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News
New Jersey's Pension Fund cannot keep absorbing the costs of these early retirement incentive packages.
Risky investments, massive layoffs, partial payments of the State's annual P.E.R.S. contribution, $27 Billion virtually embezzled
by Governor Whitman and Legislators over the past 12 years all add up to a rocky future for the Pension WITHOUT adding additional
costs to fund the latest proposed package.
At the same time that we must fend off attacks to State Worker pensions, our brothers and sisters at Ancora Psychiatric
Hospital are being demonized in the press. They are fighting a full court media blitz augmented by Legislative
grand-standing and our own President, Carolyn Wade, adds to the negative comments in the paper and breaches a sacred vow of
confidentiality by openly discussing an open disciplinary case with the reporter.
Add to that, the federal government's attempts to cut Medicare funding and the state's desire to cut Charity
Care funding leaving our private sector nursing homes in jeopardy.
Ordinarily, your Local leadership would be plugging the holes on the boat and safeguarding the members; however,
it seems that what they are doing now is actually drilling more holes!
We need a change.
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LOCAL 1040 IS SUED OVER ALLEGED
DEFAMATORY COMMENTS BY CAROLYN WADE.
There is a time to remain silent and be THOUGHT a fool. For others,
there is a compelling need to break that silence and remove all doubt.
Many of us heard the comments made by Carolyn
Wade during her cameo appearances at worksites trying to convince state workers to vote for the current contract.
Some of her comments were clearly true. Still, there were others that tetered on the fine high wire between
daft and dumb, without the benefit of a safety net below.
During a recent telephone vote by the Local, we were
told that the LOCAL had been sued by Carla Katz, Prsident of Local 1034. Many Eboard members voted to authorize the
use of Union funds to protect the members' union assets; however, during the vote, we were not told that the suit specifically
named Carolyn Wade, et al.
The members should never have to pay for the ill-advised comments of any leader.
If in fact Carolyn Wade's comment are found to have been defamatory, then the Executive Board should seek to recoup any
monies spent to defend her actions.
We elect leaders to look out after our interests, not make comments
about their peers which then ultimately places our Local in harms way, as in the present matter. Moreover, these alleged
defamatory comments, if proven to be true, brings our Local into disgrace. Click here for just one example of how mere allegations have already begun to create an image of a dysfunctional
union. Of particular interest is some of the comments that follw the article.
This is just another
reason why I am running for Local President. We need LEADERSHIP, not division within our own ranks!
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Events
On Thursday, February 28, 2008, Tom testified at the New Jersey Assembly Human Services Committee Public Hearing on Ancora
Psychiatric Hospital. He was the fourth speaker to present testimony.
By the time Carolyn Wade and the Local 1040 group got to the microphone, the place was virtually empty since it was after
5pm. Anyone who understands the political system knows that the press only stays for the first few speakers then leaves.
The legislators know this also and that is why they put the people they respect up front, and they bury the people they do
not respect, at the end.
LOCAL 1040 BUDGET HEARING SILENCE
On March 25 and 26, 2008, Tom testified on the Fiscal
Year 2009 Budget before the NJ Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Senate Budget Committee. Oddly,
no one from the Local was there, even though the budget clearrly showed a $2.5 Billion surplus from last year; yet, they STILL
have not returned the money to the Pension System. In fact, this year's proposal is to pay less than 40% of what
is due for just this year. Does anyone remember being told by Carolyn Wade that we
would be able to FORCE the state to pay what they are supposed to pay because it is "contractual" now?
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There have been several
reported "sightings" of Carolyn Wade at Branch meetings. In some cases, she has been at facilities more times
in the past 6 months than she has in the past 16 years. As a result, many of my supporters have asked if this is permissable
activity under the CWA Election rules. The short answer is yes; however, not without certain qualifying remarks.
Local 1040 By-Laws, the CWA Constitution and the National Labor Relations Act provide the guidelines for Local Officer
elections. Generally, no officer of the Union can misuse the funds of the Union to promote their candidacy or conduct
their campaign... nor can they have employees of the Union do it for them. So when a Staff Representative, which is
an employee of the Union, asks you to sign a pledge of support for the President's slate of officers, it is permissable
ONLY if the Staff Rep is "off the clock." The same is true for the President's sudden desire to visit
Branch meetings. Even if the meetings are held after regular work hours, the Local has always required the Staff Representative's
attendance, making it an "on the clock" event. Therefore, no campaigning or promoting of a candidate is permitted.
The same holds true with the Union's newsletter. If there is a sudden increase in the number of pictures
and positive messages about the President in the publication, even though you might THINK it is to promote the candidate...
that alone does not make it a violation of the rules. However, if it can be demonstrated that the increase in exposure
is sudden, timed, and contrived it MIGHT be a violation. To date, that has NOT occurred, but Mrs. Wade's new found
desire to attend branch meetings and "glad-hand" everyone provides a chance to try to get answers to questions that
no one seems to want to answer!
WHICH STATE FACILITY WILL BE CLOSED NEXT???
As the Local 1040 leadership continues its deafening silence, the State has set its sights on downsizing institutions
under the guise of the "Olmstead Initiative Path to Progress."
In fact, if you click here, you can read the entire issue. Especially chilling is the talk about sending more developmentally disabled individuals into
an ill-prepared community setting and then calling it progress.
While this has been an on-going process for several
years now, the silence of our Local President has allowed the Administration to load the Department of Human Services and
the Division of Developmental Disabilities with imported help from Community-based Providers and sympathizers. The result
is the clearly evident desire to allow facilities to be run into the ground or to leak information about negative issues
to the press so as to make the closure more palatable to the public.
Do we REALLY want to give them three more
years to dismantle our jobs??? As it is, our leader has already given them a head start!
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