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For New Jersey, a Governor Who Listens to Workers
For New Jersey state workers and for people with developmentally disabled family members, the election of a new governor has made a world of difference.
Newly elected Gov. Jim McGreevey, a Democrat, wasted no time in reaching out and showing concern over conditions at the state’s eight development centers. In fact, he didn’t even wait to be sworn into office before sitting down in Trenton with representatives of CWA Local 1040 and the head of the Coalition of Families, an advocacy group for the developmentally disabled.
By contrast, “It took six years before (former governor) Christie Whitman would even meet with us over problems at the hospitals,” said local Executive Vice President Don Klein. Whitman in fact was the cause of many of the problems, he said, by shutting down one development center and pushing a policy of moving patients to private group homes with poor state supervision.
Local 1040 represents over 4,000 members at the state development centers, and another 400 at private mental health facilities.
President Carolyn Wade and Klein said that the new governor was extremely interested in hearing the concerns of workers and family members and pledged his support for improving the state system.
Whitman’s cuts at the development centers were among the reasons Local 1040 vigorously supported McGreevey in his first run for governor in 1997, when he nearly pulled off a surprise upset against Whitman. The local also stepped up strongly for McGreevey in his 2001 race against Bret Schundler, running two phone banks and fielding 350 volunteers at the polls on Election Day.
Newly elected Gov. Jim McGreevey, a Democrat, wasted no time in reaching out and showing concern over conditions at the state’s eight development centers. In fact, he didn’t even wait to be sworn into office before sitting down in Trenton with representatives of CWA Local 1040 and the head of the Coalition of Families, an advocacy group for the developmentally disabled.
By contrast, “It took six years before (former governor) Christie Whitman would even meet with us over problems at the hospitals,” said local Executive Vice President Don Klein. Whitman in fact was the cause of many of the problems, he said, by shutting down one development center and pushing a policy of moving patients to private group homes with poor state supervision.
Local 1040 represents over 4,000 members at the state development centers, and another 400 at private mental health facilities.
President Carolyn Wade and Klein said that the new governor was extremely interested in hearing the concerns of workers and family members and pledged his support for improving the state system.
Whitman’s cuts at the development centers were among the reasons Local 1040 vigorously supported McGreevey in his first run for governor in 1997, when he nearly pulled off a surprise upset against Whitman. The local also stepped up strongly for McGreevey in his 2001 race against Bret Schundler, running two phone banks and fielding 350 volunteers at the polls on Election Day.