WHEREAS:

Pressured to provide better services with less funding and fewer employees, many public officials are being enticed by the claims of profit-seeking companies and anti-government advocates that contracting out will solve their problems; and

WHEREAS:

Instead of solutions, contracting out offers higher costs, poorer quality services, corruption, and a loss of flexibility and accountability; and

WHEREAS:

Contracting out is a risky business that hurts local communities by replacing relatively good public sector jobs with low wage, no benefit jobs; and

WHEREAS:

Women and minorities are particularly vulnerable to this displacement of good jobs as public employment has been an important vehicle for their economic and social advancement; and

WHEREAS:

Public employees increasingly are being required to engage in competitive bidding against private companies to keep their jobs; and

WHEREAS:

Bolstered by Presidential Executive Order 12803, which encourages the privatization of America's federally-financed state and local government infrastructure, private companies are seeking to purchase or gain long-term leases on these assets; and

WHEREAS:

Most contracting out and privatization is undertaken without any serious consideration being given to in-house alternatives.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME continue to lead the fight against contracting out and privatization through education of the membership, elected officials, the media, and the general public; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME develop coalitions with other organizations concerned about contracting out and privatization; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME urge councils and locals to seek procurement policies and contract language that will stop or restrict contracting out and privatization and give public employees a level playing field from which to compete with contracting out and privatization initiatives when job loss is otherwise inevitable; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME councils and locals be urged to support the adoption of "bad boy" laws to prevent corporate criminals from bidding on public contracts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME urge the President to rescind Executive Order 12803 and oppose all efforts to codify its provisions and intent into federal or state legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That, where appropriate, AFSCME participate in joint labor-management quality initiatives or other similar partnership efforts to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of public services by developing and utilizing the decision-making skills, ideas, problem-solving abilities and expertise of public workers and by eliminating costly and outdated management barriers to efficient and effective government; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME councils and locals use such strategies as cost comparisons and feasibility analyses, publicity campaigns, lobbying, and the passage of legislation restricting contracting out, in order to stop the contracting out of the delivery of public services, and maintaining legislation that has been passed prohibiting contracting out; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME councils and locals be urged to negotiate successorship clauses which would require new employers to assume the terms of a collective bargaining agreement currently in effect, including voluntary recognition of the union and the obligation to enter into negotiations for a successor agreement upon expiration of the current agreement.

SUBMITTED BY:

Steve Fantauzzo, Delegate
AFSCME Local 615, Council 62
Indiana

Steve Quick, President and Delegate
AFSCME Local 725, Council 62
Indiana

Charles Hicks, President and Delegate
AFSCME Local 1808, Council 20
Washington, D.C.