Posted by hrpufnstuff on 06/04/09 at 4:25PM

If only the SUV had rolled one or two more times, we might not be having this conversation.

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The Communications Workers of America acknowledged today that they’ve agreed to a wage freeze and 10 furlough days in exchange for no layoffs and seven bankable paid personal days.

“Given the realities of the current economic crisis, and soaring levels of unemployment, our two top priorities in these negotiations were the protection of all of our members’ jobs and preserving the integrity of the collective bargaining agreement,” said CWA District One Vice President Chris Shelton. “We achieved those goals.”

The agreement was subject to some controversy after The Star-Ledger reported that the Corzine Administration rushed to finalize it to avoid a potentially embarrassing demonstration in front of his campaign kickoff -- a picket line that the guest of honor, Vice President Joe Biden, might be hesitant to cross. Corzine yesterday dismissed that as “speculative” and said that part of the sense of urgency in getting a deal arranged was that layoff notices were posted on Friday.

Republican State Committee Chairman Tom Wilson didn’t buy that, however, and sent a letter to Attorney General Anne Milgram asking for an investigation into what he titled a “Biden buy-off” to see if it constituted official misconduct.

“Clearly, Governor Corzine’s desire to avoid the embarrassment of having the Vice President cancel his appearance motivated Corzine to reach an agreement with the CWA,” wrote Wilson. “The fact that the governor agreed to less than he originally said was needed to meet the growing budget crises means that Jon Corzine placed his political needs ahead of his public responsibilities. “

Meanwhile, the Governor’s office touted the agreement as saving the state hundreds of millions of dollars in labor costs while avoiding layoffs.

“The agreement averts layoffs in this time of a deep national economic crisis and allows the state to continue to provide with minimal disruption the vital public services the people of New Jersey depend on,” said Corzine.

Matt Friedman is a PolitickerNJ.com Reporter and can be reached via email at matt@politicsnj.com.

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// apparently someone called open season on our nations disabled //




From The Providence Journal. In the picture, Nathan Madison, of United Cerebral Palsy, puts on a T-shirt after helping Bill St. Pierre with his at the June 2 rally at the State House to support funding for programs for the developmentally disabled.


PROVIDENCE –– An estimated 2,000 people rallied outside the State House June 2 afternoon to send a message — “No More Cuts” to programs and services for the developmentally disabled.

The protesters, wearing orange T-shirts that said “Keep the Promise” and “No More Cuts,” said they began a grass-roots effort after “an official with the House Finance Committee” said he would not rule out sweeping cuts to human-service programs for the elderly and disabled as the legislators grapple with the state’s budget deficit.

They referred to comments made last month by Rep. Steven M. Costantino, who is overseeing the budget battle as chairman of the House Finance Committee. Costantino yesterday referred questions to Rep. Thomas Slater, D-Providence, chairman of the committee’s Human Services Subcommittee.

“As far as I know, there have been no decisions on developmentally disabled [funding] and on elderly affairs,” said Slater. “There have been no decisions made at this time.”

Slater said of the demonstrators, “Either they’re misguided or premature or somebody heard something or told somebody else. They have not come to talk to me about it. They know I’m in charge of the DD budget and the elderly budget. They’ve got to realize how the system works.”

Rally organizers said they ran out of T-shirts after handing out 2,000 of them. Demonstrators, including dozens of people in wheelchairs, filled the stone plaza outside the main State House entrance.

The rally was preceded by a 72-hour vigil that began Sunday on the grounds of the former Ladd Center, the original “Rhode Island School for the Feeble-Minded,” which federal authorities closed 15 years ago after an investigation revealed deplorable conditions.

Tom Kane, president of the Community Provider Network of Rhode Island, said that while no one foresees a return to such institutionalization, “if there are cuts, people will be segregated in their homes.”

Kane, who is also president/CEO of CranstonArc, said, “All Rhode Islanders deserve to live with dignity and to be cared for by family and trained professionals. These funding cuts to services will cause irreparable damage to the individuals the developmental disabilities’ system is designed to protect — the most vulnerable of Rhode Islanders.”

Steve Reeder, associate director of Ocean State Community Resources Inc., of Rhode Island, stood in the crowd with client Mildred Hayes, who uses a wheelchair.

“We don’t want to see residents lose any services,” said Reeder. Budget cuts would threaten day programs that allow people “to be out in the community,” participating in programs such as music, art and pet therapy.

Reeder said Hayes “has the opportunity to go to a knitting group one night a week,” and has also had a volunteer job.

“The way these cuts are going — you’d have to look at [cutting] staff. In some cases they’re making nine or ten dollars an hour. What do you cut after that?”

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Letter from CWA DIstrict 1 Vice President Chris Shelton about the settlement reached with the State.


Please read this very important letter carefully.







June 4, 2009



Dear CWA Member,



As a result of the worst recession since the 1930s, New Jersey’s revenues have dropped by 25%. The April 15th income tax revenues were 42% lower than last year’s. The economic recession is real and the threat of job loss to thousands of our members is also real. CWA has been negotiating with the Corzine Administration in order to prevent the layoff of thousands of our members and to address the issue of unilateral furloughs and the possibility of losing our contractual wage increases and increments at a time when the New Jersey Legislature and Governor are closing a $9 billion shortfall in order to enact the State Budget.



The CWA Bargaining Committee has negotiated an Agreement with the Corzine Administration. The Agreement maintains the integrity of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it treats all of our members equally, and in doing so provides for job security for our members.



What follows is a Summary of the Agreement:



Wage Deferral:



We will defer the July 1, 2009 3.5% raise until January 2011.We will receive the July 1, 2010 raise on time as well as all scheduled increments.



No Layoffs:



There will be No Layoffs of any CWA represented workers from the date of ratification of this Agreement at least until January 1, 2011. (The Layoff Plans submitted to the Civil Service Commission laying off thousands of workers, and causing the bumping and demotions of thousands of others will be void upon ratification of this agreement.)

The Department of Children and Families will rescind its current plans to close the Regional Day Schools and there will be no layoffs of those workers consistent with this Agreement. There will be a committee set up to explore the future of the Regional Day Schools and CWA will be represented on the committee.