20,000 Expected at 'People's Rally' Saturday to Fight for N.J. State Services, Jobs

This Saturday, more than 6,000 CWA public workers will be part of a crowd of more than 20,000 that will jam the state capitol in Trenton to protest the governor's brutal budget cuts.

Organizations, including labor, religious, environmental groups and citizen coalitions are joining CWA and other New Jersey unions for the "people's rally," to spotlight the need to keep critical public services for families and communities. The rally gets underway at noon.

"Everyone from public workers to seniors to students to veterans will see their taxes increased and their services diminished if Governor Chris Christie gets his way," CWA District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton said. "Everyone except the millionaires, who stand to get an $8,000 tax cut while Gov. Christie claims the state can't afford school breakfast for poor children."

As part of his relentless assault on state workers, Christie has put union-busting on the fast track, attacking pensions and introducing 33 proposals to restrict union and civil service rights.

The rally will focus mainly on the harm Christie' budget will do to New Jersey families. Speakers will include people affected by proposed cuts, such as the closure of the Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital, the only public facility specializing in seniors' mental health care. The governor's privatization plan could affect thousands of families and cost at least 1,300 state workers their jobs.