Here we go: Historic Vote on Labor Rights

by: Rosi Efthim

Mon Jun 20, 2011 at 11:18:15 AM EDT

UPDATE: Bill passes in the Senate 24-15

This is an open thread. Won't have time to live blog this today, but your comments and reactions to the video streaming of the hearing (link below) is welcome.

UPDATE - Senate Hearing begins about 45 minutes late - a full gallery in the Senate chamber will hear an historic vote on a bill proposed by 'union man' Steve Sweeney, President of the NJ state Senate. Watch here. Feed is not embeddable or we would post it. The hearing is starting late, with the Full Senate link still at this time showing Pending, which may mean there are furious negotiations going on outside the chamber.

#StandUpNJ - Twitter hashtag being used by union participants and their supporters.

Section 76 repealed - As we reported earlier, Senator Sweeney and Assemblywoman Oliver have backtracked on one of the most fiscally unwise and damaging parts of the plan, which would have blocked state employees from using their own health insurance at out-of-state hospitals.

Sen. Loretta Weinberg told Blue Jersey this morning she will not support the bill as currently construvted

Early this morning, outside a fundraiser in Trenton for Assembly Democrats, protesters jeered Assembly Democrats supporting the Christie-Sweeney plan, and cheered Democrats they know will not be selling them out today. Shouts of: "We will remember in November!"

A Tent City has sprung up behind the Trenton War Memorial - dozens of tents constructed there legally or illegally, I don't know yet.

March for Collective Bargaining - Led by historical re-enactors, union folks and their supporters marched into Trenton this morning to stage what they call Trenton Battle Two. Video:

Deciminyan is there, but couldn't get into the hearing itself. The room is full, and fire regulations prohibit any further crowding. Deciminyan's now headed over to Tent City.

Rosi Efthim :: Here we go: Historic Vote on Labor Rights

Tags: Union, Labor, collective bargaining, rally, hearing, State House, Trenton, Steve Sweeney, sheila oliver, Chris Christie, (All Tags)

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Here we go: Historic Vote on Labor Rights | 5 comments

Just posted in side column ... (0.00 / 0)

NAACP's report that African-American women and professionals would be disproportionately affected by cuts to pension and benefits of public workers.

Find that here.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Jun 20, 2011 at 16:35:54 PM UTC

Sweeney and the Faux Dems continue (0.00 / 0)

to demonize public workers and their unions. It's up to the real Dems to point out how the state failed to pay into the pension fund for so many years, and how Whitman helped screw the whole thing up.

And despite their claims of being union men, or friends of labor, they fail to cite precedent where they agreed to give up their collective bargaining rights, the way they are taking away the collective bargaining rights of public workers.

by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Mon Jun 20, 2011 at 17:08:26 PM UTC

60 diverse NJ groups oppose this bill (0.00 / 0)

A broad cross-section of community, consumer, faith-based and other groups released a letter this morning at a press conference, strongly backing collective bargaining rights for NJ unionized workers.

Here's more on that.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Jun 20, 2011 at 17:19:06 PM UTC