Gov. Christie Calls Union Leaders 'Political Thugs'

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie continued his tough talk, apologizing to no one for some for some of the bruised feelings of government employees, including teachers, ABC News reported.

In an interview with Diane Sawyer he called the leaders of the teachers’ union “political thugs.” He told Sawyer that it’s essential for New Jersey’s education system to change, and the teachers’ union has often gotten in the way of that. The unions are the ones responsible for the layoffs and larger classrooms sizes the Garden State faces, he said.

"I believe the teachers in New Jersey in the main are wonderful public servants that care deeply,” Christie said. “But their union, their union are a group of political thugs."

He said the New Jersey Education Association refused to negotiate on a salary freeze last year. "They should have taken the salary freeze. They didn't and now, you know, we had to lay teachers off.

"They chose to continue to get their salary increases rather than be part of the shared sacrifice,"