CWA Members in New Jersey Fight to Protect Public Service Jobs

CWA Local 1081 members at the Essex County Division of Family Assistance and Benefits in New Jersey have been fighting against the newly added social worker trainee title, which circumvents the civil service regulations put in place to ensure equity in hiring and promotions. The new title threatens the value of public service by allowing new trainee hires, who can be promoted to permanent hires after a year, to bypass the merit based process that guarantees equity and fairness in hiring decisions. The workers, supported by other CWA members including members of CWA Local 1037, have been holding demonstrations, gathering petition signatures, and building solidarity with community members to protect their jobs.