Sweeney and Moriarity...They're back
In the weeks leading up to approval of the state budget, Democratic Sen. Stephen Sweeney, chairman of the Senate Labor Committee, and Democratic Assemblyman Paul Moriarty angered state workers and some of their colleagues in the Legislature by arguing for union benefit givebacks. Most of their recommendations made perfect sense. The Legislature, naturally, ignored them.
But now, Sweeney and Moriarity, in the context of the special session on property tax reform, are again calling for major modifications to public employee compensation plans. They unveiled a package of reforms today designed to "bring state and local government closer to 'real world' employment standards." If approved, it would provide significant tax relief.
Among the suggestions, most of which the Press has been pushing for the past three years: requiring 40-hour work weeks of all new hires; prohibiting unused vacation, sick and personal time from being carried over from one year to the next; requiring cost sharing of employee health benefits; raising the minimum retirement age from 55 to 60; abolishing longevity payments; eliminating health and pension benefits for anyone working less than 30 hours a week; and prohibiting overtime or other compensation from being included in pension calculations.
Sweeney and Moriarty lost round one. Round 2 promises to be nastier and bloodier.
But now, Sweeney and Moriarity, in the context of the special session on property tax reform, are again calling for major modifications to public employee compensation plans. They unveiled a package of reforms today designed to "bring state and local government closer to 'real world' employment standards." If approved, it would provide significant tax relief.
Among the suggestions, most of which the Press has been pushing for the past three years: requiring 40-hour work weeks of all new hires; prohibiting unused vacation, sick and personal time from being carried over from one year to the next; requiring cost sharing of employee health benefits; raising the minimum retirement age from 55 to 60; abolishing longevity payments; eliminating health and pension benefits for anyone working less than 30 hours a week; and prohibiting overtime or other compensation from being included in pension calculations.
Sweeney and Moriarty lost round one. Round 2 promises to be nastier and bloodier.
posted by Randy Bergmann at 11:53 AM
3 Comments:
Sweeney has fallen into the unions trap!
The State Worker Union leadership ABSOLUTELY KNOWS that they are going to get creamed next year at contract time. They know that the reprecussions of a bad contract might mean that they are going to get voted out.
Then along comes Sweeney ! By trying to legislate the terms of the new contract with his Bills he is giving the State Worker Union leadership, who are both behind the times and out of step with their membership, an oppportunity to have an excuse.
I can hear it now, " we had them right where we wanted them and then Sweeney passed those bills and we could no longer talk at the table."
Sweeney should just back off and letthese Union leaders sink or swim on their own.
This was passed on from another site.
Is this what Sweeney is up to?
"A prominent labor leader has a tip for New Jersey Republicans if they want to beat Jon Corzine in the 2009 gubernatorial election: nominate Steve Sweeney, a Democratic State Senator from South Jersey.
Sweeney, who probably fits the mold of the so-called Reagan Democrat, became a cult hero to many GOP activists during the recent state budget battle through his willingness to take on public employees and advocate a reduction in their salaries. No other legislator, including Republicans, has been tougher and more direct in his criticism of Corzine than Sweeney. Today, Sweeney will introduce a package of fifteen bills aimed at cutting benefits for state employees.
The union guy, who asked that his name be withheld, suggests that a coalition of Republicans, large sections of organized labor (the building trades unions stood with Sweeney in his fight with public unions, like the CWA and AFSCME), and South Jersey independents, specifically in Gloucester, Camden, Cumberland and Salem counties, who have been voting Democratic in recent statewide elections. He suggested that Sweeney, as a Republican, would fare better against Corzine in a general election than many of the other GOP candidates short listed for '09.
Sweeney, a 47-year-old ironworker, labor leader, and the Gloucester County Freeholder Director, unseated a 28-year incumbent Senator in 2001. Since then, he has emerged as a major force in Southwestern New Jersey politics."
this is in response to the two people who made a statement about Sweeney the Weenie....If you like to elect someone who runs and hides behind a State Police Officer (in which CWA represents) than you can have him. We do not want him. If you like Bonnie Watson-Coleman whose son was arrested for a crime and than was release because of her being politics, than you can have her as well. We do not need people in office who can not face the truth about what is really going on and who are what I call bad parents to be in any office. Sweeney and Watson-Coleman will be out of office come next year. All Unions pertect the little people. If they do not do it, are you going to protect us STATE WORKERS!
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