Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a guest column published in Newsweek. To access the entire column, go here.
When Casey Gotcher of Austin, Texas, went into cardiac arrest, his wife Tonya dialed 911 and was left on hold for 15 minutes. Casey did not survive his heart attack—in part because the city didn't have enough dispatchers to ensure that all emergencies receive a timely response.
Nikita Chase, a single mother from rural Alaska, waited hours to speak with a representative at the state Division of Public Assistance to resolve a delay in the nutrition benefits she needs to put food on the table for her children. Eventually, she was told there was a backlog of more than 18,000 cases.
These aren't isolated anecdotes. We see similar stories playing out across the country. State and local governments don't have enough workers to keep up with demand for services. …
AFSCME is working to address the staffing crisis head on with a new initiative called Staff the Front Lines, designed to recruit and retain qualified people to public service. And we are launching a nationwide summer bus tour beginning today.