Update on Spurned Pension/Benefits Deal

I reported earlier this week that the public employee leadership had declined a last-minute deal that would have saved union members money in legislated contributions to pension and benefits premiums. PolitickerNJ is reporting now that the heads of CWA, AFSCME, AFT and IFPTE have jointly signed a memo stating that the deal offered by Sen. Steve Sweeney and Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver was “worthless” and “ill-defined,” adding that “no union leader in America would have accepted the deal.” Apparently the leaders of NJEA, the teachers union, did not sign the memo.