On Sept. 3, 2025, Governor Murphy signed the following bill into law:
Labor Movement Instruction A-1682/S-1054 (P.L.2025, c.137) requires boards of education to include instruction on United States and New Jersey labor history and the contributions of the labor movement. This instruction must be provided in an appropriate place in the curriculum for students in grades six through 12 as part of a district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in social studies. Specifically, the instruction must include, at minimum: the history of organized labor; notable strikes throughout history; unionization drives; and the collective bargaining process and existing legal protections in the workplace.
During committee deliberations, the New Jersey School Boards Association expressed concerns with the bill, and urged the Legislature to exercise caution and restraint before adding to the growing list of statutory instructional mandates. In its testimony, the Association argued that local boards of education, the New Jersey Department of Education, and the New Jersey State Board of Education – rather than the Legislature – should maintain authority over what subject areas students must learn and at what stage of their education those subjects should be taught. The NJSBA also pointed out that the spirit of the legislation is already captured in various areas of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, rendering it unnecessary.
To view the full text of any of the bills summarized above, please visit the New Jersey Legislature’s website.
