Philly Inquirer Tells Christie: It's OK to Negotiate
Today's Philadelphia Inquirer editorial notes that Christie's refusal to bargain in good faith on all issues is in keeping with Republican governors nationwide, like Scott Walker, who are more concerned with union-busting than they are with sharing sacrifices and fixing deficits.
Inquirer Editorial: It's OK to bargain
Gov. Christie can't have it both ways.
He asked public employees to make major concessions. But after union leaders offered a health-care proposal, he refused to negotiate with them.
Christie says there's "a new game in town." Apparently, it's a a game where he controls the playbook and makes all the rules. That's not fair.
Rather than negotiate, Christie wants the Legislature to mandate health-care benefits. But history shows New Jersey lawmakers have a poor track record in labor matters.
It's not surprising that Christie's strategy isn't playing well with the unions. They have been under assault since he took office and see this move as an attempt to scuttle collective bargaining.
With his tough talk, Christie falls in line with other governors, including his Republican counterpart in Wisconsin, Scott Walker, who seem more focused on union-busting than solving fiscal problems.
Otherwise, why would Christie give the cold shoulder to a health-care proposal by the largest state-employees union, the Communications Workers of America, which offers a good starting point for negotiations? The CWA proposal would require about 40,000 state workers to pay 22 percent of their health-care premiums, instead of the current average of 8.5 percent. That would save the state $240 million over four years.
Unionized workers know the days of fat contracts are over, and that concessions are needed, given the state's finances. That shouldn't mean an end to bargaining.
So far, though, Christie has refused to talk about health care during contract negotiations. He is insteading pushing a bill that will require all public employees, including teachers and police officers, to pick up 30 percent of their health-care premiums and make co-pays for doctor visits and prescriptions.
Under the measure sponsored by Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester), the highest-earning workers would pay 30 percent toward their premiums. That's a fine idea, but why not reach it through negotiation?
Similar to the law rammed through in Wisconsin, Sweeney's bill would take away the ability of unions to negotiate health care in the future.
He and Christie seem to have forgotten that it was the Legislature that gave unions the generous health-care and pension packages that have saddled the state with fiscal obligations that it can no longer afford to meet.
Collective bargaining is still the best route to reasonable pay and benefits packages. Just because it negotiates doesn't mean the state has to give away the farm.