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VERNUCCIO: No time for advice and consent
BEGO: The godsend of right-to-work is freedom

New Jersey: Rank 47

Pension Liability - Total $134.9 billion6 - Per household $2,4751

Union Membership Density:

  • Total-17.1%
  • Private Sector-9.0%
  • Public Sector-59.0%

Right to Work:

  • Forced unionism 

Government Sector Collective Bargaining Laws:

Pending Government Sector Collective Bargaining Legislation:

  •  (Effective Jan. 1, 2012)

Paycheck Protection Law:

  • No Provision

Secret Ballot Protection:

  • No Provision

Forced Card Check:

Government Sector Binding Arbitration Provisions:

Public Access to Government Bargaining Sessions:

Encourage Project Labor Agreements:

Government Employee Strike Policy:

New Jersey’s Long Road Ahead

Taxpayers vs. Politicians and Unions

Americans for Prosperity Foundation, New Jersey

 

New Jersey: A State in Peril

For years, union officials in New Jerseyhave gotten politicians from both parties to give in to their incessant demands for lavish taxpayer-funded benefits. Today, New Jerseyhas the highest property taxes in the nation and the highest per-pupil school spending. This has resulted in the largest state in the nation and a massive budget deficit.

Many now support the effort to rein in public sector compensation. However,New Jerseystill has a long way to go on the road to fiscal sustainability and economic competitiveness.

New Jersey residents pay the highest property taxes in the nation—averaging $7,300 per homeowner. The state has the highest per-pupil spending at $17,600 per student. The unemployment rate is 9.1 percent and continues to exceed the national average. The state’s long-term debt is one of the highest in the country.

Government Unions and New Jersey

  • The percentage of New Jerseyworkers represented by unions fell from 19.9 percent in 2009, to 17.7 percent in 2010
  • Actual union membership was even lower—falling from 19.3 percent in 2009 to 17.1 percent in 2010
  • New Jerseyhas the fifth-highest percentage of government sector union members
    • 59 percent of government workers are union members
    • 60.6 percent are covered by union contracts

The Pension Problem and Steps in the Right Direction

  • New Jersey is currently saddled with over $110 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and health insurance costs
    • If the state made its full annual contribution to all the pension systems total would be $3.5 billion or more than 10% of next year’s proposed budget
    • New Jersey Pension Reform:
      • Increased employee contribution rates to pension plans
      • New members required to accrue 30 years of service at age 65 to qualify for early retirement
      • Changes eliminate automatic annual Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) for current and future retirees
      • Retirees no longer can ‘double dip’ (not allowed to receive full retirement benefits, while accruing another government pension)

No Secret Ballot in State Employee Union Organizing Elections

  • In 2005, New Jersey government unions allowed to organize workers through card check elections
    • Card Check elections circumvent the right to a private vote
    • Leads to pressure tactics and even intimidation by union organizers

Interest Arbitration: When unelected bureaucrats rule and voters lose

  • Over 30 years ago, the New Jersey State Legislature instituted interest arbitration to settle public safety labor contracts
    • Results in collective bargaining negotiations being negotiated by unelected bureaucrats
    • Translating into burdensome mandates and skyrocketing payroll costs for municipalities

Visit AFP New Jersey Foundation here

New Jersey Labor News

  • Illinois’ woes show why we can’t afford public unions Posted on: January 30, 2012
    By Steve Stanek, Chicago Sun-Times To see the problem with government employee collective bargaining, look at Illinois. What’s happening here is happening to varying degrees in most states. One year ago, Illinois lawmakers raised the state’s corporate tax an astonishing 46 percent and the personal income tax a more astonishing 67 percent. The result? Earlier [...]
  • Union-Negotiated Sick Day Compensation System Under Fire in New Jersey Posted on: January 3, 2012
    Education Action Group, BigGovernment.com Take a look inside a typical public employee union contract – including teacher contracts – and you’ll find provisions that give public servants a payout for any unused sick or personal leave time they have banked. Sometimes the payouts come incrementally, like at the employees’ 10th anniversary. More often they come at [...]
  • New Jersey Ironworkers, Laborers Business Agents Arrested; Ironworkers Treasurer Admits $500K+ Theft Posted on: January 3, 2012
    By Carl Horowitz, National Legal and Policy Center To be euphemistic about it, Local 45 of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Ironworkers (IAIW) has seen better days. For that matter, so has Laborers International Union of North America Local 592. On November 22, federal law enforcement agents arrested James Kearney Sr., [...]
  • ‘GARBAGE’: CHRIS CHRISTIE HAMMERS SICK LEAVE PAYOUTS FOR N.J. PUBLIC SECTOR Posted on: December 24, 2011
    By Buck Sexton, The Blaze Chris Christie has become the quintessential anti-B.S. politician, and in a recent press conference over public employee benefits, the New Jersey governor showcased his principles and rhetorical skills. And it was all over public workers getting payouts for unused sick days. “There is no intellectual efficacy to their argument… so [...]
  • Gov. Christie reaches contract agreement with two public worker unions Posted on: December 23, 2011
    By Megan DeMarco, NJ.com Gov. Chris Christie and two public employee unions have reached a four-year tentative contract agreement, the first agreement reached with the Christie administration since all state workers’ contracts expired in June. Both unions must vote on the proposal. The agreement would applies to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers [...]

Read All New Jersey Labor Posts