WHEREAS:

Public workers have delivered the majority of governmental services to the citizens of the United States and its various states, counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions with pride and efficiency since those services were established; and

WHEREAS:

Public workers who have achieved the right to jobs with justice through collective bargaining and those who do not yet have bargaining rights have witnessed erosion of those jobs through privatization; and

WHEREAS:

While privatization has been advertised as cost savings to the public, it has been used by some politicians to avoid facing up to the need for increased revenues, as a cover-up for managerial ineptitude, or to reward political supporters; and

WHEREAS:

Privatization often replaces jobs with fair wages and benefits with jobs of lower pay and diminished benefits without improvement in the quality of services; and

WHEREAS:

The lack of management competency results in poor work practices and processes that politicians want to replace with subcontractors; and

WHEREAS:

Privatization of public services has in the long run cost more, delivered less service, and lacked accountability; and

WHEREAS:

Politicians often campaign against government in order to get elected and proclaim privatization as an effective tool for better government; and

WHEREAS:

The image of public service is damaged by misinformation and lack of understanding of the complexities of government operation; and

WHEREAS:

Those elected officials and public sector managers who advocate contracting out ignore the desire and ability of public workers to reduce costs and improve services.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME continue to aggressively oppose contracting out by monitoring and guarding against contractors and by educating the membership, elected officials and the general public about the problems related to contracting out; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME make every effort to work in coalition with other concerned groups to oppose all efforts to contract out and to engage in organizing drives at non-union agencies; 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decision making skills, ideas, problem solving abilities and expertise of public workers and by eliminating costly and outdated management barriers to efficient and effective government; and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 continue to develop an aggressive communication strategy that underscores the value of public service and exposes the practices of private contractors; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME continue to oppose all policies that threaten the integrity of public employment and the provision of quality public services including privatization, contracting out, and the creation of alternative employment structures — such as temporary, part-time and volunteer workers not covered by collective bargaining agreements — which serve to erode appropriate wage and benefits standards.

SUBMITTED BY:

Ronald C. Alexander, President and Delegate
Kathleen Stewart, Secretary/Treasurer
OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11
Ohio