Teamsters ask Grewal to investigate NFI EDA award

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Thursday sent a letter asking state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal Economic Development Authority Ethics Liaison Officer Frederick Cole investigate an EDA tax award given to NFI.

“There are 55,000 Teamsters who live and pay taxes in New Jersey while working in critical industries, including transportation, logistics and public services. New Jersey Teamsters believe that our state’s limited resources should not be used to benefit irresponsible, law-breaking employers,” the union’s vice president, Frederick Potter, said. “NFI should be prosecuted and barred from receiving any financial assistance from the state, including the nearly $80 million it currently stands to gain through the Grow NJ program.”

NFI is among the firms named by the EDA task force convened by Phil Murphy. The task force said the firm’s application for an award included a number of discrepancies.

The Grow NJ program is due to sunset on July 1.

An Assembly panel on Thursday advanced a bill that would extend that deadline by seven months.

The Senate is expected to advance that bill next week.

Murphy, who has harshly criticized parts of Grow NJ and other EDA programs, said in a statement Thursday that he would veto the bill unless it was coupled with amendments to the program’s enabling legislation.

The Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee on Thursday took testimony on a bill that would amend the 2013 act but did not vote on the measure.