New Jersey
Operating Engineers want Gottheimer in '25 as big building trades unions split – New Jersey Globe
Three of the most politically potent building trades unions in the state are headed into different campaigns in next year’s Democratic gubernatorial primary after the head of the powerful International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825 announced that he wants Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) to run.
The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters announced its endorsement of former Senate President Steve Sweeney the same day he entered the race last December, and the regional leader of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) announced last month that his union would support Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) if she runs.
In what could be a large field of candidates to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy, labor unions – part of the core vote in Democratic primaries – are charting their own paths. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop has been endorsed by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Teamsters, AFSCME, and other transit-related locals. Sean Spiller, the sitting president of the New Jersey Education President — the state’s largest public employee union – is also running for governor.
Greg Lalevee, the Local 825 business manager, told the New Jersey Globe that his union believes “Gottheimer would be the strongest Democratic primary candidate for 2025 and urge that he run.”
“These politically divisive times call for moderation and Josh is a proven leader that brings people together to deliver results. Operating Engineers, union workers, and their families benefit every day from the bi-partisan infrastructure legislation Congressman Gottheimer helped over the line,” Lalevee said. “This is the type of leadership New Jersey should look for when deciding who should represent them in 2025.”
Lalevee’s support of Gottheimer was first reported by POLITICO.
Sweeney, who has been a union ironworker since he was in his early 20s, is the leader of the ironworkers’ Philadelphia and Vicinity District Council, and is also the general vice president of the international union.
“As a legislator in Trenton, there was not a more tireless legislator advocating on behalf of workers than Steve Sweeney. He expanded Project Labor Agreements and Prevailing Wage, he created programs that rebuilt cities, he led the effort to replenish the State’s Transportation Trust Fund, championed the effort to put $1 billion into college capital projects,” the Sweeney campaign said in a statement. “He also expanded New Jerseys push into renewable energies and advocated for the Environmental Justice law. He was the glue that put building, the environment, and social justice together.”
Local 825 endorsed Murphy in 2021. It’s not immediately clear if Lalevee’s decision to back Gottheimer is just for the primary or – if Gottheimer is the nominee – the general election as well.
New Jersey
Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper
An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.
Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.
The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.
The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.
Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.
He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.
investigation, and no additional information is available.
New Jersey
NJ casino workers continue push to end smoking loophole
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) — New Jersey casino workers, who are pushing to permanently ban smoking in their workplaces, held a rally in Trenton on Monday.
A hearing was held to discuss a lawsuit that aims to close the smoking loophole in the Garden State.
For years, casino workers have been pursuing protections against secondhand smoke in their workplaces.
RELATED | Judge allows smoking to continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to workers
New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act largely bans indoor smoking, but casinos have a long-standing exemption.
The lawsuit filed last April by the United Auto Workers, which represents dealers at the Bally’s, Caesars and Tropicana casinos.
In August 2024, a judge ruled in favor of the casinos to allow smoking to continue.
“Casino workers are expected to clock in to work every day despite inevitably facing a toxic environment that could cause countless health issues, including cancer, heart disease, and asthma,” said Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer representing Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) and the UAW on Monday.
“We’re asking the court to find the exemption in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act unconstitutional and void it immediately. We hope this case will serve as a precedent for casinos across the country to close their smoking loopholes and stop poisoning their workers,” added Smith.
The casinos have warned that thousands of jobs and millions in gambling revenue and taxes could be lost if smoking was banned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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New Jersey
11-Vehicle Crash Closes Turnpike, College Student Abducted: NJ Weekend
A teenager was shot to death in Jersey City, a woman was killed in a fiery crash with a dump truck in Ocean County, and a man is in critical condition after an SUV hit him in a Princeton crosswalk.
Here are the headlines from the weekend in New Jersey you may have missed.
Teen Shot Dead In Jersey City Apartment, Prosecutor Says
A 16-year-old boy was found shot to death in Jersey City on Friday night, prosecutors said.
Woman Killed In Fiery Head-On Dump Truck Crash In Ocean County
A woman was killed Friday when her van hit a dump truck head-on in Jackson and burst into flames, Jackson police said.
Evelin Villanueva-Detejeda, 43, of Perth Amboy, was killed in the crash that happened about 2 p.m. on Toms River Road (Route 571) near Osprey Place, Sgt. Edward Travisano said.
Six people sustained minor injuries in the collision late Friday afternoon, according to State Police Tpr. Christopher Postorino.
Read more: 11-Vehicle Crash, Overturned Truck Shut Down Turnpike In South Jersey: Police
NJ College Student Abducted From Campus, Sexually Assaulted By Armed Man, Police Say
A Union County man is facing a slew of charges after kidnapping a woman, according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Akram Elsayed, 28, of Roselle, has been arrested after an investigation found that he’d kidnapped a woman and handcuffed her to the door of a car, police said.
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