost increases for over 100,000 workers and retirees. It also disregards years of good-faith negotiations with the Murphy Administration, which resulted in substantial healthcare cost savings, and sets a dangerous precedent by bypassing the contractual reopener process.

We urge the legislature to pass a supplemental budget bill to eliminate the $100 million healthcare cut, in light of the recent revenue surplus projections. This action would not only repair the damage caused by the FY2026 budget but also send a powerful message that New Jersey stands with its workers. The restoration of collective bargaining and affordable healthcare is essential for ensuring the well-being of those who serve our state.

We stand ready to work with legislators to advocate for affordable, quality healthcare for all New Jersey workers. This is a fight we will not back down from.

The growing coalition includes CWA, AFSCME NJ, AAUP-AFT, AFT New Jersey, the Council of New Jersey State Colleges, URA-AFT, HPAE, IFPTE, Rutgers AAUP-AFT, PBA, PFANJ, FOP-NJ State Lodge