TRENTON, N.J.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the legislature are closer to an agreement to change the health and retirement benefits of public workers across the State but legislation instead of collective bargaining, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver said Wednesday.
The President of the Senate Stephen Sweeney is already on board.
The Republican Governor and two Democrats met throughout the day on Wednesday. It is their second meeting in the face to face in a week. Sweeney said that more talks could occur this week.
"We are at a stage of our discussions now rights when there an ear open," Oliver said of the Governor.
"We had discussions in good health throughout," said Sweeney.
Oliver said it is important to Christie that any agreement is concluded saves the 323 million that the administration already taken into account in the budget that begins July 1.
But she said that Christie has left its initial proposal that all public workers pay 30 per cent of the cost of premiums for health insurance regardless of income, and that led to something of a breakthrough in the talks. Now, most of the workers contribute 1.5% of their salary to health care.
"I need to move a little more and I can have a product," said Oliver.
The speaker hopes to negotiate an agreement that is acceptable to many in his caucus 47 members and trade union leaders.
Sweeney and Communications of America workers have plans proposed by the alternate. Proposal for Sweeney binds payments from insurance of workers of their incomes on a sliding scale. The plan of union savings with the purchase in bulk of prescription and digital medical record keeping.
Wednesday, 13 Democrats supported Assembly legislate on a package of health care, according to two people involved in the discussions. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no agreement had been struck. It would take at least eight democratic voice to adopt a Bill to the Assembly, if all 33 Republicans approved the plan. However, Oliver said that it would be reluctant to publish the Bill with a minimum number of Democrats agreeing to it.
Sweeney has enough Democratic votes for a Bill similar to the Senate, if most of the 16 Republican senators voting yes. He attempted to collect additional democratic support.
"I am selling a plan that is just of the active population, but is too really fair to the taxpayers," said Sweeney. "This is not to attack workers." It is to be fair to people who are in fact paying these bills. »
Christie wants to see changes in pension and healthcare prescribed by law. He says that these changes are necessary to support both systems severely under-funded. He wants that more consistent worker benefits that offer the private sector.
The CWA, the largest public Trade Union the State wants to remain a matter of collective bargaining, health care. The Union representing 55,000 State and local employees is in negotiations with the administration of Christie on a new contract. his current contract expires June 30.
Christie at first refused to negotiate on health care, but withdrew after the Union filed a complaint of the work. Health care was among the topics discussed in the course of a negotiation Tuesday session. Both parties are scheduled to meet again in one week approximately.
A majority of the Assembly of Democrats have so far been reluctant to move to the front of the laws that changes to the health benefits while the CWA contract negotiations are underway.
"This is the position of the CWA that health care must be negotiated collectively," said Hetty Rosenstein, Director of State of the union. "The CWA has put forward a very reasonable proposal that will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars."
Said it many union workers earn a modest pension of $ 20,000 to $ 25,000 after 25 years of service, the pension benefits that it must remain secure.
Oliver said there are more broad consensus in the Legislative Assembly to change the pension system. The pension system for public, teachers, police officers and firefighters workers is underfunded $ 54 billion. The State has jumped or considerably reduced its annual payment to the system, a part of the deficit has for years.
A plan proposed by Sweeney would be fixed the worker contribution rates based on the health of the Fund each year. It would require workers to pay more to keep a granted increased pension benefit would ten years earlier and adjustments for cost of living at retirement, but not increase the retirement age of 60 for workers hired before 2008. Should the State to begin to achieve its annual contribution.
Source: click here
By Sybil Ferguson
First tagged "health" by Jeanne K. Daly "JerseyGirlBooks"
Customer tags: sybil ferguson, weight loss, health, lower cholesterol, easy recipes
By Jif
Buy new: $7.95
Customer Rating:
First tagged "health" by Good feelings
Customer tags: peanut butter(5), jif(4), natural(4), delicious(3), top reviewers(2), healthy eating, organic food, health, natural food, protein, food, palm oil
Get New Article Alerts In Your Inbox
Subscribe to Health Knowledge Article Alerts to get daily notifications of our newest articles in your email for free. You can unsubscribe at any time. share your opinion about President of NJ, Governor of fence on benefits deal - BusinessWeek by comment on below post.
Thank you in advance.
Yours sincerely,
0 comments:
Post a Comment