Move Over Shark Week, It's Shirk Week

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The Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" isn't half as terrifying as what's going on in New Jersey. Just in time for the weeklong celebration of the ocean's top predator, CWA released a "Shirk Week" video to take a bite out of Gov. Chris Christie's predatory plan to reform pensions.

The video calls out Christie's decision to short the state's public workers pension systems – and then create a commission to study the shortfall. "He broke his word," reads text from the video, which features a "Jaws"-like soundtrack and shark-chomped newspaper headlines.

"New Jersey's pension doesn't need a study," the video says. "It needs to be fully funded as promised and require by law."

Three years ago, Christie and state lawmakers slashed public workers' pension benefits. They raised workers' contributions, increased the age of retirement and eliminated cost-of-living adjustments. Christie and those who backed the radical changes promised that New Jersey would start making larger, more substantial pension payments to compensate for the state's pitiful contributions over the past 17 years.

Workers held up their end of the bargain. But then this summer, Christie reneged and diverted the promised payment to the state's pension system to fill the gaps in his troubled budget.

Hetty Rosenstein, CWA's area director, said, "New Jersey's pension doesn't need a commission or study stocked with a handful of super-wealthy people unlikely to have any clue as to what it means to live on a fixed-income at retirement. The answer is simple: New Jersey's pension needs to be fully funded, as promised and required by law."