Governor Christie, Unions Are Not The Enemy

The Hall Institute of NJ
December 15, 2010
By Domenick Stampone

Governor Chris Christie has a very clear and succinct style: in your face, aggressive and unapologetic on issues he feels strongly about. One thing we know the Governor has made crystal clear is his feelings towards unions - especially public employee unions representing government employees, teachers, police officers and firefighters.

From day one, the New Jersey Education Association, the Communication Workers of America and every other public sector union have all felt Christie’s wrath. At best, he’s mischaracterized them for political gain; at worst he’s demonized them. All the while, no real dialogue or action is taking place to enact meaningful reform.

More alarming is the perception that Governor Christie even seems willing to sacrifice vital educational funding in his crusade against unions. The most obvious example surrounds this past summer’s botched Race to the Top application. Administration insiders and the media have reported in great detail how Governor Christie was unwilling to compromise whatsoever with NJEA leadership, not even via a deal hashed out by his own Education Commissioner. Instead of working together to secure this $400 million dollar grant – money we can all agree would be very helpful in stemming the economic recession squeezing local school budgets – Governor Christie instead chose to tear up the application and start from scratch. His myopic “my way or the highway” approach ultimately forced New Jersey to miss out on federal money by leaving out essential data – information coincidentally contained in the original draft. It saddens me that we stand at such a point of polarization that Governor Christie could not bring himself to work for educational money to help our children.

While some view New Jersey’s unions as an easy scapegoat for budget and financial issues facing our local, county and state governments, they are by no means the main factors in the problems facing our communities. As a proud member of American Federation of Teachers Local 2375, I know that my union, as well as public sector unions throughout state, must come to the table and take part in reforming many of the bills being considered in the Governor’s Tool Kit. However, by no means does this mean dismantling over 100 years of progress made by the labor movement in New Jersey and the nation.

We must not forget some of the important contributions the labor movement has made to society. Safer working conditions, the eight-hour workday, overtime compensation, collective bargaining, paid family leave and the elimination of child labor abuses, to name just a few. Even such staples as the five-day work week and the weekend are products of the labor movement. These are major reforms that protect hard-working families from abuse and unfair treatment.

When Governor Christe trashes teachers, government workers, firefighters and police officers on YouTube and Twitter, he should realize exactly whom he is attacking. He is going after the very backbone of our state. Without the protection of unions, fewer workers would be compensated with livable wages, health benefits, and some semblance of security in their employment. These three elements constitute the foundation of the middle class. The more Governor Christie attacks unions and their membership, the more he is attacking our middle-class.

Unfortunately, Governor Christie seems more interested to extending tax cuts to billionaires. His priorities are misplaced, to say the least. The burden on large corporations and wealthy New Jersey residents is no greater than that placed on those in neighboring New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. It is wrong to skew these numbers for a political agenda – an agenda centered on union busting and protecting wallets of the wealthy and well connected.

As a Mayor and union member I see both sides of the story. I know what it is like to negotiate with the public unions representing our police officers and municipal employees, and on the other end, I know what it is like to be a union member sweating out negotiations. We need real give-and-take, not hollow political rhetoric. Launching sound bites and political grenades might garner publicity, but it will not solve our problems. We must all roll up our sleeves to work together towards adequate solutions where both sides are swallowing reforms they do not love, but do so because it is what is best for New Jersey’s families. That is the only way to build consensus toward reform that truly fixes our budgetary problems.