UNITE HERE, HPAE, and BLET Endorsements Latest Additions to Growing List
Atlantic City, New Jersey – October 17 2024 – Joe Salerno’s campaign in New Jersey 2nd Congressional District continued its roll of overwhelming union support with the addition of three key union endorsements.
UNITE HERE Local 54, which represents hospitality workers across South Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Delaware, formally endorsed Joe Salerno’s campaign for Congress. The largest private-sector union in South Jersey, Local 54 represents hotel and casino workers and has a membership of over 12,000. “Hospitality workers are the backbone of Atlantic City’s economy,” said Salerno, “I’m proud to have the support of UNITE HERE Local 54, a historic chapter that has fought for workers in South Jersey for over a century.”
In securing the endorsement of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union (HPAE), President Debbie White noted that “Joe is an advocate for fully funding our public schools and our public healthcare institutions, and strongly supports the issues of our healthcare workers.” The union represents over 14,000 nurses and healthcare workers in health facilities across New Jersey. Salerno expressed his “gratitude for the endorsement and even more so for the critical work that healthcare workers do for all of us. We depend on their work and they should be able to depend on their government to support them.”
The New Jersey State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) officially joined the other endorsements with their stamp of approval. The BLET’s total membership is more than 51,500 and comprises locomotive engineers, conductors, brakemen, firemen, switchmen, hostlers and other train service employees on numerous railroads in New Jersey and across the United States.
These unions join SMART, UFCW, NJEA, AFTNJ, OPEIU, CWA and other groups that have added to the rising stack of influential groups and individuals endorsing the Salerno candidacy. Recent polls and fundraising reports indicate the race is bending towards Salerno heading into his October 24th debate against this uniquely vulnerable incumbent.