New Jersey governor: Ohio union win won't affect his efforts

NEWTON, N.J. - Gov. Chris Christie angered public employee unions by winning passage of a law upping health care and pension contributions for government workers.

But he said Wednesday he doesn't believe those efforts to save taxpayers money will be affected by the union victory in Ohio that turns back a more far-reaching law in that state curbing collective bargaining.

Ohio voters Tuesday repealed a law signed by Republican Gov. John Kasich that would have banned public employee strikes, scrapped binding arbitration, and denied public workers the ability to negotiate pensions and health care benefits.

Christie, also a Republican, said he sees no "lessons to be learned" from Ohio.

"We did it in New Jersey the way we wanted to do it in New Jersey, and I think very effectively," he said.

A deal with Democratic leaders in the Legislature made the changes possible in New Jersey.

Christie campaigned last year for Kasich, but said he had never spoken to his Ohio counterpart about that state's controversial law and "I don't know that much about it."

But the governor said New Jersey lawmakers voted courageously in favor of taxpayers.

"So I think that's the lesson learned from New Jersey: Show some courage and do the right thing," he said.