By SHEILA D. COLLINS Charles (Chuck) Bell wears many hats with the NJFAN. He serves as NJFAN’s Vice-Chair, as legislative affairs specialist, and works to keep the website going and assist in the production of our newsletters. He does all of this on top of a full-time job as Programs Director for Consumer Reports, where… Read More Chuck Bell: NJFAN’S Tireless, Thoughtful Vice Chair 

By GREGORY N. HEIRES Unions appear to be making a comeback as the Covid-19 economic crisis has emboldened workers and stirred up longstanding outrage over inequality and inadequate wages and benefits. In an historic victory in late March, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island voted to be represented by a union. They are… Read More Are We Witnessing a Rebirth of Unions?

The last NJFAN newsletter featured a letter sent to New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams challenging his assertion that the problem in New York is not lack of jobs but lack of access to jobs–and urging him to create jobs in the tradition of his predecessor Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. The letter was signed by NJFAN Advisory… Read More The Problem in New York City is Too Few Jobs

By FRANK STRICKER 1. Unemployment. Unemployment fell again, reaching 3.6%. That’s about where it was in February of 2020. But the rates for some categories are still terribly high: African-Americans: 6.2%; Disabled Persons: 8.8%; Teens: 10%; and Black Teens: 22.9%. 2. Job Totals. Employers added 431,000 non-farm jobs. Not blockbuster numbers but a C+. Areas… Read More Seven Points about the March Job Reports

By TRUDY GOLDBERG A great deal of work in the United States is done by volunteers who are not counted as employed in official statistics of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics—even if their work is done in a traditional workplace. Why? Because they are not paid. John A. Turner, Bruce W. Klein, and Constance… Read More Making Volunteer Work More Visible