Attacks on AFSCME Members' Access to Work

Each year, we fight to protect our members’ work. Current contracting practices often hand over vital work performed by our members to for-profit businesses. Unfortunately, many of the transparency and accountability standards that apply when public workers deliver services do not apply to private companies. While government is ultimately responsible for delivering public services, private contractors are accountable to their shareholders and are not required to disclose important decision making processes to the public. While not all for-profit companies providing public services are bad actors, under the false pretense of maximizing efficiency, some often undercut industry pay standards and deliver substandard services at a higher cost to taxpayers without performing better work. This year, AFSCME fought against legislation that would have outsourced the vital work our members perform to upkeep our state’s infrastructure. 

SB 768, introduced by Senators Ben Allen and Scott Weiner, and AB 1454, introduced by Assembly Members Richard Bloom, Bill Quirk and Susan Eggman, would have deleted the prohibition on public-private partnerships beyond January 1, 2017 for state transportation projects. Public-private partnerships have the potential to “outsource” servicing, operations and maintenance work that is traditionally performed by public employees. The California Legislature recently passed a landmark $52 billion transportation infrastructure investment program, the largest in the state’s history. Now, more than ever, is not the right time to encourage the privatization of valuable public assets – guaranteeing long term returns to private for-profit companies at the expense of taxpayers. Both bills are currently held in their respective Appropriations Committees and may be considered in January 2018. AFSCME will continue to monitor these bills in case they are brought up again in the future.