NJEA members,
Last Thursday, Senate President Steve Sweeney introduced 27 bills entitled “Path to Progress”. Many of these bills will negatively impact educators, as Chapter 78 has done to so many of us.
Here is a quick breakdown of just a few of the bills that he is proposing…
1. Proposal: Cap sick leave reimbursement at retirement to $7,500.
Impact: Many districts allow for $10,000 or above. This is a cut to our benefits at retirement, and violates our local negotiating rights with our districts.
2. Proposal: Educators in the SEHBP and SHBP would NO longer be allowed to collect money from their district for waiving their health insurance.
Impact: Many districts provide their employees with $5,000 to waive insurance. This is money that members count on for their families. It would be gone. This also violates local negotiating rights with our districts.
3. Proposal: Eliminate school districts that are not PreK-12 or K-12 and consolidate them into all-purpose regional school districts.
Impact: Makes districts vulnerable to privatization. Resources will be spread thin.
4. Proposal: Raise the retirement age to 67 years of age and place all public workers with less than 5 years of employment in a new hybrid pension plan that includes a 401k style pension.
Impact: This would eliminate the stability of future benefits, placing thousands of workers in danger of not being able to maintain a decent quality of life at retirement, and would raise the age of retirement YET AGAIN! It was recently changed in 2011 with the Chapter 78 law.
These are just a few of the bills that Sen. Sweeney is looking to pass. He wants to get these bills done by June 30, and if not he’s looking to add them to the Constitutional Amendment for a public vote in November!!
What you can do to help!
On June 13th NJEA members across the state are attending a Lobby Day and rally in Trenton to show support for Governor Murphy’s proposed budget as well as take a stand against Sweeney’s destructive legislation. Details are below. Wear RED to show your support for our profession! Buses to Trenton are in the process of being finalized, so if you are interested in taking the bus to Trenton please let your local President know. More details on the transportation will be forthcoming if you are interested.
If you have any personal days left this year, you are highly encouraged to join us in Trenton to fight against these bills.
Talk to your colleagues!
This is as critical of a time that we have had since Chapter 78 in 2011. We cannot allow that to happen again! Urge your colleagues to attend, and let’s #fixtheunfairness and show Steve Sweeney and the rest of the legislators that #weareworthit.
Thank you! Hope to see you in Trenton on June 13!
*Please register with Iris Star at istar@njea.org and let her know that you will be attending.
When: June 13, 2019 at 10:00AM
Where:
NJEA Headquarters
180 West State Street
Trenton, New Jersey
GPS: 100 Capitol Street, Trenton Sign up information:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Remember to **Wear Red to support Education**
