Christie cannot touch renegotiated state worker contract
Governor Chris Christie says he was wrong to say during the campaign that he could change the state worker contract that his predecessor negotiated. Governor Corzine reopened the workers' contracts in late 2008 after state revenues plunged and the state budget deficit ballooned. Under the renegotiated deal, the unions put off a 3.5 percent pay raise for 18 months and took furlough days in exchange for a no-layoff-pledge through December 2010. Christie now says his lawyers have told him that laying off state workers would accelerate the raise payment schedule under the current contract. The Republican says what he said during the campaign was what he "thought should be true."
Sue Linfante
