OPINION
Let me share with you what it takes to become a skilled journeyworker with my union, the Laborers’ International Union of North America, or LIUNA. If you don’t know us, we are the 25,000 New Jersey members who build your transportation and energy infrastructure as well as everything from housing to hospitals, schools to skyscrapers. One can’t just walk onto the job and do what we do. It takes extensive classroom and hands-on training, which LIUNA members receive through our federally-accredited apprenticeship program. A LIUNA apprenticeship is rigorous, requiring at least 400 hours of classroom education and thousands of hands-on training and work in the field, all of which equips LIUNA members for the challenges we’ll face on a construction site. Preparation is the key that unlocks the full potential of our members.
And it is in the spirit of that type of preparation that drives me—15 months from Election Day 2025—to weigh-in on New Jersey’s gubernatorial campaign. I know, with a heated presidential campaign upon us, no one should be talking about a race so far in the future, but here I am doing just that. Even this far out, one elected official above others seems to stand out and is uniquely prepared for the job of governor. I want this person to know how my Union and I feel and encourage this long-time public servant to run. Mikie Sherrill, if you are reading this, please know you have what it takes to lead New Jersey forward and we encourage you to run for governor.
For those who may not know Rep. Sherrill, she has an impressive resume and long list of accomplishments, undergirded by a commitment to public service in general and advocacy for working families in particular. It is a trait that was probably first impressed upon her by her grandfather, a World War II Veteran and proud member of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. No doubt it was then refined at the United States Naval Academy and through her nearly decade-long commitment as a Naval officer leading missions across the globe as a helicopter commander.
While Construction Craft Laborers may prepare for work by taking training courses in excavation, scaffold building, line and grade, and concrete, Rep.Sherril’s preparation includes experience as both a federal prosecutor, putting criminals behind bars, and as an Outreach and Reentry Coordinator, helping the justice affected transition to become contributing members of society. I appreciate that she served in positions at different ends of the judicial spectrum, because public policy is almost always an exercise that pits one side against the other—the economy versus the environment, civil rights versus civil liberties, to name a few—and having a governor who can see all sides of an issue and effectively weigh competing interests is a good thing. I believe this past experience explains her pragmatic approach to governing, one that values solutions over soundbites and also explains why Rep. Sherrill was named the most effective lawmaker in New Jersey’s House delegation and why the New Jersey Conference of Mayors named her U.S. Representative of the Year. She gets things done—no ego, no drama. Just results. Prepared.
As a labor leader who has dedicated my life to fighting for the rights of workers, I appreciate Rep. Sherrill’s advocacy for workers and her 100% lifetime rating with the AFL-CIO. I also like a politician who delivers on infrastructure investment. The CHIPs and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are figuratively and literally the groundbreaking legislation we have desperately needed. And, because all politics is local, I admire Rep. Sherrill’s tireless work to secure funding for the Gateway Tunnel—the largest and most important infrastructure project in the country, one that will not only enhance safety and dependability for the region, but will also create thousands of good-paying union jobs. Here at LIUNA, we don’t take such success for granted. We need more leaders like Mikie Sherrill to protect wages, fair work rules, family leave, access to healthcare, and the right to form a union.
It was Abraham Lincoln who said “give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” Construction Craft Laborers understand and put that axiom into practice everyday, and it is as true for construction as it is for governing. Mikie Sherrill, your ax is sharp, your instincts are on point, and your experience and character are beyond reproach. From my perspective, the only thing missing is your name on the ballot for governor next year. I hope that changes.
Mike Hellstrom is Vice President and Eastern Region Manager for the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA).