Posted: January 18, 2012

CWA WINS APPELLATE COURT DECISION ON PLB DAYS!

As you know, the State was trying to force our members to use all PLB days by June 30, 2012 and violate the MOA that permitted carryover and cash out of PLB days. PLB days were agreed to between the unions and the State in exchange for agreements to defer contractual raises and to take furlough days.

The Appellate Court ruled that there was no Civil Service statute that limits the carryover of these paid leave days and that public policy is in favor of abiding by collectively bargained agreements.

This is an important decision for a number of reasons:

1. Our members made a great and responsible sacrifice in negotiating the MOA that included Furloughs and an 18 month wage freeze. In exchange for that sacrifice we negotiated seven additional leave days and the flexibility to use them over time or cash them out, given that furloughs would make it more difficult to use time, and the staff shortages caused by attrition make it very difficult to use time. If that agreement were allowed to be violated, union members would not be willing to negotiate such sacrifices in the future.

EVERY PART OF OUR MOA HAS HELD.

2. The court's decision recognizes that in is in the public interest to honor collective bargaining agreements. The Civil Service Commission did not recognize this important public interest when it promulgated a regulation that violated a key provision of the MOAs negotiated between the unions and the State. It is good to know that the Appellate Court still recognizes that such an action is contrary to public policy.

3. The Court also recognized that adopting a regulation that treats PLB days as vacation days for carryover purposes could be an "impairment" of a "contract" and has afforded the unions the opportunity to address that issue before the Civil Service Commission should it be necessary. A contractual impairment may well be unconstitutional.

What happens now?

It is our belief that PLB days should now carry forward and over the next several days we will discuss this with the Civil Service Commission and the Administration with the hope that we can avoid further appeals or a new attempts to violate the MOA.

We will keep you informed but do not use any PLB days unless you want to.

Download this flyer for your workplace

You can read the complete Court decision here

Posted: September. 01, 2011

CWA ON PENSION LAWSUIT:
“NEW JERSEY MADE A PROMISE”

The Communications Workers of America, the largest union of New Jersey state workers, released the following statement today from Hetty Rosenstein, CWA’s New Jersey State Director:

“New Jersey made a promise to its public workers: work hard, serve the people of New Jersey, and take a salary that is less than what you might earn in the private sector – and you can look forward to a secure and stable retirement. It is not lavish: the average state pension, including managers, is $23,000 a year; and just $14,000 for local government workers. But hundreds of thousands of public service professionals planned their lives around that deal."

“The State of New Jersey, however, has not lived up to its end of the bargain. For over a decade, state workers contributed billions of dollars of their hard-earned wages into the pension system while Trenton skipped its payments and piled up I.O.U.’s. Now, Trenton politicians want workers and retirees to pay the price for this irresponsibility by eliminating decades worth of future cost of living adjustments for state workers, even while needed pension payments are delayed for another seven years . The result will be slashed benefits and an ever increasing mountain of pension debt."

“Retirees and long-term public workers, who in many cases have devoted their entire working lives to the State of New Jersey, can’t go back and choose a different path. They earned every penny of their pensions, and if Trenton politicians won’t keep their promise, we have no choice but to go to court to force them to uphold their end of the bargain.”

Facts on the Public Pension Lawsuit:

The lawsuit alleges that portions of the recent legislation violate both the United States and New Jersey Constitutions and asks the Federal Court to enjoin the implementation of those provisions. Public employees in New Jersey have rights to certain pension and health care benefits that have been promised, for which employees have fulfilled all requirements, and which by law cannot be reduced.

The lawsuit challenges:

1. The suspension of cost-of-living increases for current and future retirees because it violates the United States and New Jersey Constitutions by interfering with the contractual and property rights of current and future retirees to receive the pension benefits they had been promised and for which they are entitled.

2. The increase in pension contributions for current employees because it violates the United States and New Jersey Constitutions by interfering with the contractual and property rights of current employees to make pension contributions at the levels previously established by statute.

3. The State’s continued underfunding of the pension system to the extent that it has caused the unconstitutional suspension of cost-of-living increases and increases in employee pension contributions.

4. The delegation to Pension Committees of the authority to change benefit levels and eligibility requirements in ways that would unconstitutionally interfere with the vested, contractual and property rights of public employees and retirees.

Posted: August.08, 2011

AFL-CIO Endorsements:

The NJ State AFL-CIO held its endorsement conference for the November elections on Thursday, August 4th. CWA Local 1032 joined with every public sector CWA Local in the state to take the position that if you voted for S-2937 (pension and benefits legislation), you will not receive a labor endorsement in 2011. CWA had over 140 delegates at the conference and worked closely with our brothers and sisters in the public sector (IFPTE, AFT, IAFF and others), as well as those in the private sector (Teamsters, UNITE-HERE, Steelworkers, Transit Workers, etc) to successfully block the endorsement of every legislator that voted for the legislation.

NJ Area Director Hetty Rosenstein issues the following statement:

"We applaud our sisters and brothers in the labor movement for standing by those who stood with us and making the tough decision to hold politicians accountable to their principles. The working men and women of New Jersey stood strong today in honoring our friends and denying their endorsement to the handful of Democratic state legislators who voted for the most anti-union legislation ever enacted in New Jersey. Public workers are grateful for this important show of solidarity."

A complete list of the AFL-CIO endorsed candidates
can be found here

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Posted: November 30, 2010

Keep the NJ in NJN is a coalition of organizations committed to saving a public interest voice that has showcased local history and culture, exposed environmental crises, and shined sunlight on the darkest corners of state and local government. While we need to change the way NJN is structured, without continued state support for a truly New Jersey-focused TV station operated by a New Jersey entity, we jeopardize the New Jersey coverage we love, need and demand.

Click here to learn about the campaign and what you can do to help.

Posted: June 24, 2010



Click here to see the new Save NJN TV ad

Click here to read the letter from Local 1032 members who work at NJN.
Tell Governor Christie to Save NJN News

CWA Begins Educational Ad Campaign in New Jersey

CWA has unveiled the first in a series of ads designed to educate New Jerseyans about the role CWA members play in making New Jersey a great place to live, as well as the disastrous impact Governor Christie's budget will have on the services residents have come to trust and expect.

Updated: May 19, 2010

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