LEGISLATION NOTES |
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Legislative Update 9/15/09 by Tim McGrail Make no mistake about it; this year’s race for governor is about education and about you. If you are a school employee, you need to make it your business to get to the polls and to get your family members to the polls to protect your own livelihood. It is critical that we, as school employees, make our voices heard. Don’t take my word for it. Find out for yourself. Go to Chris Christie’s campaign website (christiefornj.com) and see what is in store for you if he is elected as governor. Click on the tab that reads “88 ways Chris Christie will fix NJ.” First and foremost of concern is that he wants to eliminate laws protecting collective bargaining agreements. This threat would turn back the clock on 41 years of collective bargaining in New Jersey. We could become one of only a handful of states (mostly southern) that do not permit school employees to negotiate their salaries and benefits. How do you think our salaries compare with those in non-bargaining states? They are quite favorable as you may have guessed. Let’s not turn back the clock. If that’s not bad enough, Christie has made an attack on our pensions and health benefits. His menacing proposals are to require all new and retired state employees to contribute to their health insurance costs. Additionally, he seeks to eliminate health benefits for all part-time employees. Do people working less than full-time not deserve health care? I don’t think so. Christie also makes another frightening proposal. He plans to replace our current pension system, which guarantees school employees a monthly pension based on a formula (defined benefit) with a system in which retirement savings are at the mercy of the stock market (defined contribution). Have you noticed the stock market lately? It makes me shudder. It is equally disturbing that he wants to reduce state aid to education, reduce the number of state holidays, and create Initiative and Referendum in New Jersey. He supports vouchers, wants a new Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) every ten years, and rejects the positive benefits of quality pre-school education. Haven’t we already fought these battles? Let’s not go down those paths again. Your vote for governor is crucial. We can’t stand by silently. We must make our voices heard and re-elect Jon Corzine as Governor of New Jersey. Your livelihood depends on it. |
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| The bill that would have made one “pilot program” single district out of Gloucester County is dead on arrival! A mass protest was organized in a week. NJEA members from Gloucester and Camden counties were very active in organizing residents and employees. 5,000 affected people jammed a school auditorium to protest the plan and its concomitant loss of local control. The sponsor of the bill and mayor of Washington Township, Gloucester County, tried to prevent the meeting from happening, but citizens in a democracy will not be denied their right of assembly! The bill was withdrawn on January 18, 2007. READ MORE>> | |
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Bill # 1668 |
Returning N over 55 back to N over 60 has been withdrawn. READ MORE>>
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