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New Jersey State Workers Bargain to the Wire
Bargaining on behalf of CWA's 34,000 New Jersey state workers continued at a frenetic pace as the CWA News went to press - with hopes of averting a strike - counting down to a June 30 contract expiration.
"We're hopeful we can achieve a fair contract and settle our job security issues," said CWA District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino. "Through mobilization and political action we believe we can exert sufficient pressure to win justice for New Jersey state workers."
On June 8, Mancino announced that 91 percent of 27,000 CWA members had voted to authorize a strike, with fully 78 percent of members casting ballots. And on June 19, the union pulled back from a planned one-day strike only because of indications of progress at the bargaining table.
While Mancino, CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen and New Jersey Area Director Bob Pursell continued in negotiations, all eight state worker locals turned out members for actions in the state capital and elsewhere to convince Gov. Christine Todd Whitman's administration to drop health care cost-sharing demands and to secure passage of legislation to thwart the governor's plan to replace seniority with performance evaluations as the prime determinant in layoffs and promotions.
More than 300 members turned out for June 10 "Lobby Day" in Trenton in support of an Assembly bill to protect seniority rights. Another 100 returned on June 21 to lobby the State Senate. Locals held rallies June 22 and 23 in Paterson, Newark and Trenton.
The apparent anger of state employees and the overwhelming margin of their vote set off a flurry of speculation in the news media as to whether the union will go on strike.
Four years ago, Whitman sought a court order to forbid a strike authorization vote. It was shot down by the state Supreme Court, which branded her attempt an infringement on state workers' First Amendment rights. In 1989 thousands of CWA members refused to report to work during "Days of Rage" job actions.
"We're hopeful we can achieve a fair contract and settle our job security issues," said CWA District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino. "Through mobilization and political action we believe we can exert sufficient pressure to win justice for New Jersey state workers."
On June 8, Mancino announced that 91 percent of 27,000 CWA members had voted to authorize a strike, with fully 78 percent of members casting ballots. And on June 19, the union pulled back from a planned one-day strike only because of indications of progress at the bargaining table.
While Mancino, CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen and New Jersey Area Director Bob Pursell continued in negotiations, all eight state worker locals turned out members for actions in the state capital and elsewhere to convince Gov. Christine Todd Whitman's administration to drop health care cost-sharing demands and to secure passage of legislation to thwart the governor's plan to replace seniority with performance evaluations as the prime determinant in layoffs and promotions.
More than 300 members turned out for June 10 "Lobby Day" in Trenton in support of an Assembly bill to protect seniority rights. Another 100 returned on June 21 to lobby the State Senate. Locals held rallies June 22 and 23 in Paterson, Newark and Trenton.
The apparent anger of state employees and the overwhelming margin of their vote set off a flurry of speculation in the news media as to whether the union will go on strike.
Four years ago, Whitman sought a court order to forbid a strike authorization vote. It was shot down by the state Supreme Court, which branded her attempt an infringement on state workers' First Amendment rights. In 1989 thousands of CWA members refused to report to work during "Days of Rage" job actions.