TO: All CWA Local 1081 Members
FROM: David H. Weiner, President
DATE: October 28, 2008
SUBJECT: Rumored Layoffs
Recently, I have been asked by several members of CWA Local 1081 regarding the rumor that within 2009 the County of Essex will be instituting layoffs of personnel that will include employees of the Essex County Division of Welfare.
I subsequently inquired of Director Nigro regarding the rumored impending layoffs and he responded that, while there are none now planned to the best of his knowledge, he could not say with absolute surety what the County’s future fiscal circumstances would bring.
In my entire tenure as president of CWA Local 1081 our Union has experienced layoffs only twice, both times many years ago and both times we fought successfully to have our members returned to their jobs. The most recent layoffs occurred in December 1999 when a combination consisting of sixty-six (66) agency employees, mostly Family Service Workers and a few Family Service Supervisors, were laid off. However, between that December and the following August of 2000, all of our Union’s laid off members who wanted to return to the job had gotten their jobs back with their seniority maintained.
The reason we have never had any permanent employees of our agency who were members of our Union laid off in the past twenty-eight years has been, with all due modesty, the quality and tenacity of the Local’s elected leadership and the support the members of our Union have provided that leadership.
In these times of fiscal uncertainty more troubling and difficult than ever before, CWA Local 1081 needs the support of its members more than ever before.
Below, please find the Star Ledger article of January 6, 2000 that recounts the beginning of our successful struggle to return nearly four dozen FSW members of our Union to their jobs.
With the continued support of the members, I am as confident as one may be that together we will continue to successfully save the jobs of everyone represented by CWA Local 1081.
The Star-Ledger Archive
COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2000
Date: 2000/01/06 Thursday Page: 027 Section: ESSEX Edition: EAST Size: 662 words
Freeholders tap president to serve 6th term at helm
Union forms picket line to protest layoff of 66 county welfare workers
By Diane C. Walsh
Star-Ledger Staff
Three new members took their places on the Essex County Board of Freeholders during last night's annual reorganization meeting as union workers formed a picket line outside to protest the layoff of 66 county welfare employees.
The freshmen freeholders taking their oaths of office included Democrat Anthony Jackson of East Orange and Republicans James Paganelli of Verona and Joseph Scarpelli of Nutley.
There was no partisan rancor last night, however, as the two Republicans joined the seven Democrats and unanimously elected Democrat Joseph DiVincenzo to a sixth term as board president.
Assignment Judge Joseph A. Falcone also administered the oath of office to Carole A. Graves, who was re-elected to a second five-year term as county register of deeds and mortgages.
When DiVincenzo was sworn in, his wife, Donna, and Thea Greco, the widow of seven-time Freeholder President Jerome Greco, held the Bible. DiVincenzo told the crowd packed into the Mary Burch Theatre at Essex County College that Greco was his teacher, coach, mentor and friend. Greco died last summer after a long battle with cancer.
''We miss him a lot. We all do," said DiVincenzo.
Blonnie Watson, a tenant leader from Newark's Central Ward, was re-elected vice president of the county's nine-member legislative body.
County Administrator Vincent DiMauro described the board as the "vigilant stewards of the people's business" during the two-hour, largely ceremonial meeting.
The most dramatic moments of the evening took place outside as members of Local 1081 of the Communications Workers of America picketed at the college door. They were protesting the county's layoff of 66 CWA workers in the welfare division.
David Weiner, Local 1081 president, said, "We are here to send a message to the freeholder board, as they start their new term, that we must insist they do more to hold (County Executive James) Treffinger accountable for his dismantling of the county government."
While none of the board members appeared affected by the pickets or the "NO Layoffs" signs held up during the meeting, the union recruited one powerful sympathizer. Newark Mayor Sharpe James sat with the protest organizers and even held one of the signs by the end of the evening.
James said in his 13 years in office he has never resorted to layoffs.
''You have to learn to cut government costs without layoffs," said the mayor. But when asked if he would lobby the board for the welfare workers' jobs, he said he had actually come to try to persuade the county to donate to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
The new board members used last night's ceremonies to thank their families, friends and supporters. Jackson said he was proud and honored to serve. "I'm up to the challenge," said the jubilant Democrat.
Paganelli said he took his oath with a "sense of conflict" because like the county executive, he believes most residents favor eliminating county government. But as a realist, Paganelli said he knows that will not happen.
Consequently, he said, "We must work within the system to make this government smaller, more innovative and completely subordinate to the taxpayers."
Scarpelli also hit on Republican themes in his remarks. He said stabilizing property taxes must the board's chief concern. To accomplish this, he said the board must encourage economic development and partnerships between the public and private sectors.
''Recovery, revitalization and renaissance must be the legacy we leave the next generation," he said.
DiVincenzo recalled that in the past five years the board passed three no-tax increase budgets and two others with modest hikes. He said the board works as a team.
''Like teammates returning from a championship season. I'm ready to dig in and work with you to accomplish even better things in the year to come."