JERSEY CITY — Jersey City police officers who showed up at Wednesday’s City Council meeting left in disgust before it ended after the council voted to not approve contracts for police and fire officers.
The council voted 8-1 against both contracts with Mariano Vega being the sole council member to vote for both of them, saying the raises stipulated in the contracts were already considered during the negotiation process.
The police and and fire contracts both offer 3 percent retroactive raises for 2009, 3.3 percent in 2010, 3.4 percent in 2011, and 3.5 percent in 2012. The contracts also called for police and fire to go into a new health plan that would have them contribute more for health care than in their previous plan, which was estimated to save millions for the city.
Before the vote, police officers and a representative for the fire officers addressed the council to encourage them to vote for the contracts.
Fred DiMase of the Jersey City Police Officers’ Benevolent Association told the council that voting down the contract would be “historic.” Joseph Krajnik, president of the firefighters union, tried to harangue the council members into approval by raising his voice during his address.
“This contract is a deal for you, the taxpayers, because we gave up what I swore I would never give up and that’s the traditional plan, and you take it so lightly that we did nothing,” Krajnik said.
But their attempts at persuasion failed as the majority of the council voted otherwise, citing unpaid furloughs and layoffs for civilian union employees, and the city’s going through a budget crisis.
Councilman David Donnelly stated his case against approving the contract, but said it was a tough decision due to several fire and police officers were personal friends of his.
“In any other year this contract would be a no-brainer to vote on, it really would, but these are difficult times.” Donnelly said.
Police officers started expressing their displeasure as the council voted no, with one cop, later identified as Det. Mark Razzoli, yelling at Councilwoman Viola Richardson after her vote.
Razzoli then brought up the issue of Richardson — a former Jersey City police officer — collecting disability from the department and having two jobs in both county government and on the council. Richardson yelled back “Whatever” while Razzoli was escorted out of the council chambers.
As for the contracts, the council and the unions will have to meet in the future to renegotiate. However, if the contracts are not settled by May 22, union members are to contribute 1.5 percent of their salaries toward the cost of health care as stipulated by a law signed earlier this year by Gov. Chris Christie. – RK