You may have heard that IFPTE Local 195 has a Tentative Agreement for a 4 year Contract Agreement with the Christie Administration. IFPTE represents skilled trade and craft employees in the executive branch and is a smaller bargaining unit than CWA.

We do not as of yet have details as to all aspects of the Agreement, but we understand that it is a 4-year agreement with wage increases of 0, 0, 1.75% and 1.5% across the board each July 1st of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, over 4 years and a $450 onetime bonus in 2017 only for workers at who have been at Max pay for at least 3 years. It also appears that chapter 78 health care contribution percentages are maintained through the contract, and that there are no improvements in healthcare. There may also be important “work rules” and grievance language issues that we have to assess.

As soon as we have further information as to what language and other changes are contained in the IFPTE Local 195 agreement, we will share our analysis and reaction with you.

We advise all of our members to remain patient while the CWA bargaining committee reviews all of the facts to determine if there is any reason to change the approach we have had to date. CWA’s 35,000 members across all Locals have stuck together these past several months, and we remain committed to fighting as long as it takes to win a fair contract.