Public Services Resources

This AFT report is the result of a yearlong study of the crisis of staff shortages within the local, state and federal government workforces. Our 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, or sanitation and transportation workers, how would our cities and 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.