NJ employee struggles to do what is best

Jul 03, 2010

By: Andria Carter

By IAN SPURLOCK
I am an employee of the State of New Jersey, Department of Labor. My interests are represented, regardless of my choice or preference, by CWA Local 1038.
I am not a member of this Union. To be a member you must pay full dues. Each employee who is not a member has to, without exception, pay 85 percent of what full Union dues are, with no voting rights, as a ‘Representation Fee’. As a result, $16.08 is deducted from each paycheck, whether or not I want them to represent me. I have no choice in the matter. Whatever the CWA deems to be ‘in my best interest’ is what they ‘fight’ for.
Now, let me be clear when I say I understand the necessity of the current administration to cut back across the board to plug the budget deficit. State workers are just one piece of the puzzle where savings must be found, and that’s fine. If I need to be furloughed to keep the State solvent or save the jobs of fellow employees, I am on board.
However, my position, and that of every single person in my unit, Disability Determination Services, is 100 percent federally funded. The Federal Government pays the State of New Jersey to administer the program. When we get furloughed, the State has to give that money back to the Feds. So, by furloughing us, the State saves absolutely nothing and the citizens lose out on our services.
When I took this position last year, there was training in Newark for three months. We all got to talk, as a group, with a CWA shop steward from Newark. I asked him point blank, ‘Why are we being furloughed if we’re federally funded?’ His response was informative.
‘Yeah, the Union kind of sold us out.’
If you represent my interests, where were you during those negotiations, when you were supposed to be … representing my interests? The Union view is that every employee must be treated exactly the same, when the reality is far different.
However, the incompetence of the Union isn’t what draws the bulk of my ire. It is the realization that, ideologically, I’m being asked to choose between my best interests as a taxpayer and as an employee.
My political views include a belief that the role of government should be as limited as possible. Civil Service jobs and departments should be run simply, efficiently and not be burdened with weak employees who cannot be fired except following the most egregious of offenses. If you are not cutting it, goodbye.
I’ve been laid off before. It hurts. But deep down inside of me there will always be a nagging belief and knowledge that, yes, I probably could have worked harder and been more valuable to that company. Had I done so, maybe I would still be there. I don’t feel any motivation, outside of personal pride, to push myself here. All I have to do is work to the lowest common denominator and I’ll have no trouble at all. Since, as previously mentioned, the Union wants us all to be treated the same, there is a standard of work performance that is given to every employee of the same title. All evaluations are either ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’. There is no tangible benefit to going above and beyond or trying to be the best.
I didn’t get this job because of the Union. I got this job because I scored well enough on a Civil Service examination to be offered this job. If I am to get a promotion, I’ll have to take a promotional examination conducted, again, by the Civil Service Commission. If I get in trouble on the job, I have rights provided by both the Civil Service Commission and other general labor-related laws preventing discrimination and unlawful termination.
From each and every paycheck, 1 percent of my salary, against my wishes, is being given to an organization which, by its nature, affects the political environment of the State of New Jersey and negatively impacts the services, both in value and total output, of state agencies. What exactly do you do for me, CWA Local 1038? Do you think if my job is on the line for some alleged infraction that I would want to be represented by a group so professionally devoid of competence that they were unable to get employees that are totally federally funded exempt from a State furlough plan?
I’ll pass.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 3rd, 2010 at 4:28 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.