1. a. It is declared to be the public policy of this State to establish prevailing wage levels for the employees of contractors and subcontractors furnishing building services for any property or premises owned or leased by the State in order to safeguard the efficiency and general well-being of those employees and to protect them and their employers from the effects of serious and unfair competition based on low wage levels which are detrimental to efficiency and well-being.

b. It is further declared that:

In 2018, over 30 million passengers traveled through Newark Liberty International Airport, making this airport, combined with the Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station, one of the busiest transit hubs in the country.

The workers at the airport and train station often cannot afford employer-provided healthcare plans, and unaffordable healthcare expenses is one of the sources of the high rates of turnover for the workers in the airport and train station.

Improved retention rates of workers in the airport and train station is an investment in service and safety for all who pass through the airport and train station and compensating these workers so that they can afford healthcare and receive a prevailing wage is a way to increase retention.

L.2005, c.379, s.1; amended 2021, c.68, s.1.