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Welcome to our web site!
We are a group of concerned members who do not like the
direction our local is going in and we believe a change in leadership is the only thing that will help fix the mess we are
in.
REMEMBER: NOT ONLY DO ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES (Note the consequences of Chris Christie as NJ's
Governor and of Carolyn Wade's election as President of Local 1040), SO DO RATIFICATION VOTES ON UNFINISHED CONTRACTS
LIKE 2003 AND 2007! LET'S NOT REPEAT OUR MISTAKES FOR A THIRD TIME!!
UPDATED 8/28/2011:
Furloughs, health care premium
sharing and co-pays, and increased pension payments have now become the norm for state workers, many of whom make less than
$35,000/year BEFORE losing 4% to furloughs. Now we are facing layoff threats, institutional closures, changes in pension
laws designed to bankrupt the system and perhaps the greatest of all evils, charging retirees an undisclosed amount to
be deducted from their meager pension for health care that they were promised would be free if they gave the taxpayers of
NJ their youth and suffered 25 years of low wages.
WHEN IS A RAISE NOT A RAISE? Click here to find out more!
Can we REALLY afford 3 more
years of Carolyn Wade??
NEWS FLASH: WE WERE LIED TO! WE WERE TOLD DURING THECONTRACT RATIFICATION
IN 2007 THAT THE THREATS TO OUR BENEFITS AND PENSIONS WERE ALL RESOLVED AT THE BARGAINING TABLE. ON 6/23/08, THE LEGISLATURE
PASSED A BILL TO STRIP AWAY LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY AS A HOLIDAY, TO RAISE THE THRESHOLD FOR PART TIMER EARNINGS (from $1,500
to $7,500) BEFORE BEING ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION IN THE PENSION, AND TO RAISE THE RETIREMENT AGE TO 62 FOR NEW HIRES...THIS
COMES AFTER WE ALREADY AGREED TO RAISE IT TO 60 in 2007 AND LOST THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING DUE TO OUR UNION
LEADERS BLUNDER AT THE TABLE!
WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT THE HCTS, CTS AND HPC SALARY UPGRADES WOULD BE COMPLETED
WITHIN 180 DAYS OF SIGNING THE CONTRACT; THAT THE ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL DESIGNATION WOULD BE RESOLVED A FEW MONTHS AFTER SIGNING
THE CONTRACT; AND, THAT THE NEW HEALTH CARE PLAN (NJ DIRECT 10 AND 15) WOULD BE "EQUAL OR BETTER" TO NJ PLUS.
IN FACT, WADE SAID IT WOULD BE "NJ PLUS, PLUS!"
THEN, PRESIDENT WADE TOLD US TO VOTE FOR AN INCREASE
IN OUR DUES TO CREATE A MEDIA FUND FOR NJ. THANKFULLY, THAT DID NOT PASS! WHILE THE IDEA IS A GOOD ONE, GIVING
CONTROL OF THE MONEY TO THE LOCAL PRESIDENTS WOULD BE A FIASCO. THESE FOLKS ARE SO BUSY TURNING ON EACH OTHER IT LOOKS
LIKE A FOOD FIGHT ON "ANIMAL HOUSE!" NOW SHE HAS OPENED UP NEGOTIATIONS WITH THIS GOVERNOR AND DECIDED TO
START THE PROCESS BY OFFERING HIM UP TO 25% OF THE HEALTH CARE PREMIUM. BY STARTING AT 25%, SHE SET THE FLOOR OF NEGOTIATIONS...
THERE WAS NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP FROM THERE! AND IN FACT, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE LEGISLATURE DID!!! THE GOVERNOR
WANTED 30% AND THE LEGISLATURE (MAJORITY IN BOTH HOUSES IS DEMOCRATS) GAVE HIM 35%!!
SO, WE CAN THANK HER
FOR NEGOTIATING FURLOUGH DAYS FOR ALL OF US IN 2009-2010, A 2 YEAR WAGE FREEZE, LOSS OF LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY IN 2010
AND 2011 (A FULL 2 YEARS EARLIER THAN THE LAW PRESCRIBED), AND INCREASES TO OUR HEALTH CARE CO-PAYS (NONE OF WHICH SHE HAD
TO ENDURE).
THE LONGER CAROLYN WADE STAYS IN OFFICE, THE MORE EXPENSIVE IT BECOMES FOR ALL OF US, ESPECIASLLY WITH
HER SIX FIGURE SALARY!
PLEASE
CHECK OUT OUR "SCARY FACTS" PAGE NOW FOR A LIST OF WHAT CAROLYN WADE'S LEADERSHIP HAS COST US SO FAR.
Next... if you are one of the hundreds of state workers in CTS titles or HCTS titles and thought that your upgrades would finally be given after a 23+ year wait because Carolyn Wade's assertion
that the 2007-2011 contract language put a 180 day deadline on the process, I GUESS IT IS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS BY NOW...
4+ YEARS LATER... THAT NO SUCH UPGRADE WAS EVER CONSIDERED! IT MADE A GOOD SPLASH FOR CAROLYN WADE'S CAMPAIGN BACK
THEN, THOUGH. Anybody remember President Wade's attempt to swoon voters her way by sending out a memo
stating she's "working on the title upgrades." Does it sound familiar??? She's ALWAYS working
on it...it just never gets done! It is now over 4 years since her campaign newsletter promise... Don't spend
that raise all at once!
If
you are looking for information about how the 2007 - 2011 contract effected you, look no further than a page called "DISSECTING
THE 'GOOD' DEAL." It is dedicated to showing you the pro's and con's of the contract that
Carolyn Wade insisted was such a good deal for our members! On the other hand, do you really need a webpage to show
you how her negotiations have hurt us???
We need to
resurrect this local into the cutting edge, ahead of the curve, mighty force that it once was. We need to regain our
political power so that our "friends" in the Legislature know better than to mess with our pensions and health care!
To do this, we need your help and new leadership. Let's take our rightful place back at the head of the table.
Please note that by signing the guestbook below, you understand
that any information you provide is viewable by the public. The host reserves the right to delete slanderous or profane
comments. Also, all guest book entries reflect the opinion of the writer of the entry and not necessarily that
of the website host or owners.
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