Labor & Employment Law

Trenton Voters Say ?No? to Private Water

By Mike Hall

Union and community activists in Trenton, N.J., rallied voters with door-to-door campaigning to beat back the New Jersey American Water Company’s nearly $250,000 advertising and mail blitz to privatize a prized and profitable part of the city’s water system. 

In a referendum yesterday, voters rejected 6,968 to 1,812, a proposal to sell to American Water the city’s municipally-owned Trenton Water Works suburban infrastructure–pipes, water towers and tanks. Said Bob Houser of the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA): 

Selling off one of the community’s most valuable assets–its public water system–to a profit-driven corporation is a bad deal for Trenton. 

Newly-elected Trenton Mayor Tony Mack, who opposed the deal, said: 

Last year our water works had gross revenues of approximately $42 million. That is an asset. There also is the issue of jobs. If Trenton Water Works is sold, there is no guarantee current employees will retain their positions. 

According to NJ.Com, New Jersey American Water through its through its political action committee, Trenton YES, spent some $225,000 on fliers, advertisements, consultants, telephone polls and door-to-door canvassers. 

UWUA and SEIU 32 BJ represent workers about 2,800 workers at New Jersey American Water operations and thousands more at other American Water facilities across the country. The company is demanding huge cuts in working families’ health care and retirement benefits and the workers are the process of a strike vote.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on June 16, 2010 (boomark / email).