WHEREAS:
Faced with pressures such as welfare reform, prison overcrowding, technological change, tax cuts, and government-bashing, public officials are pursuing sweeping reforms; and
WHEREAS:
Advocates of "reinventing government" continue to argue in favor of "managed competition," whereby public agencies and private companies compete to determine who delivers public services, a practice that is spreading; and
WHEREAS:
Private companies that deliver services traditionally performed by public employees continue to aggressively market themselves, promising governments that they can deliver higher quality services at less cost; and
WHEREAS:
Experience has shown that contracting out public services is extremely risky in that the promised cost savings often fail to materialize, the quality of services can deteriorate, public accountability is compromised, the likelihood of corruption increases, and the government’s flexibility to respond quickly to changing needs is reduced when services are switched from a public to private employer; and
WHEREAS:
Employment in the non-educational public sector is forecasted to grow at a much slower rate than the economy as a whole in upcoming years, in part due to outsourcing; and
WHEREAS:
These trends indicate that AFSCME’s traditional jurisdiction, the government sector, will continue to become leaner with public employees increasingly threatened with displacement from contracting out and managed competition.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME redouble its efforts to fight contracting out on all fronts, through education of the membership, citizens, the media, and public officials; through political and legislative action; and through advocacy and negotiation at the bargaining table and other available forums; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME continue to seek contract language and procurement policies that prohibit or restrict the ability of public employers to pursue contracting out; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME provide assistance to those members who are attempting to keep public work in-house or win back work from the private sector through participation in developing competitive bids; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That, where appropriate, AFSCME affiliates take part in labor-management initiatives which utilize the expertise, ideas, and problem-solving abilities of front-line workers in re-engineering work processes for higher quality and more cost-efficient services; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That, to reduce the incentive to contract out, AFSCME will explore opportunities to represent workers employed by private companies and not-for-profit agencies that provide public services either through successorship, voluntary recognition, or representation elections.
SUBMITTED BY:
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
Ronald C. Alexander, President and Delegate
Vanessa Tolliver, Secretary-Treasurer and Delegate
OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11
Ohio