Here are two recent developments in two union cases we are litigating.
In Ocasio v. Hudson County the Federal Court issued a final order in a decade long union retaliation case putting Hudson County on the hook for over two million dollars in fees and damages. (It will be closer to three if they appeal and lose, again.) The linked article breaks down the case in detail, but here’s the short version: Hudson County went after Ocasio aggressively for doing his job, standing up for his union members, and in the process, they derailed his career. Two juries found for Ocasio. The upshot is that unlike many backwater states in America, in New Jersey workers have strong legal protections, including union workers. Our state regularly leads the nation in income, education, and overall quality of life, and robust employment laws are a key part of that success. If your rights are being violated on the job, especially for standing up or speaking out, you have strong remedies.
In Jersey City Police Superiors Association v. Jersey City, a federal judge just refused to dismiss a lawsuit claiming the City violated the First Amendment by refusing to fly the police memorial flag. The union simply wanted to honor the families of fallen officers, but Jersey City’s openly anti-police mayor had other plans. In what looked like a political stunt aimed at boosting a now-failed run for higher office, Mayor Fulop removed two families of fallen officers from City Hall property, even as dozens of other groups were allowed to fly their flags without issue We’ll see how much more taxpayer money the City is willing to burn fighting this outrage. The court’s decision is linked below.
Here’s the bigger picture: Unions have always been the backbone of New Jersey’s middle class. When their rights are protected, we all benefit from stronger communities, better schools, and higher wages. That’s why New Jersey’s employment laws matter, and why we fight hard to make sure those rights are enforced.
Ocasio v. Hudson County Order & Opinion pdf | Jersey City Police Superiors Association v. Jersey City Opinion on denying motion pdf