Workers protest outside New Jersey's Statehouse.
(
Photo by
Blue Jersey's Deciminyan.)
Despite days of large protests, New Jersey's teachers, fire fighters, police, and other public workers are
one step closer to getting the punishment Gov. Chris Christie thinks their hard work has earned them:
[T]he New Jersey Senate on Monday passed a bill requiring sharply higher contributions for health benefits and pensions from more than a half-million government workers, while suspending unions’ ability to bargain over health care.
As a gallery full of raucous union members looked on, the upper chamber moved the legislation with support from Republicans and a few Democrats in a 24-15 vote. It must still get through an Assembly committee, where it was also being considered Monday, and then pass the entire lower house before it reaches the governor’s desk. The full Assembly is scheduled to hear the bill on Thursday.
The fact that New Jersey's public workers already contribute substantial amounts to their pensions often falls by the wayside when this bill is being described. But in fact, what the bill does is not make them start paying into their pensions, but raise their pension contributions:
Police and firefighters would contribute an additional 1.5 percent of their salaries toward pensions, for a total of 10 percent. Non-uniformed public workers, including teachers, would eventually kick in an additional 2 percent of their salaries, for a total of 7.5 percent.
It also increases the retirement age and eliminates cost of living adjustments for retirees. Health care coverage would also be affected:
Most would see current [health care] costs at least double, and many would see them triple.
Reading these things, remember that public employees are already underpaid, even when you factor in benefits like pensions and health care.
We're expected to cheer over the removal of a provision preventing workers from getting health care out of state and the fact that collective bargaining over health care will be restored in four years.
The Assembly still has to vote on the bill, which it's expected to hear later in the week.