News

Christie's Illegal Failure to Fund Pension Puts NJ Families at Risk

After budget shortfalls, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie broke the law when he decided to cut $1.57 billion from a promised payment to public workers' pension system, putting NJ families at risk of losing the hard-earned compensation they deserve.

CWA sued to stop Christie, and in February, a state judge ruled that he broke the law. But Christie has vowed to appeal the decision and said that pensions and benefits must be cut further.

Oral arguments to force Governor Christie to make the full, legally-required payment into the pension for Fiscal Year 2016 (the fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2015) will take place on May 12.

Here are the facts:

  • There is no way to eliminate the costs that have already accumulated to the system. By law, the payments must be made. And, contrary to what Christie might believe, the law is not something that can be rewritten in a backroom deal with a Commission.
  • The numbers have to add up. The $1.3 billion that Christie has proposed to put into the pension plan will bankrupt the system in a decade or so. Any discussions of a "solution" to the pension issue has to begin with making payments to the plan - not with cutting benefits.

Gov. Christie has a legal obligation to obey the law and a moral obligation to keep the promises to workers and retirees.

CWA has spent more than 20 years fighting to protect the pension plan of our members. It is the number one issue for the public sector today. Our message to the Governor is clear: Obey the law - fully fund the pension.


We need members to commit to fight hard for pension funding. TAKE ACTION NOW:

  • Call all three of your state legislators and tell them the state needs to make its legally-required pension payments.
  • Beginning on or around April 1, vote for the union-endorsed candidates for PERS board of Trustees.  State workers vote for Carey Brown, and county government workers should support Tracy A. Smith.