Manufacturing companies in New Jersey are asking state lawmakers for some changes to help them compete. And they're asking the legislature not to enact some measures they say they can't afford.
Jim Minadeo is president of Zero Surge in Frenchtown, which makes electronic safety and surge protection devices. He says manufactures are having trouble finding the skilled labor they need for their workforce.
“The kids I bring do not even know how to use simple hand tools. They don’t know how to use a caliper. They don’t know how to use a drill even. They use a computer, but they can’t read a drawing.”
Bob Staudinger is president of National Manufacturing, a medical device parts maker in Chatham. He says vocational-technical schools are training the kind of workers manufacturers want, but those schools can't accommodate all the students who want to attend.
"We need to expand it. We know there's 17,000 students in the state who wanted a vo-tech seat, and there aren't enough seats."
Senator Bob Gordon says he'd like to see more money for vo-tech training.
"I think we can do a bond issue of 200 million, 300 million. I'm not sure what the number is yet we have to analyze that."
Manufacturing company executives also urged lawmakers not to pass bills that would increase their costs.
Scott Mele is president of Tektite Industries in Trenton, which manufactures military-grade flashlights, strobes, and emergency lighting. He says a minimum wage increase and mandatory paid sick time for employees would raise costs to the point where his company wouldn't be able to compete.
"People in China don't get paid $15 an hour. People in Pennsylvania don't get a $15 an hour minimum wage. As much as much as I would dislike having to move manufacturing out of our Trenton location, if costs continue to increase as a manufacturer, that's something we're going to have to give serious consideration to."