New Jersey 1199ers Held Pickets at 3 Nursing Homes to Call for $15/hr Minimum Wage for all Healthcare Workers

November 11, 2015

New Jersey 1199ers held pickets at three nursing homes on November 10 to call for $15 an hour minimum wage for all healthcare workers. Despite drenching rain, workers in Jersey City, Perth Amboy, and Neptune City picketed for hours, making a powerful statement to their employers that they are ready to do whatever it takes to win a path towards a living wage for all. On the eve of the national day of action, 1199 members hosted a tele-townhall featuring Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. who pledged his support to the Fight for $15 movement. The event drew thousands of listeners across the state as nursing home, home care, and pharmacy workers shared their stories about struggling to support their children on poverty-level wages. “I have four children and every month I struggle to put food on their plates making $11 an hour,” said Abigail Kwasi, Certified Nursing Assistant at Majestic Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Jersey City. “I had to tell my children that we can't afford Christmas gifts this year. It makes breaks my heart that my children can’t have more but it’s impossible to make ends meet on such low wages. That’s why I’m here to fight for $15.”