Hundreds of state workers protest proposed furloughs
Hundreds of union workers protested Gov. Jon Corzine's planned furlough of public employees yesterday, telling officials his cost-saving measure will disrupt state services and possibly compromise public safety.
Corzine is planning to furlough state employees for two days -- one each in May and June -- to help offset huge revenue losses brought on by the bad economy.
The state Civil Service Commission passed a temporary rule last month that lets the state and local governments enact the unpaid furloughs. An appeals court last week upheld that decision on the condition the state work out several issues related to the furloughs.
The commission scheduled a three-hour public hearing on the furlough plans and held it at the Lawrenceville Armory just so it could accommodate the expected crowd.
The armory, which can hold 700 -- 14 times more than the commission's normal meeting room in Trenton -- was filled to capacity, and the meeting had the feel of a union rally, with government workers, firefighters and police officers strongly represented. Many more gathered outside the armory after arriving in buses from throughout the state.
Hetty Rosenstein, state director of the Communications Workers of America union, said the state should get rid of political appointees before targeting public employees.
"This rule is yet another opportunity for the particular New Jersey brand of corruption," Rosenstein said to applause.
The furloughs are "a cut in hours, a cut in services, a cut in pay," she said.
Representatives of police and firefighting unions questioned how their members who work for local governments could be furloughed.
"This will reduce staffing and compromise safety," said Bill Lavin, president of the New Jersey State Firemen's Benevolent Association. "It's sinister. It's sneaky."
"We are not insensitive to the economic realities that surround us," said Anthony Wieners, president of the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association.
Six unions took Corzine to court over the furlough issue. They have argued the furloughs will disproportionately hurt government workers and the issue should only be resolved through collective bargaining.
Corzine wants state workers to take off the unpaid days to help close a nearly $3 billion hole in the current budget. The state estimates the days off will save about $25 million.
The issue for the state now is to determine if furloughing on a rolling basis employees who work in agencies and departments that will not be closed for an entire day meets the requirements of state layoff rules.
The appeals court ruled last Friday the furloughs are legal because of the extreme economic conditions. But the court also ruled the state could not implement furloughs on a rolling basis instead of scheduling a department-wide shutdown, some employees will stay home while the agency itself remains open until more details are worked out. The court said the furloughs, which are legally considered temporary layoffs, could trigger the layoff laws, which provide seniority and bumping rights to long-term employees.
The court's ruling affects most of the 66,000 state executive branch employees some in vital public safety and human services jobs will be exempted and thousands more county and municipal employees if their government bodies also choose to enact furloughs.
Employees of the state Judiciary and the state Legislature will also be furloughed.
Corzine has already put forward a plan to implement the furloughs, with the first occurring at the Trenton War Memorial on May 11. Motor Vehicle Commission agencies would be closed on May 18 and June 15 as part of the governor's plan, while other agencies, including the Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Children and Families, would see individual employees furloughed on a rolling basis through May and June.
Those plans, however, are on hold as a result of the court ruling. The New Jersey League of Municipalities is also urging its members to seek legal counsel before enacting furloughs.
The governor, meanwhile, is seeking a wage freeze and additional furlough days in the $29.8 billion spending plan he's proposing for the budget year that begins on July 1 to save about $500 million. As many as 9,000 state workers could be laid off as an alternative, but Corzine said he prefers furloughs to layoffs.