Union County Social Services Workers Push For New Contract After Nearly 20 Months Without One

Red filled the Union County Board of County Commissioners meeting room on Aug. 27 as union members packed the seats, many wearing red shirts and carrying signs that read “Fair Contract Now” and “CWA Stand Up. Fight Back.”

One by one, workers stood before the seated commissioners and told their stories. They spoke about unfilled positions, heavier workloads, the rising cost of living, and struggling to make ends meet while working for Union County.

Among them was Jennifer Colon, a Union County Division of Social Services employee and single mother of three who told commissioners that after 10 years working for the County, she still receives housing assistance.

“Sometimes even working full time, it is still a struggle to make ends meet,” Colon said.

Colon is among 361 rank-and-file employees represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1080 at the County’s Division of Social Services. The division helps residents access programs like food assistance, emergency assistance, health coverage and cash assistance.

The workers have been without a new contract for nearly 20 months. CWA said negotiations for a successor agreement—or a new contract to replace the one that expired—began in March 2025. The previous agreement expired Dec. 31, 2024.

As the contract dispute continues, workers say rising caseloads and vacant positions are giving them more work. Kelly Martins, director of the Union County Office of Communications and Public Information, said 41 of Social Services’ 469 full-time positions were vacant as of Aug. 31, 2026 or about 9%. Martins said Social Services is continuing to fill positions and that several are going through the approval process. She also said SNAP applications are being processed faster and the payment error rate has dropped.

Workers Say Vacancies Mean More Work

CWA Local 1080 member Imani Humphrey asked commissioners to “stop, look, and listen to your employees.”

Humphrey said workers are expected to keep up with calls, cases, and other responsibilities even when positions are left empty.

“Eliminating a position does not eliminate the work,” Humphrey said.

County and Union Disagree Over Pay

Pay is another major part of the contract fight.

CWA members like Humphrey told commissioners that the County has proposed no  across-the-board wage increase for employees who are eligible to receive an increment, or step increase. A step increase moves an eligible employee to a higher level on an existing salary schedule, typically based on factors like seniority or time in the position.

The County disagrees with describing those workers as receiving a 0% increase.

Martins, representing Union County, said eligible employees who have not reached the highest step on the salary guide receive yearly step increases of about 2% to 9% before any additional wage increase. She said eligible workers received those increases in 2025 and have received or will receive them in 2026.

The distinction matters; a step increase is separate from the general wage increases that most unions negotiate as part of a new contract.

“The County does not agree with the characterization that these employees are receiving a 0% increase,” Martins said.

CWA did not provide the County’s specific wage proposal. In an emailed statement, the union said the latest offer is not enough.

“The County’s most recent wage proposal doesn’t reflect or respect the value these employees bring, nor does it keep pace with New Jersey’s rising cost of living,” CWA said.

For Colon, the discussion about wages comes back to what she can afford at home.

“After 10 years of working for the county, I am still receiving housing assistance because on my income alone I cannot afford to live comfortably in New Jersey,” Colon told commissioners.

Humphrey also told commissioners workers were not seeking unusually high salaries.

“We are not asking to become rich working for Union County,” Humphrey said. “We are asking to make a living working for Union County.”

County Says SNAP Performance Has Improved

While workers raised concerns about staffing, the County said its Social Services team has improved how quickly and accurately it handles cases for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP or food assistance.

According to the County, the share of SNAP applications processed on time increased from 39% at the beginning of 2025 to 95% currently.

The County also said its SNAP payment error rate fell from 11.9% to 3.42%. Martins said the state and federal goal is to keep that rate below 6%.

Humphrey pointed to the same 3.42% figure while speaking to commissioners, saying employees had continued to perform despite the pressures they described.

The contract fight is also taking place as Union County reported about $197.5 million in Current Fund surplus at the end of 2025, according to the County’s annual financial statement. The County plans to use $42 million in surplus as revenue in its 2026 budget.

During the Aug. 27 meeting, County officials said the County does not negotiate union contracts in public. Commissioners thanked the employees for attending and said they heard their concerns.

The County said that negotiations remain ongoing but declined to discuss the details or schedule of the bargaining sessions.

CWA said it expects to return to the bargaining table in September and continue working toward a new contract.