CWA Statement on Failure of Senate to Pass Pension Funding Resolution for 2016 Ballot

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On Thursday morning, Senator Sweeney held a press conference in which he said that he would not post the Constitutional Amendment for a final vote in the Senate, the last step necessary to place the question on the ballot in November. His stated reason was that he is one or two votes short of a veto-proof majority on a bill to fund the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF).

There is no reason that the TTF should hold up the posting of the Constitutional Amendment, but the Senate President has decided to link the outcome of the TTF with our Constitutional Amendment. We do not believe that we will overcome this obstacle by the deadline which is this Monday, August 8. We leave it to you to discern if that was deliberate.

We are discussing our next steps and will write more about this later, but rest assured that CWA will never stop fighting for retirement security for our members and retirees. We will leave no stone unturned and we will take every action necessary until we are successful. We will continue to fight for full funding of the public employee pension system one day longer and one day stronger, no matter what.

More to come soon. Hold your heads up high. We must and we will protect the pension system.

In Solidarity,

Hetty Rosenstein
NJ Area Director

Karl Walko, President
Local 1014

John Rose, President
Local 1031

Patrick Kavanagh, President
Local 1032

Gaye Palmer, President
Local 1033

Adam Liebtag, President
Local 1036

Ken McNamara, President
Local 1037

Shawn Ludwig, President
Local 1038

Lionel Leach, President
Local 1039

Carolyn Wade, President
Local 1040

Nicole Glonek, President
Local 1042

Kathleen Lordo, President
Local 1045

Josezetta Hill, President
Local 1071

Ken Tauro, President
Local 1075

Bennie Brantley, President
Local 1077

Jeffrey Miletta, President
Local 1078

Leroy Baylor, President
Local 1079

Renee Wilder, President
Local 1080

David Weiner, President
Local 1081

Mabel Serrano, President
Local 1082

Louis Giardelli, President
Local 1083

George Jackson, President
Local 1084

Mike Blaszczyk, President
Local 1085

Joanne McWilliams, President
Local 1087

Ellen Vidal, President
Local 1088

Dolores Phillips, President
Local 1089