Move supported by Bayonne Second Ward Councilman Sal Gullace

(BAYONNE) 一 Following up on her previous calls for action, current Council President and mayoral candidate Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski announced her support for an immediate minimum wage increase for Bayonne municipal employees to $15 per hour.
“A $15 minimum wage for Bayonne City employees is a step in the right direction not only for our employees, but for our local economy,” said Council President and Mayoral Candidate Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski. “City employees don’t just work in Bayonne, they live here, spend their money here and raise their families here. An investment in them is an investment in the success of our whole community.”

The Statewide minimum wage in New Jersey is currently $13 per hour for most private and public sector employees. Studies show that reasonable increases to minimum hourly wages increase living standards, employee morale and consumer spending particularly at small businesses. A 2019 New Jersey state law has these employees on a track to reach a $15 minimum wage by 2024 – a timeline that does not match the needs of Bayonne, according to Ashe-Nadrowski.

“Two years is too long for our working families, and too long for our local business community,” said Council President and Mayoral Candidate Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski. “While my calls for this move were met with resistance by the City Administration in the past, I hope we can come together, assist those in need and set an example for what can be done by public employers across the state without a direct cost to taxpayers.”

Joining in support of Ashe-Nadrowski’s proposal is current Second Ward Councilman Sal Gullace. “Our City employees work hard and their morale is important,” Gullance stated. “They’re part of our team as a City and it’s time that they earn a living wage.”

Ashe-Nadrowski plans to introduce a Resolution raising the Bayonne City government minimum wage to $15 at the next Bayonne City Council Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 16, 2022