Union officials do no public work, costing millions, report says
A report released this morning shows that New Jersey taxpayers spend millions each year so public employees -- cops, firefighters, teachers -- can take leave from their public jobs and do union business. Once Gov. Christie reads the report, if he hasn't already, he is likely to add these tidbits into the rhetorical arsenal he aims at public employee unions.
Union officials do no public work, costing millions, report says
Matt Katz, Inquirer Staff Writer
Full story in Thursday's paper, here.
A report released this morning shows that New Jersey taxpayers spend millions each year so public employees -- cops, firefighters, teachers -- can take leave from their public jobs and do union business.
Once Gov. Christie reads the report, if he hasn't already, he is likely to add these tidbits into the rhetorical arsenal he aims at public employee unions.
In Camden, $2.3 million has been spent over the past five years to pay the salaries and benefits for three cops and three firefighters who do full-time union business (not policing or firefighting), according to the report from the independent State Commission of Investigation. In the Camden schools, the report found that the district is reimbursed by the teachers' union for a union official's salary -- but such reimbursement payments have not always been made.
We're working on getting responses from all of the Camden unions, but in an initial interview the Camden police union president says there are only two, not three, government-paid union officials in the city.
Statewide some union officials have been on paid leave for decades while "occupying government job titles but doing no government work," according to the SCI. Contracts -- and in some cases, unofficial agreements -- allow some union officials to get a salary, health coverage and additional benefits like perfect-attendance stipends, overtime, cars, office space and computers.
The report said: "Although it is not uncommon, nor it is necessarily improper, for government employers to grant some form of time-off for union work, the Commission found significant and questionable variations in how such leave is authorized, who qualifies for it, who keeps track of it, how it is constituted and who ultimately pays the bill."
The state's largest teachers' union, the New Jersey Education Association, released a statement in response saying that the report indicates that these “work release arrangements” are “legal and commonplace,” and had been negotiated by school employees before being ratified by school boards.
NJEA President Barbara Keshishian said: “Providing negotiated release time for the purpose of conducting union business saves both time and money in districts and provides for a better school environment for all concerned…. The fact that the release of this report comes in the midst of a sustained attack on public education and public sector unions in New Jersey is a remarkable coincidence.”
The investigation looked at more than 120 school districts, 17 municipalities, all 21 counties and 12 departments of state government. In that slice of public sector, between 2006 and 2011, government-paid leave for public employees cost taxpayers more than $30 million.
The commission recommended that taxpayer-funded union leave be eliminated or at least "substantially curtailed."
- Are you kidding me Jen D? McGreevy has even written about it himself. Educate yourself
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/02/AR2007090200889.html— towelie - you're surprised ?? i thought everyone knew that this scam has been running for decades. public sector unions have been allowed to grow much too strong.— the_chief
- Unions = What is wrong with the Europe and the US. Need proof, look at Detroit, Amtrak, USPS, Septa and across the pond to that economic entitle mess called Europe. Wake up people socialism and its army (unions) are the death of middle class America and small businesses and only serve to support greedy big Fortune 1000 companies (i.e. Comcast, GE) and bankers (whom make made profits on larger loans due to increased labor costs).— Citizenc92
- The most successful economy in Europe is Germany. It is also the most highly unionized...before unions became prominent in America, there was NO middle class and now that they're disappearing the middle class is doing the same. And finally, UPS is union and they make money out the wazoo. The Postal Service is union and they're losing money. There is clearly no easy answer so please don't generalize your partisan beliefs onto the rest of us.
- That seems false
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/lab_tra_uni_mem-labor-trade-union-membership
Now granted those #'s are from 2000. If you can provide a more recent #, I would be open to reading up on it.— towelie - That's a false statement. France, Greece and Italy are per capita much more "unionized" entitlement nations. Further, Germany is STILL benefiting from cheap labor from the former East Germany...you know that form COMMUNIST nation. Additionally, Germany is benefiting from the strict austerity measures it adopted during the past 5+ years. Unions didn't create the middle class in the US, SMALL BIZ OWNERSHIP DID. Unions only served to protect workers BEFORE there were Federal and State labor laws ... Unions have OUTLIVED their usefulness and, in fact, only now serve as a inhibitor to the US employee being competitive on the Global Market. UPS makes money because they are not entirely union (plus have no public sector union workers like the USPS does) AND they have the benefit of being HQ out of a "Right to Work" State. Get your facts straight before you embarrass yourself again.
- Collective bargaining has no place in the public sector.— Louie DePalma
- So 5 million a year, with a state that has a budget of $31 billion and about the same for other government budgets.— flavious27
- citizen - day in and day out you prove yourself to be idiotic. have you ever been to europe? let me guess you favor doing away with unions and complete gov hands off so that the workers can get paid what the employer wants to pay. yeah, im sure that'll work out for the positive. the death of the middle class comes from the big wigs that you somehow, even though you're most likely a poorer or middle class citizen, prop up everyday. save the nonsensical rhetoric.— slanted and enchanted
- LoL, not only have I "been to Europe" I have labor counsel there and get to see first hand how the unions are robbing the citizens of Europe of their hard earned dollors. I bet next you'll say Detroit is a luxurious paradise!?! All one needs to do is look at the Euro and its inevitable demise to see Unions (and their illiegal breathern, Central Bankers) are the primary drivers to the EU's decline (drive up costs, drive up borrowing, collapse a nation). Love your ignorant "wannabe" feedback though as it illustrates that most Americans have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to socio-political economics. Keep thinkin' that Govt handouts are going to make your life better lemming. You must be an Occupier whom wants to blame everyone else for all your issues, when in fact, its your own laziness and fear of taking a risk that gets in the way of what you want.
- test
- lol. my life is fine. but your rhetoric of painting in stereotypes and continually being void of any historical context gets old and worn out. for example, your insistence that unions are always the devil and that always the best gov is the gov that governs least is simply historically inaccurate. the answer always lies in the middle - always has, always will. but the middle ground is a foreign place that you are unwilling to enter to you . you are a zealot who refuses to listen to anyone else or acknowledge your shortcomings. your kind of commitment to stupidity is bad for us all.— slanted and enchanted
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Reach him at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattkatz00. Reach Matt at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
