TWU official offers union side of contract dispute

Recently many articles have surfaced regarding contract talks with the Transport Workers Union and the Township of Brick. While true the parties did not reach an agreement, the next process is state mediation, and we await a mediator to be appointed. Now the township has released its layoff plan, misleading the public that it is because of stalled talks and the workers not willing to contribute $11 per pay toward health benefits. This insinuation is not true. In our talks, we asked for a nolayoff clause if we met the township's demands, and they would not agree.

The township has control of the budget and prepares its budget under the guidelines imposed by a 4 percent cap. The administration decides what they will fund and the amount. This means the township can increase the line items they want.

Isn't it morally and ethically wrong to create new positions at a time of fiscal crisis? Should not the newly created positions go first? The administration and mayor have hired other new workers and are moving some political favorites into departments that are not targeted by layoffs. This move may be to break the union by pitting worker against worker, but our members are united.

Prior to the mayor's election, he visited various rank and file workers bearing doughnuts and promises that their health benefits would not change, there would be no health care contributions, and they would have job security. After winning the election, he thanked them and made the same promises. With the impending layoffs, the workers realize the words spoken were only false promises from a sly politician.

All of our services are important to the people of Brick Township. We maintain the roads and parks, pick up sanitation and recycling and bulk items, plow the roads in snow storms, we answer phones, process paperwork, take fees and fines, inspect buildings, run recreation programs, receive and dispatch emergency calls. Our EMTs are the first responders in a time of a life-threatening situation to the residents.

All our people are working ensuring that Brick Township is safe and a great place to live. We have dedicated workers who take pride in their work, are rendering full and complete service, and are making the mayor and their department heads look good in the eyes of the public.

The mayor has announced that the managers and unclassified workers who are not in a union will, next year, pay 1 percent of wages toward their benefits, However, elected officials were not in this mix. The mayor takes a $52,000 salary from the township, plus a $20,000 medical package, our part-time council members are getting a $20,000 full-time benefit package. Are they going to contribute toward their benefits? Department and division heads and unclassified employees make a lot more money than we do. A 1 percent contribution to them is nothing, especially when their minimum annual raise is a guaranteed floor of 4 percent, which can be adjusted upwards to 5 percent based on the Consumer Price Index. They already received their 4 percent raises this year.

In these economic times, it is unfair to target one group of workers. Layoffs will put a further strain on the economy, placing working families on unemployment and assistance. Cutting services to residents should be the last resort. Privatization does not work. The privateers' low ball to get in and then the costs substantially escalate and the quality of work diminishes.

We are not a bunch of greedy union workers and are willing to help during hard times, but everyone across the board should be sharing in this process.

Susan A. Resch

Vice President TWU Local 225 International