VIDEO: Thousands of Police, Firefighters Rally Against Layoffs, Benefits Plan

TRENTON—More than 30 local firefighters and police officers were among the thousands of unionized servicemen and woman rallied at the statehouse Thursday against layoffs and Gov. Chris Christie's plan to have them contribute more to health and pension plans.

Throngs of public safety workers from across the state delivered a loud message to Christie, pointing to a 2009 campaign promise that police and firefighter pensions would not be changed.

New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association President Anthony Wieners has pointed to rising crime, coupled with police layoffs as putting state residents in danger.  In Camden, where nearly half the police department was let go, violent crime has increased 19 percent since the layoffs, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday. 

“The new normal in New Jersey is New Jersey has a crime problem," Wieners said, using a play on Christie's "new normal" budget message. "We are here to deliver a message in one loud, unified voice, that enough is enough."

Lou Vecchia, president of New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association #54, said more than 30 Summit firefighters and police officers participated in the rally last week because they are concerned about public safety.

"What the governor is potentially going to do is really tie the hands of all the towns and there are going to have to be layoffs," Vecchia said. "It was time to really get down there and say 'Wait a minute, people are actually dying out there because of this'."

The FMBA renegotiated its contract with the city last year through 2012. In the new contract the firefighters agreed to not only concede $4,000 per person in salary givebacks, they also accepted a salary freeze.

PBA #55 was unable to reach an agreement with the city for any concessions, sending the city into heated debates over police staffing levels and overtime expenditures. 

"Pensions and healthcare reform, collective bargaining: Those issues we can deal with," Vecchia said. "The issue we won’t stand for, and the police agree with us on this, is the issue of public safety because of manpower shortages."

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Gloucester County Democrat and union organizer, drew boos at the rally for backing Christie's plan to have workers pay 12 to 30 percent of their health care premiums.

Several Democratic lawmakers joined the rally in a sign of dissent from Sweeney. The crowd repeatedly yelled for Sweeney to address his support for Christie's plan.

"You have earned the right to negotiate your future," Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono told the crowd.

Some elected officials said Christie was targeting the middle class while supporting the state's wealthy residents.

"The working people of this state need to get together and fight this class war,” said Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen). “We are now in a battle.”

Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (D-Bergen) said collective bargaining needed to be protected, and criticized Christie's hostile approach to negotiations.

"If you're starting from the position that it's going to be adversarial, to me it means one side is the enemy and I don't think that produces a win-win situation for anybody," she said.

While national media attention has focused on Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's effort to eliminate most collective bargaining, Christie has said he "loves" collective bargaining. He has pledged to be tougher on public employee unions at the bargaining table.

Benefits must be limited to ensure the system's long-term fiscal health, Christie has argued. The state's pension system for public workers, including teachers, police officers and firefighters, is underfunded by $54 billion, according to the governor's office. 

Christie called the Thursday's event a "me first rally" at a press conference, but said he respected the state's first responders.

"I agree with him," said New Jersey FMBA President Bill Levin. "Every time the bell rings, every time shots are fired, you people say, me first, I go in first."

State troopers estimated around 7,000 people attended the rally, an agency spokesman said.  The crowd filled the block in front of the statehouse and overflowed into the park across the street. It was the second major public worker rally in Trenton in recent days.

Since such a large number of people were assemble, Vecchia said the service workers organized a blood drive and organ donation registration drive for the day as well.

–Teaneck Patch Editor Noah Cohen contributed to this report.