New Jersey
Nurses at three New Jersey hospitals poised to strike over staffing ratios
About 3,000 nurses at three hospitals in New Jersey could soon begin a strike for safe staffing. Contracts expired Friday for 1,500 nurses at Cooper University Health Care in Camden, 800 nurses at Englewood Health in Englewood and 750 nurses at Palisades Medical Center (part of Hackensack Meridian Health) in North Bergen. As of this writing, Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), the union to which the nurses belong, has not given the hospitals 10 days’ notice that a strike will begin.
The nurses’ main demand is that safe nurse-to-patient ratios be included in their new contracts. More than 90 percent of the nurses at each hospital voted to authorize the strike, which signifies the magnitude of the problem and the workers’ determination to fight.
The developments in New Jersey continue a series of near-unanimous strike votes among US healthcare workers. Inadequate staffing, a long-standing problem that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has been the main factor motivating workers’ struggles. Understaffing increases nurses’ workloads, heightens the risk of medical errors, reduces the quality of patient care and contributes to overwork and burnout.
Recent years have seen a wave of early retirements among nurses, as well as an increase in nurses leaving the profession entirely. In New Jersey, nearly one-third of nurses have left bedside care in the past several years, according to HPAE. At least seven of 10 currently employed nurses are considering retirement. Only about half of New Jersey’s 147,000 licensed nurses are working, according to the union.
The contracts at Cooper University Health Care, Englewood Health and Palisades Medical Center are the first healthcare worker contracts to expire in New Jersey since last year’s strike at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) in New Brunswick. Debbie White, president of HPAE, said at a recent news conference that the agreement with RWJUH would serve as a model during the current negotiations. This statement is a clear warning that HPAE plans to betray the 3,000 nurses who are poised to strike.
For more than four months, the RWJUH nurses fought bravely for safe staffing and enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios. Finally, the United Steelworkers (USW) presented them with an agreement that established ratios but allowed the hospital to maintain understaffing of 18.5 percent without being penalized. It placed the onus on the already overburdened nurses to fill out safe staffing forms when understaffing exceeded the allowed level. If these criteria were met, then the contract provided for nurses to receive only two or three hours’ additional pay, even if the understaffed shift was 12 or 16 hours long. Under increasing financial pressure, and believing that the USW would not negotiate better terms, the RWJUH nurses ratified the inadequate agreement. “This was not the contract that we wanted,” one of them told the World Socialist Web Site.
Imposing a similar defeat on the 3,000 nurses who are ready to strike would be consistent with HPAE’s record of betrayals. In 2020, White prevented a strike of about 1,200 workers at Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) in Neptune. The union also kept these workers divided from those at Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, who were also without a contract. Both facilities are owned by Hackensack Meridian Health. HPAE’s opposition to a united fight enabled the company to impose its demands at nurses’ expense. One result is that in 2022, most nurses at JSUMC reported that they wouldn’t feel safe being treated at their workplace.
Instead of waging united struggles, HPAE encourages its members to appeal to Democratic politicians. Like the USW, HPAE is advocating for state legislation that would mandate staffing ratios. It has held rallies in Trenton, New Jersey’s capital, to demand passage of this reform. But such legislation has been introduced in New Jersey’s Senate each year for the past 20 years, only to die in committee. In California, Oregon and Massachusetts, where safe staffing laws have been passed, healthcare systems flout them with impunity.
HPAE knows very well that nurses’ pleas will fall on deaf ears. But because of its intimate relationship with the Democratic Party, it encourages illusions that the latter will respond to workers’ needs. The Democrats’ priority is not providing workplace reforms, but continuing the genocide that Israel is committing in Gaza and the proxy war with Russia that is being fought in Ukraine. As the world’s oldest capitalist party and a trusted agent of Wall Street, the Democratic Party is a party of imperialist war, which is paid for by attacks on the working class at home.
The HPAE’s affiliation with the Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, which is the healthcare division of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), makes its integration into the Democratic Party unmistakable. Like President Joe Biden and other Democrats, AFT President Randi Weingarten has smeared students protesting the genocide as antisemitic. But Weingarten had no qualms about traveling to Ukraine in 2022 and shaking hands with genuine antisemites such as Andriy Sadovyi, the mayor of Lviv and an open admirer of Stepan Bandera, who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. The Democrats rely heavily on Weingarten to suppress opposition within the working class and promote nationalism and war.
White’s recent comments and the history of the HPAE make clear that the union is preparing to betray the 3,000 nurses at Cooper University Health Care, Englewood Health and Palisades Medical Center. They also reveal that these nurses face not only a workplace struggle, but also, and more fundamentally, a political struggle. To wage a determined and effective fight for safe staffing, the nurses will need to establish their political and organizational independence. This will require them to organize rank-and-file committees that they, not the HPAE leadership, control democratically. These committees must also be independent of both capitalist parties.
Rank-and-file committees will enable the nurses to elaborate a winning strategy to fight for their demands. The nurses’ power will be strengthened if they appeal to other healthcare workers, and workers in other industries, for support. A strike at the three New Jersey hospitals must become part of a campaign to remove the profit motive from healthcare and to establish a socialist system that provides the highest quality healthcare to all as a basic right.
PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) — One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting in Paterson.
The violence erupted around 6:30 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of East 29th Street and 10th Avenue.
Children nearby gasped in horror at the sound of rapid gunfire. They were just about to sing Happy Birthday to their 13-year-old friend at her backyard party, but instead of blowing out the candles, they ducked for cover when they heard gunshots in the distance.
“Just hearing it – it was scary to witness, to hear. Especially on my birthday. Like a time I’m trying to play with my friends, get together,” said the 13-year-old.
She also says she had a friend who was there who saw what happened.
“He was going to the bodega – he went running back, but he had saw two people come out of a car and then shoot, but it was like an automatic gun,” she added.
Bystanders watched in shock and panic as first responders treated the victims. One of them was lying in the street next to a car and another was on the ground next to a bicycle.
Local councilman Luis Velez says the City of Paterson has taken measures to reduce crime in this part of town – what he calls a ‘hotspot’ — in part by installing security cameras. He is encouraging the community to cooperate.
“Paterson Police is doing their job as I know, they’re doing a great job to reduce crime, but one again we, the police, nobody, not even the news media has a crystal ball to say this is going to happen now,” Velez said, “Some people see corners getting built up, they see activities and they’re afraid to come out and say something, but our police department is trained to keep it confidential and approach to bring the quality of life in this area.”
The 13-year-old hopes her next birthday party is not ruined by the sound of gunshots.
“First we thought it was fireworks, but then we heard sirens and everyone started going home because they were scared,” she added.
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Let’s be honest, we didn’t need a national list to tell us this. New Jersey has the best restaurants, the best food, and some of the most talented chefs anywhere in America.
It’s something locals have been saying forever, and now the rest of the country is catching up. Still, it’s always nice to see that recognition on a big stage.
We Already Knew New Jersey Was the Best
USA TODAY’s 2026 Restaurants of the Year list highlights standout dining destinations across the country.
From humble roadside gems to chef-driven hotspots earning major buzz, the list celebrates places that truly stand out, and New Jersey showed up in a big way.
Three New Jersey Spots Earn National Recognition
This year, three Garden State restaurants made the prestigious list:
- The Pasta Shop – Denville
- Ram & Rooster – Metuchen
- Anjelica’s – Sea Bright
And yes, that includes a Jersey Shore favorite, because of course it does.
These restaurants represent everything people love about dining in New Jersey, quality, creativity, and flavors that keep you coming back.
A Jersey Shore Standout Shines
There’s something special about seeing a Jersey Shore restaurant included among the best in America. It’s not just about great food, it’s about the full experience, the atmosphere, and that unmistakable local charm.
Anjelica’s in Sea Bright earning a spot only reinforces what shore locals already know: some of the best meals you’ll ever have are right here, close to home.
No Surprise, Just Well-Deserved
At the end of the day, this recognition feels less like a surprise and more like confirmation. New Jersey’s food scene has always been top-tier, and lists like this just make it official.
Keep Reading: Beloved New Jersey Restaurant is Closing
So whether you’re heading to Denville, Metuchen, or down the shore, you already know, you’re in for something special.
PHOTOS: Step Inside a 1970s Kitchen — 34 Things You’ll Recognize
From Tupperware jugs (you know the ones) to those ever-present knife sharpeners, let’s take a nostalgic trip back to the quintessential ’70s kitchen.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
If You Grew Up in the ’70s and ’80s, These Foods Were Super Fancy
From Babybels to Toblerone chocolate, take a nostalgic bite out of these ‘fancy’ childhood foods that made us feel way more elegant than we really were.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
FIFA and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill have become embroiled in a war of words this past week as the prospect of $150 train tickets to travel to World Cup games and plans to close parts of New York’s Penn Station have angered residents.
The recent uproar began after reports surfaced April 6 that parts of Penn Station would be closed to NJ Transit commuters not attending World Cup games for four hours before kickoff during the eight matches at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Advertisement
Moreover, round-trip train tickets between Penn Station in Manhattan and MetLife Stadium, where the final of the FIFA World Cup is set to be played, were announced by NJ Transit to come in at $150 per person.
A return ride on the same line typically costs $12.90, according to NJ Transit.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the Los Angeles stop of The FIFA World Cup 26 Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola at LA Live in Los Angeles on March 24, 2026.
In a press release on April 17, Sherrill said the move to increase prices was caused by FIFA’s decision to eliminate parking at MetLife Stadium. The Democratic governor said price increases happened because FIFA did not agree to cover the costs of transporting fans.
“We are committed to ensuring costs are shared fairly. As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day,” Sherrill said.
Advertisement
More: Going to World Cup at MetLife Stadium? Expect $150 train tickets and no parking
FIFA, on the other hand, has said the price increase would have a “chilling effect” on fans attending games in New Jersey and said Sherrill’s demands asking FIFA to absorb transportation costs for fans were “unprecedented.”
“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options. This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup,” Heimo Schirgi, COO for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The NJ Transit logo is seen in the lobby of the New Jersey Transit headquarters ahead of a press briefing on the New York/New Jersey FIFA World Cup 2026 regional mobility plan in Newark, New Jersey on April 17, 2026.
What are other cities doing with World Cup transportation?
New Jersey has not been the only place where transportation costs have been the subject of discussion ahead of the World Cup. In Boston, round-trip train train tickets on the MBTA from Boston’s South Station to Gillette Stadium are being sold for $80.
Advertisement
Special event trains to Foxborough for New England Patriots NFL games and New England Revolution MLS matches are usually $20 for a round trip, according to local news station CBS Boston.
Other cities have not seen increases like the ones in New Jersey and Boston. In Atlanta, for example, train fares on the city’s MARTA will be $2.50 per ride, with children able to travel for free with a paying adult.
Kansas City is offering $15 round-trip shuttle rides for fans parking in four different park-and-ride locations, as well as those coming from FIFA’s Fan Festival in the city. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is offering fans a $3.50 round trip train ticket on its Metro Train.
SEPTA in Philadelphia is also keeping its prices low, with fans set to pay the base $2.90 fare for a ride on its Broad Street Line, which takes riders to Lincoln Financial Field, set to host six matches.
Advertisement
Katie Sobko from USA TODAY Network’s NorthJersey.com contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup fans going to MetLife Stadium to pay $150 for NJT ticket
-
Politics35 seconds agoOrdered free, still locked up: Judges fume as Trump administration holds ICE detainees
-
Science7 minutes agoA renewed threat to JPL as the Trump administration tries again to cut NASA
-
Sports13 minutes agoAfter 55 years as a broadcaster in L.A., Randy Rosenbloom is leaving town
-
World25 minutes agoBulgaria votes in eighth election in five years
-
News55 minutes agoReal estate investors are buying up long-term care facilities. Residents can suffer
-
Detroit, MI3 hours agoFormer Piston shows Detroit what they’re missing as he dominates next to LeBron
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoEastbound I-80 closure in San Francisco snarls traffic, slows business
-
Videos3 hours agoCan Keir Starmer survive the latest Mandelson revelations? | BBC News