STOP OFF SHORING OF PUBLIC SECTOR WORK

WHEREAS, the federal government and state and local governments in the United States have been reducing the size of their workforce; and

WHEREAS, governmental entities often contract out services performed by civil service employees to private contractors using underpaid employees in developing nations around the globe.  These contract employees are providing services at a mere fraction of the salaries and benefits paid to American public employees and lack basic rights on the job; and

WHEREAS, this "off shoring" of government services performed by American civil servants has a detrimental impact on American public employees and the quality of government services; and

WHEREAS, our federal, state and local civil service laws and regulations require the hiring of public employees with demonstrated training, education and competence through rigorous testing and interview procedures; and

WHEREAS, the workers providing these contracted services in other countries often lack the protection of laws on human rights, safety and health, child labor, and the freedom to form and join unions; and

WHEREAS, the United States has lost 400,000 service sector jobs over the last three years and is expected to lose another 3.3 million white-collar jobs accounting for $136 billion in wages over the next 10 years if nothing is done to stop off shoring; and

WHEREAS, off shoring is a major threat to well-paid middle-class jobs and public employee jobs at every level of government, which are a necessary part of a healthy American economy:

RESOLVED, that the AFT encourage and assist its affiliates with their own legislative efforts, provide support for appropriate federal legislation, develop appropriate public relations efforts, activate member mobilization programs and communications efforts to educate decision makers and the public concerning the threat of off shoring to the American economy and to the quality of public services; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT act to prevent abuses associated with off shoring by promoting human rights legislation, promoting measures to prohibit child labor, promoting labor legislation that provides real freedom to form and join unions and work toward meaningful safety and health legislation to protect foreign employees at their workplaces.  Through these efforts the

AFT can act to stop contractors from undercutting the salaries and benefits paid to American public employees; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT and its affiliates continue our efforts to support and defend current government employees through the AFT Quality Services program in every constituency of the union to demonstrate the high quality of services that are provided to the public at all levels of government in the United States.