From the Courier Post Online:
State workers decry planned cuts at rally
With lawmakers mulling pension and health-care cuts for public workers, including a plan that would roll back retirement benefits, labor unions rallied at the State House Monday, insisting that any changes come through negotiations with the Corzine administration, not a vote by the Legislature.
The rally drew labor leaders and rank-and-file union members, including firefighters wearing helmets and turnout jackets who crammed into a State House meeting room minutes before a legislative panel approved a report that recommends slashing retirement benefits for future public workers and cutting health coverage for nearly all government employees.
In the name of trimming government expenses and reducing property taxes, the report includes calls for raising the retirement age and cutting pensions for newly hired state workers, and requiring all public employees to pay a share of their health-care premiums. Lawmakers are also considering reducing the number of state workers’ paid holidays.
Many of the reforms dealing with retirement benefits could be approved through votes by the Legislature, but the labor unions insisted that benefit changes should be hammered out at the bargaining table.
From the New York Times:
Unionists Say State Employees Shouldn’t Be Slighted to Cut New Jersey Taxes
Ten days ago, Gov. Jon S. Corzine issued an executive order that gave state employees the day after Thanksgiving off, a perfunctory exercise long bestowed by New Jersey’s chief executives.
But lodged behind a “whereas,” Mr. Corzine said he planned to discontinue the practice and indicated that in the future, state workers would have to turn to negotiation or legislation to get the day off.
And so it was that a benign holiday gesture became the first salvo of public posturing as the state begins preliminary talks with its 80,000 public employees on extending contracts that expire in June while cutting away at the state’s burdensome property taxes.
With lawmakers about to draw up measures that will alter health care and pension plans for the employees, labor leaders on Monday denounced plans to cut back on worker benefits without first discussing them at the bargaining table.
“We will bargain our future, we will negotiate our future, but we will not have the Legislature or this governor dictate the future to hundreds of thousands of state workers,” Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America, said at a news conference called by a coalition of dozens of labor groups.
“We will bargain our future, we will negotiate our future, but we will not have the Legislature or this governor dictate the future to hundreds of thousands of state workers,”
“hundreds of thousands of state workers.”
sounds like too mant to me. if they lop off some of the fat here and then trim some of the politicians we might be able to save the state.
So these poor folks can’t cough up a co-pay, shift from a pension to a 401K or work the same schedule as most workers in the private sector?
The problem with government isn’t- and never has been- elected officials. They can be gotten rid of. It’s the bloated, super-entitled bureaucracy that’s out of control. They will sink us all before assuming an ounce of extra responsibility.
I’m all for paying competent teachers, firemen and police as much as humanly possible…but the public sector needs to understand that they must contribute to the solution of a problem that is literally shutting down our state.
We have increased spending from $15 billion to $33 billion is just 5 years, in an environment of low inflation. It should be mandated that any increase in our debt level be put on the ballot. Shouldn’t the taxpayers who are required to pay this burden have input??
Don’t cry over the fact that you may be required to pay a $15 co-pay or you may have to contribute to your retirement. If you don’t like it, leave. Come join the private sector!!!!!
What a bunch of greedy grubbing workers.
The gravy train is coming to its final stop.
Don’t cry over the fact that you may be required to pay a $15 co-pay or you may have to contribute to your retirement. If you don’t like it, leave. Come join the private sector!!!!!
So true. I have to pay $25 co-pay for office visit & I don’t see why people would be so upset about paying $15???
pay cuts will not happen in NJ . Its a welfare
state.
We have over 800,000 ( past and present)members in the states union ….Mr Corzine If you ever expect to win another election ,DON’T TOUCH OUR BENIFITS ..
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