NEWARK, NJ – The Laborers’ International North America-Eastern Region (LiUNA) union is announcing its endorsement of Rep. Donald Payne, Jr., (D-Newark) in the upcoming 10th Congressional District primary election. The union is one of the most influential labor organizations in New Jersey with over 45,000 members in the region.

"Donald Payne, Jr., has demonstrated a willingness to support working families and the ability to get things done,” said Ray Pocino, Vice President and Eastern Regional Manager of LiUNA. “Politics has more than enough people who love to speak, love to tweet, but there are fewer and fewer leaders like Donald Payne, Jr., who first and foremost love to serve. LiUNA represents more than 25,000 members in New Jersey, and they want a public servant who has a record of reliability, of approachability, and of accomplishment. We want Donald Payne, Jr for Congress."

Congressman Payne, a proud member of the House Labor Caucus and a former Union member himself, has consistently fought for our working families. Rep. Payne was an original co-sponsor of the Protect the Right to Organize (PRO) Act in 2020, which expands various labor protections related to workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazard Materials of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rep. Payne, Jr. has a record of bringing quality jobs for union construction back to New Jersey. He co-wrote the House version of President Biden’s landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will create millions of good-paying union jobs across the country while investing billions of dollars in physical infrastructure here in New Jersey, including the Gateway Tunnel and other critical infrastructure needs.

“I want to thank Laborers’ International and its members for their endorsement and Ray Pocino for his outstanding leadership and decades of service to the labor movement and New Jersey," said Congressman Payne. “As a former union member, I’m proud of my record of bringing union jobs to New Jersey. I’m thankful that this has led to more job opportunities for members of LiUNA, whose effort, sweat and hard work is essential to building the kind of progress we need in our communities.

Congressman Payne has recently been endorsed by the New Jersey Education Association, the Communications Workers of America NJ and the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association. He also recently announced the support of U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker.