Katz: national union “tramples democratic rights”

Prior to her opposition to the state worker union contract Katz was given free reign and complete control of the CWA political apparatus in New Jersey. CWA leadership gladly let her do what she wanted and encouraged her to push the CWA agenda because she was without a doubt the most effective political operative in CWA.

But that all ended when she opposed the contract and worked against the CWA leadership and the other CWANJ Presidents.

They have been gunning for her ever since.

Vice President Chris Shelton, Political Director Bob Masters , and CWA 1040 President Carolyn Wade vowed to pay her back for her opposition.

Katz made some mistakes along the way and gave these people an opening. They waited until after the CWA National Convention to pull this " coup" .

They used their power to remove her but there is no justification for her removal. All of the things they said she did they either knew of or approved.

This is all about petty jealousy and control of an organization that is completely losing its power and influence in New Jersey politics.

CWA has become a dysfunctional , second rate union that needs to hide behind other unions like the NJEA. Its leadership is filled with " little people " who are only concerned with their own well being and have little concern about the 55,000 members it represents.

Katz is no angel but she is not a crook. She is a tough, hard working union leader who sometimes rubs peple the wrong way.

She is getting set up. That is the truth. The public is getting a rare inside look at the " dirty " part of Unions.

...and to those who truly believe in the need for Unions that is a real tragedy.

There will be no " judge" in this internal case. By ousting her now the CWA will be able to have an internal " court" . Katz will have no say as to the composition of that court. The fix is in, that is why it is being done now.
The other reeason this has happened now is because of the infamous e-mails. In December of 2006 Corzine requested that the CWA strike a deal on the contract, that was not up until July 2007, before his budget address in late February 2007. CWA agreed and made a deal four months before the deadline . Katz was against that early deal. During the negotiations she had e-mail contact with Corzine , which will show that she opposed a settlement at that time. Those e-mails will be highly embarrassing , not necessarily to Corzine and Katz, but to the CWA leadership who had told their membership that they were fighting hard and negotiating hard for a new contract. That contract contained huge givebacks on both Health and pension benefits that allowed Corzine to state in his budget address that he was " holding the line" with stateworker unions. There definitely was no " hard fought" negotiations taking place four full months before the contract was up!

Even more than Corzine the CWA leadership team does not want those e-mails released. With Katz gone the whole argument of a Corzine Katz union leader/employer relationship is also gone. So it is hoped that those e-mails will never see the light of day, of it they do then the CWA leadership will simply say that they were initaited by a " corrupt" union official.

This is all about " inside" union political survival.

The unfortunate thing is that state workers , by law, have to pay dues to this banana republic union.