TRENTON, N.J.
Thousands protest attacks on collective bargaining
By
G. Dunkel
Published Jun 23, 2011 9:38 PM
In the face of mass protests outside the hearing room and disruptions
within, the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee passed a bill
destroying the right of public sector unions to collectively bargain over
health care and pension issues. About 500,000 state and municipal workers will
be affected. (AP, June 17)
While this measure is part of a national campaign to limit or destroy unions,
what is unusual about New Jersey is that both Democrats and Republicans are
cooperating with Republican Gov. Chris Christie on the bill. The Democrats
control both houses of the state legislature. Senate President Stephen Sweeney,
who lists his occupation as organizer for the ironworker’s union, is a
sponsor of the bill.
Thousands of workers held a raucous and angry protest outside the hearing in
Trenton, New Jersey’s capital. Twenty-five union members, including New
Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech and Secretary-Treasurer Laurel
Brennan, stood up as the vote was about to be taken, locked arms and chanted
“Kill the bill” and “Workers’ rights are human
rights.” They were then arrested.
“It is with a heavy heart that we even had to be here today to testify
against a piece of legislation that would destroy collective bargaining rights
for thousands of taxpaying working men and women,” Wowkanech said. (NJ
AFL-CIO)
“Only through collective bargaining do workers have a voice — and
those who vote for this legislation will be voting to silence the voices of
approximately 500,000 workers,” Wowkanech warned the state Senate
committee.
Wowkanech noted that the current negative economic conditions were not created
by workers. They were created by the greed of Wall Street profiteers, but
workers are being blamed.
Both the state and municipal pension and health plans are underfunded by
billions of dollars in the long run, although it appears they can continue to
meet their current obligations.
While the unions are breathing fire and brimstone about “Chris Christie
Democrats,” there is little they can do about them electorally. The
primary season is over in New Jersey, and the opponents of these rotten
Democrats are rotten Republicans.
According to the June 16 issue of Business Week, there is an additional wrinkle
in this attack. Christie wants to stop paying public workers for unused sick
and vacation days, which adds up to $825 million. This is a benefit that was
granted by public employees at the bargaining table — it shouldn’t
be taken away by executive fiat.
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