newjerseynewsroom.com

BY MICHAEL J. MAKARA

COMMENTARY

There are many types of government workers. I am a full-time state worker who is a member of CWA (Communication Workers of America.) My salary is paid from the State income tax, not property taxes.

It is my hope that every current CWA "State" worker reads the new Pension and Benefit Reform Bills for themselves. They will discover that most of these "reforms" are something that we already have in our contract!

Those reforms that are not in our contract are for "future" employees who will be given the fair choice of accepting them or not take a job if offered.

CWA State workers already pay 1.5 % for health benefits. No objection there!

CWA State workers already have their unused sick time capped at $15,000. No objection there!

CWA has always fought to eliminate part-time workers, so a law making it mandatory to work 35 hours a week to participate in the pension fund makes sense. It is my firm belief that part-timers should not be in a full-timers pension fund.

Changing the pension calculations for "future" employees is not only fair,but it makes sense. It stabilizes the fund for all current employees and it still gives a new employee a defined pension benefit. It also gives the new employee the option of accepting the new benefit or not taking the job. Established employees lose nothing, new employees keep a benefit.

CWA has complained about pension money being taken out of the pension system; these new bills call for a constitutional amendment for defined, full funding. Finally!

So for the point of service CWA State worker who goes to work every day and performs needed services in hospitals, prisons, motor vehicle, etc., and makes an average of $50,000, I ask, "what's the problem with these reforms if they shore up OUR pension fund?" Current employees are being treated fairly and future employees are being given fair notice as to how their benefit package will be funded.

Other government employees, who have not had to pay for many of their benefits, might think these new bills are "anti-union." They are not anti-union — the CWA has already agreed to many of these proposals through collective bargaining over the years. These bills simply are an attempt to shore up the sinking ship known as the Pension Fund.

I ask that my fellow CWA members read the bills and not listen to the rhetoric from both sides.

I fully support the Pension Reform Bills.