Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democratic candidate for governor, said the ongoing municipal contract district with Local 245 is useful experience for anyone who holds the state’s highest elected office.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This speaks to why we are different as mayors: I have seven unions that I am responsible for in Jersey City, a little bit more than 3,000 employees, [in] 12 years negotiated settlements with all of them,” Fulop said in response to a question from HCV.
The question came during a presser where he officially announced South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum as his candidate for lieutenant governor.
“Repeatedly along the way, I think they would tell you we are tough, but fair. For the last 20 years, you have had in New Jersey governors that have no experience on municipal government, none whatsoever. They could be well intentioned, but not understanding municipal government is a major gap: We have 564 municipalities here.”
News correspondent Daniel Ulloa broached the subject two days after Local 245, joined by three mayoral candidates looking to succeed Fulop, picketed at City Hall after not having a contract for six years, as HCV first reported.
The hang up is largely over emergency pay, where union employees are entitled to either time-and-a-half or double pay, which Fulop explained has been a problem under Gov. Phil Murphy (D) since state of emergencies often drag on longer than necessary.
“Last year in the winter, and the winter before that, Phil Murphy would declare state of emergencies every weekend … We would say to Phil Murphy, repeatedly, we would say ‘you haven’t lifted the state of emergency’ and that is a problem for us because the unions are making the argument that they are entitled, in perpetuity in double time,” Fulop explained.
” … Now a reasonable person would say, okay, it’s not even snowing outside, it’s a week after the snowstorm, why is it still a state of emergency – a reasonable person would say that. But their legal argument is that they should be entitled to double pay.”
As city spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said last week, an appellate court ruling on this topic went in favor of the City of Jersey City shortly before the protest began
“We’re not gonna capitulate because I’m trying to be responsible to taxpayers ultimately and I believe I’m on the right side of that issue, on behalf of the taxpayers. I understand that they don’t like that, and that’s fair, but I believe a reasonable person would say a state of emergency is a state of emergency …”
He concluded that this issue is often overlooked in Trenton since Murphy, Gov. Chris Christie (R), Gov. Jon Corzine (D), and Gov. Dick Codey (D) all had zero municipal experience.
Editor’s note: News Correspondent Daniel Ulloa contributed to this report.
Fulop sucks. Property taxes have skyrocketed under his watch. He doesn’t care since his wife can bill insurance companies galore for her physical therapy business. And own a 7-figure home in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
Question – How has his involvement in a Cannabis Dispensary startup prepared him for the Governor’s office?
Answer- Apparently not very well. After initially presenting the project as a physical therapy business, the team quickly shifted gears and attempted to open yet another Dispensary, this one in a heavily residential neighborhood. Three years later, the ground floor location sits empty – and my back still hurts.
Next candidate, please….