OUTSOURCING DESIGN WORK ON TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THREATENS PUBLIC SAFETY

WHEREAS, outsourcing of design, inspection and construction management by departments of transportation—usually through no-bid contracts—is significantly more expensive than doing the work in-house; and

WHEREAS, outsourcing inspection and oversight has led to dangerous construction defects, project delays and overcharges; and

WHEREAS, outsourcing in many states has become part of a budgetary shell game in which public engineers are cut and replaced by consultants at higher costs; and

WHEREAS, as a result of cutting public engineers, states lose experienced staff, fail to recruit and retain new engineering and technical employees, and lose the ability to appropriately design, inspect and oversee transportation projects:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers call on Congress to enact "accountability in contracting" provisions requiring state transportation departments to perform cost-benefit studies before outsourcing engineering work on federally funded projects; and

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers assist states in crafting legislation that would hold private contractors accountable for the cost and quality of their work.