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This video
(click here for dial-up or here for dsl/cable) taken two (2) months AFTER the Governor 's budget was released to the public, showing a $1.9 BILLION surplus
which was then rolled into the next years budget. I wish I were as broke as she claims the State is! This year's
budget is even bigger, with a $2.5 BILLION surplus rolled over into this year's budget!
In this same snippet, she talks about how we would start from zero if we did not ratify the contract. That is
not entirely accurate. Had they tried to do that, it would be called "regressive bargaining" and an Unfair
Labor Practice would have to be filed. This tactic has been attempted in the past by some management negotiators who
learned the hard way that they cannot do that.
The final segment of this medley is Carolyn
telling us that NJ public workers are the last of a dying breed of public workers with a free health care benefit. She
seems to think that instead of being the leading edge we should be content to race to the bottom. Is this the kind of
leader we want? Someone who will lead all of us right over a cliff???
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Carolyn Wade speaks the truth in this video snippet (click here for dial-up or here for dsl/cable) when she says we are easy scapegoats. Of course, the reason we are
easy scapegoats is because we command no respect from politicians like in the past. Instead, they are sure that our
Local's response will be lackluster.
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This video snippet (click here for dial up or here for dsl/cable) is an example of why the contract language should be completely spelled out BEFORE we vote on it! Carolyn
Wade tried to explain what the CRATELLI BONUS was and how it was to be applied. Unfortunately, her understanding was
less than perfect and many people voted for the contract, detrimentally relying on the information provided by her.
The correct explanation would have been that the bonus is the difference between the raise actually received and the
raise the person would have gotten had they been earning $37,000. That difference would be paid as a lump sum and NOT be part of the person's salary. In her example, she states that the State
would owe the employee $12,000 which would be given in installments over the 4-year life of the contract but not put into
the base wages. In reality, the actual Cratelli bonus in this example would be less than $300 paid as a lump sum in
the first year of the contract. Still a sizeable chunk of money, but a far cry from $12,000!
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Here, Carolyn Wade reminds us that this Governor was an inexperienced negotiator. Still, somehow,
this inexperienced negotiator was able to get us to pay for our health care benefit AND increase our co-pays and out of pocket
amounts, pay an extra .5% into our pension without enhancing our retirement benefit, take a cut in pay disguised as a 3% raise,
increase the interest rate every year on pension loans and assess an $8 application fee to get our own money out, and dismantle
the 45 day deadline for management to take disciplinary actions that we fought to gain last contract and instead, give
managment up to a year to take action against us!
Ahhhh.... while
you were sitting there in your chair at home, I was here eating a succullent lobster and filet mignon dinner. I bought
a few expensive bottles of champaigne, and now I'm leaving. The bill??? No silly, I'm not paying
the bill... YOU ARE!
And that is exactly what happened with us having to pay the extra
.5% for our pension! According to Carolyn Wade, (click here for dial up or here for dsl/cable) we shouldn't gripe about it. Just pay up. Somebody has to do it, so it might as well
be underpaid state workers!
We don't need misleading
information from our leader. We need an advocate for us. A true leader who is not afraid to get his hands dirty
fighting for what is right! Someone who will act BEFORE a crisis occurs...not wait to act until there is one.
WE NEED A LEADER THAT RESPECTS US ENOUGH TO RETURN OUR PHONE CALLS OR VISIT OUR WORKSITE ANYTIME, NOT JUST DURING ELECTION
TIME!
We need a change.... WE NEED TOM BRUNO for Local 1040 President!
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