For those of you in State service, especially in the Department of Human Services, you can probably remember
the job questionare and the interviews that were done with Cottage Training Supervisor (CTS) and Head Cottage Training Supervisor
(HCTS) titles in 1987 During Governor Kean's final term. The report from that independent examiner determined that
the two titles deserved a salary upgrade of at least four (4) ranges as a result of the new job duties incurred eight (8)
years prior.
Shortly after that report, the Supreme Court rendered a landmark decision
regarding school funding. Immediately after that, Governor Florio was elected into office and attempted to pay for the
$2+ billion funding dilemma by raising the sales tax by 1%... a move that sparked the Republican take over of both houses
in NJ, and with it, the repeal of the sales tax increase. This in turn caused Florio to promulgate the largest layoff
in the State's history. The layoff was particularly painful to Local 1040 and other CWA locals because CWA refused
to back the sales tax initiative. At the same time, Florio tried to break our contract, causing a huge rally on the
steps of the State House that was attended by 30,000 demonstrators, the largest in history and still holds the record.
Throughout
the ensuing decades, there would be several other attempts to get the salary upgrades via Desk Studies and DPF #44 submissions.
All of these efforts would sit in the Department of Personnel and gather dust.
Fast
forward to February of 2007. Carolyn Wade would come down from her Ivory Tower and commence a campaign of misinformation
and disinformation relative to the tentative agreement that CWA signed on February 20 and 21, 2007. Among other
tales and promises, she would excitedly tell members how our long awaited upgrades for Habilitation Plan Coordinator (HPC),
CTS and HCTS titles would be completed within 180 days of the signing of the contract.
That
was a lie, as evidenced by the fact that we are now WELL PAST the 180 day mark and, without a single Unfair Labor Practice
charge filed for bargaining in bad faith, left once again without the upgrades.
There
are legal remedies that the Union can pursue but our Union leader has remained silent. The Union leadership bought
our vote for ratification with promises, just like they did last time. And just like last time, those promises never
materialized.
