New Jersey 1199SEIU members may not have won the grand prize in Tuesday's general election, as Senator Barbara Buono and 1199SEIU Executive Vice President Milly Silva were unable to unseat Gov. Chris Christie to become the first all-female ticket to win a statewide race in the nation's history, but the mood among 1199ers is that the fight was well worth it and that the union is now stronger than ever before.

Hundreds of 1199SEIU member volunteers fanned out across New Jersey on Election Day, focusing on getting out the vote in their neighborhoods and sending a strong message that the voices and needs of caregivers, patients, and working families must be heard.

Although the governor's race did not turn out as hoped, there were several other victories that 1199ers achieved, including dozens of wins in local races. Democrats retained their majority in the legislature and candidates were elected who support quality care, good jobs, and who will be ready to stand with 1199SEIU in upcoming battles to protect and improve members' contracts.

1199SEIU caregivers were also elated that New Jerseyans overwhelmingly voted to raise the state's minimum wage, from $7.25 to $8.25, and tie it to future increases in the cost of living. Over 40,000 low-wage workers will get a significant raise on January 1st and will no longer see the value of their paychecks diminish year after year. For a full-time minimum wage worker, this means an extra $2,000 in their paycheck over the course of 2014.

Many 1199ers say they have friends and loved ones who will greatly benefit from the minimum wage hike. "My family is celebrating, that's for sure!" said Gillian Dookie, a certified nursing assistant at the Wanaque Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation in Haskell, NJ. "My mother has worked at a fast food restaurant for the past five years, trying to make ends meet on less than $8 an hour. She works so hard for our family, and now she'll finally get a raise that's long overdue."

Annie Obley, an 1199SEIU member and certified nursing assistant from Windsor Garden Care Center in East Orange, NJ, spent the day making phone calls to registered voters in her community. "Today was about calling for a renewed focus on creating fairness and opportunity for everyone in our state," she said.

Rita Silva, an 1199er who lives in New Jersey but commutes to New York for her job as a certified nursing assistant and home health aide, was one of the many people who received a call from an 1199 volunteer. Rita didn't have a way to get to her polling location on her own, but 1199 was able to arrange a ride for her. "Because of my union, I was able to vote today," she said.

Keith Boone, who works as a dietary aide at Cedar Oaks in South Plainfield, NJ, was motivated to be an Election Day volunteer because "with politics, you can better the community. Many school programs for our kids have recently been cut, and we need to fight to get them back!"

Many 1199ers who came out on Tuesday are veterans of political work, while others, like Dynita Jaikaran, a certified nursing assistant at Newark Extended Care, were inspired to get active for the first time. "I'm here to help working people like me. Improving healthcare is especially important," she said.

1199SEIU members saw this election season as an unprecedented opportunity to show New Jersey that they never shy away from putting their principles into action, and they frequently demonstrated that commitment-by hitting the pavement and knocking on thousands of doors, attending campaign rallies and phone banks, and by organizing their friends, family and co-workers to get involved in politics.

Their efforts did not go unnoticed, and members are encouraged that many New Jerseyans who were unfamiliar with 1199SEIU just a few months ago now see the union as a leading voice for working families in the state.

Milly Silva echoed the sentiment that 1199ers came out on top in the election. "The energy and enthusiasm that you have shown time and again in mobilizing your friends, families, and neighbors to vote is only matched by your extraordinary commitment to providing quality care to the patients you serve every day," she said. "Every conversation you have, every time you help to empower someone to vote for the very first time, is a victory. By that measure, tonight was a great success."

- See more at: http://www.1199seiu.org/1199ers_make_splash_in_new_jersey_elections_win_legislative_victories_minimum_wage_hike#sthash.QrB6hL7V.dpuf