State Senator Sweeney's plan to make the SHBP fair and solvent for ALL workers is taking hits from both the uninformed union people and the Republicans who want to have the government workers fix in one year what took 15 to destroy.
Sweeney has had to become like King Solomon. But read what he had to say in the Gloucester County Times and you be the judge:
Sweeney said Thursday he has not changed his initial position. He believes Christie should negotiate with the CWA because the outcome would likely have a domino effect on other unions and lessen the need for legislation.
Senate Democratic spokesman Chris Donnelly said Sweeney will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that reform comes to all public employees, including those at the local level and those who are not members of CWA.
"True reform will mean everyone," said Donnelly, "The Senate president is committed to seeing taxpayer savings not just at the state level, but at the local level as well."
A real leader takes on the tough issues . Sweeney is right IF CWA AGREES THAT THEIR MEMBERS SHOULD PAY THEN ALL SHOULD PAY!!
This is the latest from the " picket happy" union,CWA.
Picket Senator Nia Gill
A picket has been scheduled for this Thursday, March 31st at the district offices of Senator Nia Gill (D-34). Senator Gill represents Clifton, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Montclair and Woodland Park and she has refused to sign a pledge to support collective bargaining for public workers and to vote against any bill which would legislate healthcare benefits and contributions.
Please join us from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. this Thursday, March 31st at 425 Bloomfield Ave in Montclair.
This one trick union just loves " going to the streets". They drag in the same 30-40 people to walk around for 1 1/2 hours and then go home.
State Senator Nia Gill has been a supporter of many moderate and left of center causes. This is how her support is being rewarded.
CWA will not be happy until they make enemies with every Democratic legislator.
......can someone call these "back to the sixties" union leaders and tell them that Governor Christie is the real enemy.
The Governor is trying to end-run negotiations with the state's largest public employee union. Chris "I love collective bargaining" Christie wants to take off the table proposed changes in health care benefits for 38,000 New Jerseyans, precisely the sort of issue meant to be worked out in negotiation. For a hundred reasons, Christie gives the state plenty of reason to doubt his word about his love of collective bargaining. Add to that, the tag team of Christie and Senate President Steve Sweeney; the union man's alliance with the union-busting governor is a relationship that has produced a howl in two very large pro-union rallies outside the State House. From inside the State House, here is what NJ Democratic State Chair Asm John Wisniewski had to say today:
Despite relentless and factually incorrect attacks by the Governor, the CWA has come to the bargaining table and laid out a proposal through the collective bargaining process that will save taxpayers millions of dollars by gradually increasing the contributions made by workers for their healthcare," said Wisniewski. "While the Governor talks about his support for collective bargaining, his actions show he is in lock step with his union busting pal, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, by failing to obey New Jersey law and negotiate in good faith with New Jersey's workers. Public workers are willing to do their part to help solve our state's budget crisis by bringing thoughtful, innovative and cost-saving proposals to the table for discussion. Unfortunately, the Governor seems more interested in arguing and scapegoating than negotiating. That's not bargaining, it's dictating and it certainly won't solve our problems.
Today we have the "job creating" (or if you are on the opposite side) the "raising rates" deregulation of telecommunications-phone-cable bill (S2664) up for a vote in the Senate. The bill passed the Assembly easily without much comment. However, AARP weighed in to their membership along with Citizen Action (and their member groups) and the League of Municipalities to red flag the deregulation that would result in increased rates. They were so successful that our phones were on overload from seniors calling to urge me to vote "No".
Not to be outdone, a group called "6o PlusAssociation" which, is actually Grover Norlquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, contacted seniors with a message: Call your Senator and tell them to vote "Yes" on S2664 to create jobs in New Jersey. Many more hundred phone calls came in from folks who generally were a bit confused about why they were calling. The robo call told them this was a "job creation" bill. When staff engaged these folks, there was no doubt that those who made the earlier AARP generally knew why they were calling. The Norquist inspired callers were a little misled. What a surprise!
I also managed to attend some meetings with a couple of lobby groups from both sides of the issue. more below
What I like about Rob Tornoe's cartoons is that in addition to being his own sharp observations in handy drawn form, there is often his own commentary in text, like his post-with-cartoon at his own humor site, Delaware Punchline. Rob's life is anchored in Delaware these days, but he's still got his eye on New Jersey. Rob's take on the CWA negotiations:
UPDATE: I'll post video I just got - after the jump.
Last night, members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), who are currently engaged in tough negotiations with the state, joined by members of NJEA, AFL-CIO, SEIU, IFPTE and other unions, launched the first in a series of efforts calling on legislators to stand up for the basic collective bargaining rights of public workers.
Working families in NJ are fighting to stop a proposal to unilaterally strip health care benefits out of the collective bargaining process. And the first legislator to feel the unions' unity was Senator Teresa Ruiz. Union members congregated outside her offices in Newark last night. Here are some pictures:
The Sweeney/Beck bill (S2718) to switch costs to New Jersey public workers is exactly what Hetty Rosenstein calls it - a back door to making collective bargaining illegal.
The Sweeney bill would also have the impact of ...
(more below)
There will be a Rally at the Statehouse this Friday at noon to support the Wisconsin workers and to protect collective bargaining in New Jersey. AFL-CIO Prsident Trumka will attend. Please join us. You can sign up here on Facebook. and support collective bargaining.
Much Ado right now about forcing public workers to share the Recessionary load of Sacrifice. More of the load that is.
Its not like public workers haven't already opened contracts to save jobs by giving holidays back, losing pay to furlough days, freezing agreed upon raises, paying more into healthcare, paying more into our pensions and even taking a less robust healthcare plan to save taxpayer money.
But that is not the point that politicians are making, is it? They claim that public workers must slide down the same slope that private sector workers slipped down years ago. They call it shared sacrifice and say we must all take part, right?
Wrong. The people who pay for the campaigns of these politicians aren't sharing in the sacrifice. They are doing better than ever. They are less regulated, less taxed and less accountable all the while they become more in charge of the political debate and more out of touch with the way most people live in America.
CWA activists have been meeting at the Rutgers Labor Center for the past two days. The goal is too learn how too use media to get out a unified message. Attendees were addressed by Les Leopold yesterday concerning getting out the truth about wall street gambling & the financial elitism that caused the demise of middle class America. A thinktank followed with Berlin Rosen to formulate ideas that need to be shared via social networking. Training classes are underway today for Facebook, You Tube and Blogging. Rosi Efthim has shared her knowledge of blogging and enhanced the activists awareness of online opportunities for information sharing. Be on the look out for increased presence and voice of union brothers and sisters as we stand firm for equality!
A Republican governor is elected in a traditionally "blue" state on the platform of restoring fiscal sanity. Upon taking office, he declares war on the public unions, including the teachers' union, firefighters, police. He scapegoats public sector workers and attempts to turn public opinion against the state workers, because, after all, their outrageously bloated salaries, benefits, and pensions are to blame for the state's fiscal woes.
Outraged, teachers, police, firefighters, and other public workers storm the State Capital by the tens of thousands, protesting the governor's attempts to balance the state budget on the backs of public sector workers.
The whole world is watching! Why is the Liberal Media not in Trenton covering this?
Because it's not happening in Trenton, it's happening in Madison, WI. Unlike their brothers and sisters in NJ, the state unions in Wisconsin decided not to wait. Perhaps they looked east and saw what happens when you have a governor run amok, storming the state, and now the country, ramrodding his anti middle class agenda and getting fawning coverage by the press while he's at it, and the people do nothing. The story in Wisconsin is fluid and it remains to be seen how this will play out. However, I'm certain there will be no "Scott Walker for President" movements anytime soon.
Welcome to Blue Jersey, Couch Potato Politics. Not too often do we frontpage someone's first post. Thanks for posting it. - promoted by Rosi
It's hard to fathom the seemingly unfettered commitment to ideologically driven intolerance that seems to ooze from every pore of Mr. Christie. His belligerence to and repudiation of Public Workers and Teachers by attacking their Unions does nothing to promote his case with the people he really needs on his side to improve the conditions in New Jersey.
The people he attacks are the backbone and nerve center of what has made New Jersey the "Garden State" for decades. The men and women, who provide the services, educate the children who have tested at the top, nationally. Instead of reaching a hand across the table he overturns the table and blames the workers for his temper tantrum.
Mr. Christie spent this last election cycle being seen at the podium of every political hotbed race, supporting his Republican Party Dolls and slamming many of the people who would be asked to vote for them. That is the irony of his message and manner. He attacks Labor, essentially Voters, assuming that they are all pro-liberal and somehow the "Enemy". There are Union members, proud Union members who are also conservative and don't see the Union as some kind of parasite on the system but as a necessary arbiter and monitor to stand with workers when they have no voice at the contract table.
Mr. Christie hides his attacks behind claims he is in contest with the inflexible Unions but sidesteps the fact that the Unions are the employees. Many of the people working in the Union Hall offices are transitioned in from the workforce because they understand the method and machinations of the work environment. He makes some kind of monster of the Unions when they are essentially the workforce. He also ignores the truth of how truly flexible Unions are as exampled by their willingness to reopen their contracts with Governor Corzine last year. Instead of appreciating that willingness to work with the state, he is now trying to tear up the MOA Mr. Corzine hammered out with New Jersey Public Workers.
It is tiring to see his attacks, day after day, article after article, and not hear anyone ask him the most obvious question of all; why does he hate Unionized Labor? Unionized labor built most of this country, its buildings, cars, power plants, communications systems and infrastructure and they did it well because they were fairly compensated and protected through the efforts and organization of Unions.
It is time the Democratic Leadership in New Jersey and the rest of the country took off the kid gloves and put on the boxing mitts and stood toe to toe with the likes of Chris Christie and his ilk. No more begging for compromise from people who neither know the meaning of the word nor care to understand the principles of it.
In his March budget address, Gov. Chris Christie reasonably questioned why the state needs its own television network.
There is a clear and direct answer to our governor's question ... a state operated network, now called New Jersey Network or NJN ... was the only way to ensure broadcast coverage of New Jersey news, information, public affairs and culture.
After two decades of fruitless attempts by legislators and public leaders to get New York and Philadelphia broadcasters (11 of whom are formally licensed in New Jersey towns and cities) to seriously cover New Jersey, the Hughes Commission recommended and the Legislature established New Jersey public broadcasting radio and television, which began operations in 1971.
Now 40 years later, NYC and Philly continue their absolute domination of the New Jersey media/broadcast with two important changes in those years. First, NJN has become a unifying factor for a notoriously fragmented state. As the voice of New Jersey, NJN is the place to tune in to get information about elections, critical legislative and gubernatorial initiatives, and to get relevant and immediate information during times of crises like 9/11.
The other big change has been the drastic reduction of other sources of New Jersey information. Though commercial broadcasters, aside from 101.5 FM, have never been a major source of information about New Jersey, recently that industry has cut the resources devoted to news, raising the prospect of cuts in their current thoroughly inadequate New Jersey coverage. But the decline of New Jersey newspapers has been even more dramatic with the future only seeming to hold further cuts.
I've seen this new ad from the CWA a few times on tv over the last day. It goes after the Governor's toolkit proposals, specifically dealing with civil service protections:While CWA fights the next battle the unions are in with the Governor, a state judge refused today to block a separate measure dealing with pension and health care benefits contributions for police and firefighters. The unions said they will continue to push forward to prove the legislation is unconstitutional.
With the Citizens United decision, the SCOTUS allowed the direct influx of corporate money into the electoral process. This decision also allowed unions to make the same monetary donations as corporations.
Up against this is Gov. Christie's executive order prohibiting unions from making political donations, ostensibly because unions are exempt from "pay-to-play" rules. In response, CWA District 1 has filed a suit challenging the constitutionality of Christie's executive order. But instead of relying on Citizens United, their basis is that they should not be equated with businesses, since they do not do business with the state.
In my opinion, they would have a better case relying on the Citizens United decision (no matter what one may think about it), which would trump anything on the state level, perhaps pay-to-play rules as well.
This SCOTUS decision may have the effect of striking down "pay-to-play" rules as an abridgment of the free speech of corporations. Who knows what else may be in its path?
The CWA doesn't have a leg to stand on because as Sweeney stated in this article the CWA AGREED to a clause in their contract (Article 41) that ALLOWS THE CONTRACT TO NOT BE FUNDED!
These idiots at CWA enclosed their own poison pill AGAINST THEMSELVES.
I first started talking to conservative blogger Michael Illions last year around this time when I found out about his family's fight against Hydrocephalus and their wonderful son Cole. I did a post at the time publicizing the hydro-walk 2008. It's a year later now and I've stayed in touch with the Illions family as they continue their efforts raise awareness and funding for the disease.
September 13th, 2009
Roosevelt Park
Rt. 1 South
Edison, NJ
11:00am-3:00pm
This year we are pleased to announce that our Honorary Chairman will be Bill Evans from ABC Channel 7 Eyewitness News!
Join us for a 2 mile WALK around the beautiful lake located at Roosevelt Park to raise money and awareness to help "fund a cure" for Hydrocephalus. All proceeds to benefit the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation, Inc.
According to Michael, Senator Vitale is attending and Congressman Lance's people are trying to work out for him to be there as well. Other officials from both sides of the aisle that have assisted along the way have been invited as well. I know that often times we go after the other side of the aisle, but sometimes issues like this are more important than poliics. You can help Cole and other families struggling with this disease by making a contribution online, raising attention or registering to attend the walk online. Thanks for your help and you can learn more about their fight at hydrocephaluskids.org
Ok, now that I've got your attention, let me explain. One of the rules of politics is to consolidate your base. Polls show college faculty are one of the most liberal groups with about 90% of them Democrats. In NJ, most public college faculty (about 10,000 total is my estimate) are in the AFT union. So in a close election, you'd like to secure that base. Currently the state and the AFT are in negotiations to reach an contract modification (involving furloughs for example) in order to reach the budget savings required by the state budget. Given that AFT always follows the agreement that CWA negotiates, you would think that the state would offer the AFT the same agreement they just reached with the CWA.
For reasons only known to the political wizards in the Governor's campaign, their best offer to the AFT has been for a 20% greater pay-cut than for CWA (4.6% vs. 3.84%). And in addition, the granting of future paid vacation days as compensation for the furlough days (a gimmick I agree, but one given to CWA) has been eliminated.
Such offers contradict the language in the state budget bill, which calls for the same percentage of savings from college faculty as from other unions, not greater ones. Now the AFT is the smallest and weakest of the state unions, so the state apparently believes it can away with this approach. Personally I don't see the benefit for not offering an equivalent deal. The monetary savings are minimal and the Governor would still be able to say that all workers had to take furlough days and the same cut in salary.
Instead, having just read my union's list-serv, I see a bunch of very disgruntled faculty, with several suggesting political protests be undertaken. They feel the Governor is continuing a campaign of dismantling public higher education in New Jersey and has intentionally targeted college faculty. This is not how to consolidate what should be a very loyal part of your base.
Why would the Corzine pick this fight when he's in a close election? It only costs him votes of AFT members. The general population cares only about the CWA agreement since they are the largest union.
Best,
pb
*** Note: I'm pleased to report that the state subsequently offered AFT an agreement equivalent to the one offered to CWA ***
We are receiving word that CWA has overwhelmingly approved the new contract negotiated with Governor Corzine earlier this month.
He has more analysis. I have certainly seen some predictions that workers would reject the contract, so this is a victory for Corzine and the union leadership.
Update: Corzine's statement:
"I am pleased that our state workforce chose a path that will allow the state to continue to provide vital public services without disruption while achieving over $300 million in cost savings and averting major layoffs. This was truly an important achievement for both the state and public employees, who were willing to negotiate an unprecedented agreement as part of our continuing effort to secure savings and protect jobs in the face of an unprecedented economic crisis and revenue decline."
I finally found time to read the CWA agreement and I was flabbergasted. It seems that CWA got a very good deal. There is a postponement of salary raises for 18 months and a deferral of 8 days pay until one's retirement (paid at the salary rate upon retirement), so in total CWA loses 4 days of pay. This is a concession, but since there will be no layoffs, it seems like a very good agreement for CWA.
What I can't figure out is why the Governor picked a 8 month fight with CWA if this was all he wanted to achieve. He's created a lot of bad blood with union members and can now be portrayed by Christie as caving in to CWA interests. And it was so unnecessary. I would think that had the Governor presented this agreement to CWA last December or January, he could have gotten an agreement. And even if CWA hadn't agreed, is this agreement worth the public perception problem that the Governor has created for himself in the upcoming election?
I will be voting for Gov. Corzine in the fall, but I do think Christie is correct when he says that this agreement is a bad one for New Jersey and that it will cost more money in the long term than it saves in the short term. I like the Governor but I think he has a tin ear for politics. If he was going to pick the fight with CWA, he had to know he needed to have some real achievement to show for it. Delaying a pay increase by 18 months doesn't seem like the achievement that voters want to see.
