Gov. Chris Christie pits teachers against one another with wage freeze offer

The district is hardly alone in making staff cuts to cope with aid cuts and rising costs. However, Superintendent Robert Gratz told the audience that at least the teaching positions could be restored, if the teachers agreed to a wage freeze advocated by Gov. Chris Christie.

The district teachers union was unable to provide an answer that night, and representatives could not be reached for an update on their discussions this week.

"They missed a great opportunity," Gratz said, acknowledging a concession also could help convince voters to approve the budget April 20.

The prospect of a wage freeze has New Jersey educators in a difficult position. Unions that consent could save teachers' jobs. The alternative is to resist the pressure from the governor and lose not only colleagues, but possibly standing in public opinion, experts say.

Rift with teachers union

Since taking office in January, Christie has come out strongly against teachers unions, particularly the largest: the New Jersey Education Association. In his budget address last month, when he proposed reduced total aid to schools by $819 million, he referred to an "arrogant" teachers union that used "intimidation tactics, political bullying and smears" to maintain its "empire."

Before that, he reduced the current year's school aid by $415 million, forcing districts to tap surpluses. Late last month, he offered to restore some state aid to districts where teachers took a wage freeze.

"Certainly the governor is trying to run a public opinion campaign" against teachers, NJEA spokesman Steve Baker said.

The state-level union is not guiding local unions to a decision, he said, because it must be done on a case-by-case basis. However, there will be "massive cuts" around the state no matter what direction they go.

"His budget is what is causing these cuts," Baker said. "He owns the consequences of his decisions."

Widespread layoffs

More than 85 percent of school districts are planning to lay off teaching staff, according to a survey of 323 school districts around the state conducted by the New Jersey School Boards Association. There are 588 districts in New Jersey.

About two-thirds of the surveyed districts are planning on cutting extracurricular activities. Almost 60 percent say programs will be affected by the loss of faculty.

"What they could accomplish by doing that would be saving the jobs of colleagues and programs. This is not an unreasonable request," said Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak. "There's a vacuum (in the state budget), there's a hole that needs to be filled, and there's no money to fill it, so there has to be cuts."

Christie's office this week announced that 115 school districts had announced wage freezes on some level. Most were freezes on administration or support staff earnings, not teachers.

"By being obstinate ... the consequence is that their colleagues lose jobs," Drewniak said.

While administrators in many districts have said their teachers are considering the freezes, many have not given an answer. Several union leaders in area districts did not return phone calls or e-mails last week seeking comment.

Divisions run deep

Drewniak said Christie's budget taps into the idea it is inappropriate for teachers to take annual contractual raises at a time of economic difficulty. Teachers have support of their own. A Facebook group called "New Jersey teachers united against Gov. Chris Christie's pay freeze" boasts more than 67,000 fans.

Among the NJEA's plan to combat the cuts is to lobby the state Legislature to restore a tax that Christie let expire on New Jersey residents who make more than $400,000, said Baker, the association spokesman.

"We're going to be working very hard to convince the legislature the governor's priorities are the wrong priorities for New Jersey," he said.

The governor's spokesman said the union is trying to turn the situation into a personal attack on Christie. A Bergen County branch of the teachers union apologized Friday for a leaked internal e-mail joking about the governor's death.

"All the subterfuge, all the anger and smoke they want to throw up there just ignores the problem," Drewniak said.