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

TRENTON — Thousands of unionized police and firefighters 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.

"By the turnout, there are a lot of upset people at how it is being handled," said Detective Chris Corsiglia, vice president of the Wayne Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 136. "It is an unfortunate situation that's come up."

Corsiglia said that the problem dates back to when then-Gov. Christie Todd-Whitman dipped into the police and firefighters' pension fund in an effort to balance the budget and not allowing municipalities to contribute to the fund for eight years.

"It's like if you work for a business and have a 401k and you contribute to it and the business takes money out of it and doesn't reimburse you back, wouldn't you be upset too? More than $3 billion in contributions were skipped over," Corsiglia said. "It's unfortunate."

New Jersey State PBA 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."

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Gloucester County Democrat and union organizer, also drew boos 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 Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association 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.