Making Democracy Work: Real Solutions for Recruiting and Retaining Public Employees

Following over a year of research, discussion and exploration into the crisis of an understaffed public sector, the AFT Public Employees Short Staffing Task Force is proud to release their recommendations in a new report titled Making Democracy Work: Real Solutions for Recruiting and Retaining Public Employees. These recommendations focus on practical solutions to attract and retain quality public sector employees, with a focus on democracy’s reliance on a well-staffed public infrastructure. Without public healthcare workers, safety officers, civil engineers, public defenders, sanitation, or transportation workers, how would our cities and our states function? From lifeguards to state chemists, AFT members weighed in on the working conditions they envisioned for public workers: a fully-staffed, safe, equitable and fair workplace, open to talented members who reflect our diverse communities.