Privatization
– the silent killer of the state work force
By DEBORAH A. MILES
During the last decade, the fight against privatization and overuse of
consultants has remained one of PEF’s toughest battles. Members across the
state have alerted the union and taken brave steps to put the brakes on
privatization when it started to become a threat at their agencies.
PEF Vice President Pat Baker said she salutes all the members who
have gone
the extra mile to stop privatization.
“These individuals have made a difference to protect job security,” said
Baker, chair of the Employment Security Committee, which oversees the award.
“PEF has seen how the state operates and how privatization creeps in like a
silent killer of the state work force,” Baker said.
In past years, the award was given to Greg McBride for his mission to reduce
the number of outside contractors working at the state Office of General
Services. He was courageous in speaking out, not only at the
labor-management table, but also to the press.
“McBride made a conscious effort to address the problem, as OGS was a
targeted agency,” Baker said. “Contract employees were doing the same work,
using state equipment, and earning two to three times more money.”
The award also was given to a state Department of Correctional Services
vocational instructor, Bill Parolari, in 2003. He halted a situation that
has been plaguing the prison system for years – inmate labor. When it came
to his attention managers at Wyoming Correctional Facility were going to use
an inmate to do work that belonged to a position in the PS&T unit, he nipped
it in the bud. A PEF member was subsequently awarded the position.
In 2001, PEF Executive Board Member Dennis Beagle won the award. He became
aware of a bill introduced in the House of Representatives that would have
essentially eliminated the disabled veterans’ outreach program and the local
veterans’ employment representatives. Had it passed, it would have replaced
them with private employment initiatives financed by the federal government.
Beagle fought long and hard against this bill. He testified at hearings in
Washington, and the bill was eventually killed.
A major effort was launched by PEF members at the state Department of
Transportation (DOT) in 2003 to stop privatization. Members developed a DOT
report. It explained how excessive consultant costs were slowing down the
department’s ability to maintain and improve the highway/bridge
infrastructure and how reducing use of consultants could save taxpayers
millions of dollars.
Members at DOT launched a letter-writing campaign to legislators about the
savings. The Privatization Buster Award was accepted by Lou Ferrone Jr, PEF
labor-management chair at DOT.
Mary Lou Vasilev, co-chair of the Fight-Back Against Privatization Award
Committee, said these are just a few examples of how members can stop
privatization.
“It doesn’t matter if privatization is affecting one position or many,”
Vasilev said. “What is important is the effort to stop it.”
Baker said members should follow three steps when fighting contracting-out.
The first is to take immediate action, because the opposition has had time
to organize and strategize. The next step is to enlist help and the
endorsement of others. And finally, seek bi-partisan political support for
your position.
“The recipient of PEF’s Fight-Back Against Privatization Award receives one
of the highest honors in our union. We look forward to tipping our hats to
someone special in 2010,” Baker said. “Nominate someone today.”
