Unions ready to fight wage freezes

by: Jason Springer

Sat Jan 03, 2009 at 01:49:33 PM EST

"We would like to negotiate a salary freeze as opposed to turning to more difficult issues, although ones that we believe we can deal with, and those are furloughs and layoffs," Corzine said. "Layoffs are a very complicated process, take five or six months to actually get into place and are extraordinarily disruptive, but if necessary we can go there."

"Although we will always work with the governor to find ways to both raise revenues and save money, we are not going to reopen our contracts. Those contracts were based on the principle of mutual sacrifice, with workers agreeing to make increased contributions to the cost of health care and pensions, in return for modest wage increases," said Sheryl Gordon, executive director of AFSCME union Council 1.

"We will not reopen the contract," said Hetty Rosenstein, CWA's New Jersey director. "Of course we worry about layoffs, but it would be such a bad and terrible thing to do to workers during a recession, it just doesn't make any sense. We're so understaffed, and there's a greater need for public services right now."

Rae Roeder, president of CWA union Local 1033, said Corzine hasn't shown the public any substantial proof in his first three years in office of how he trimmed government spending on things such as paid consultants and private firms.

"Bottom line, no governor is going to threaten myself or any of the workers. We're tired of his threats and the innuendos and everything else. When the governor said, 'This is the way it is, or else' -- or else, mister, or else maybe you ought to pack up your bag over your failed policies over the last four years and go. Maybe that's what you should do," Roeder said.