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State Workers Ratify New Jersey Pact
CWA state workers in New Jersey, by mail ballots counted Aug. 24, overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year contract, approving the agreement by a 77 percent vote. CWA represents 36,000 New Jersey employees and is the largest public worker union in the state.
The agreement provides an across-the-board compounded wage increase of 15.3 percent over the contract term and preserves fully paid health care benefits for workers and their families under the preferred provider plan.
In separate talks, the union also won improvements in the Whitman administration's layoff proposals and service provisions.
"This contract and the improvements in civil service policies represent a great accomplishment, particularly in dealing with a very hostile administration. It's a real tribute to the hard work done by our members in the workplace, in the legislature and in the streets," said District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino.
All eight New Jersey state worker locals mobilized throughout bargaining, which opened March 31.
They turned out a "Committee of 1,000" stewards and activists on March 6 for a solidarity rally in Woodbridge, N.J., with leaders of other state worker unions. The workers received pledges of support from AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka, CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen, Mancino and Brooks Sunkett, CWA vice president for public workers. They were inspired by Jos‚ Juan Hernandez, president of Puerto Rico's Independent Union of Telephone Workers, which a year ago incited a general strike that shut down the island. Local leaders outlined proposals and each steward pledged to sign up an additional 10 members for mobilization activities.
Over a period of more than five months they conducted rallies and informational picketing in Trenton and throughout the state. Their efforts turned out crowds of more than 300 for two "Lobby Days" in support of bills to protect seniority.
Mancino and Cohen remained intimately involved with bargaining - at the table and behind the scenes - as local leaders met once, and sometimes twice, weekly with administration representatives in often contentious sessions.
The agreement provides an across-the-board compounded wage increase of 15.3 percent over the contract term and preserves fully paid health care benefits for workers and their families under the preferred provider plan.
In separate talks, the union also won improvements in the Whitman administration's layoff proposals and service provisions.
"This contract and the improvements in civil service policies represent a great accomplishment, particularly in dealing with a very hostile administration. It's a real tribute to the hard work done by our members in the workplace, in the legislature and in the streets," said District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino.
All eight New Jersey state worker locals mobilized throughout bargaining, which opened March 31.
They turned out a "Committee of 1,000" stewards and activists on March 6 for a solidarity rally in Woodbridge, N.J., with leaders of other state worker unions. The workers received pledges of support from AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka, CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen, Mancino and Brooks Sunkett, CWA vice president for public workers. They were inspired by Jos‚ Juan Hernandez, president of Puerto Rico's Independent Union of Telephone Workers, which a year ago incited a general strike that shut down the island. Local leaders outlined proposals and each steward pledged to sign up an additional 10 members for mobilization activities.
Over a period of more than five months they conducted rallies and informational picketing in Trenton and throughout the state. Their efforts turned out crowds of more than 300 for two "Lobby Days" in support of bills to protect seniority.
Mancino and Cohen remained intimately involved with bargaining - at the table and behind the scenes - as local leaders met once, and sometimes twice, weekly with administration representatives in often contentious sessions.