Member Benefits
CWA is committed to working with its members to help the New Jersey Judiciary remain one of the most progressive court systems in the nation, keeping the morale and concerns for quality of work and quality of life as its main drives.
As important as it is for CWA to organize around a crisis, it is equally important to educate and recruit members during a time of opportunity. Whether you join CWA to protect your rights as a state employee, or become active to use the union as one more outlet for positive social and political change, or simply want to be more "in the know," NOW is the time to join your union and guarantee our strength in numbers.
Political Representation
The Judiciary Code of Conduct prohibits Judiciary employees from engaging in partisan political activity and has been very strictly interpreted. Judiciary employees therefore uniquely benefit from participation in their union. CWA listens to your concerns, raises them in the political arena with politicians, legislators and other interested groups and keeps you informed of the political initiatives taken on your behalf.
Participate so that your union can be your voice on the political issues that impact your work place.
Contract Negotiations
Prior to January 1995, professionals in the Judiciary did not have a contract. This meant that they had no way to collectively bargain wages or to address grievances and could exercise few if any due process rights. Many Judiciary employees mistakenly assume that the wages and other benefits they enjoy come to them simply by management's decree.
The truth is that CWA represents approximately 2,250 employees of the Judiciary. As their advocate, CWA has aggressively negotiated for the significant increases in the current contract. Involvement and participation in your union now will be key in ensuring that you enjoy a fair contract with salary growth, as well as pension and health benefit protection for the future. Only full members of the union have the right to vote on contracts, so your involvement guarantees CWA's strength at the bargaining table.
Pension & Health Benefits
CWA scored a major victory in July 2001 by pushing legislation that increased the pension benefit for all current and future retirees. In addition to maximizing the pension payout, the legislation also kept employee contributions low while protecting the fund's financial stability. In a climate of skyrocketing health benefit costs, CWA negotiated the current contract that kept coverage expansive and affordable.
Your voice is needed to help CWA represent your needs and ideas on the issues that matter to you.
