[Livingwage] Fwd: Unions vow to fight outsourcing bill

[Belden Fields]

>X-eGroups-Return: 
>sentto-1497214-3342-1037589992-a-fields=uiuc.edu at returns.groups.yahoo.com
>X-eGroups-Return: portsideMod at netscape.net
>X-Sender: portsideMod at netscape.net
>X-Apparently-To: portside at yahoogroups.com
>To: portside at yahoogroups.com
>X-Mailer: Atlas Mailer 2.0
>From: portsideMod at netscape.net
>X-eGroups-Approved-By: yablonko13 <calico4 at msn.com> via web; 18 Nov 2002 
>03:26:24 -0000
>Mailing-List: list portside at yahoogroups.com; contact 
>portside-owner at yahoogroups.com
>Delivered-To: mailing list portside at yahoogroups.com
>List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:portside-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com>
>Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 22:16:44 -0500
>Subject: Unions vow to fight outsourcing bill
>Reply-To: portside at yahoogroups.com
>
>http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1035873342167&p=1012571727162
>
>Unions vow to fight outsourcing bill
>
>By Sarah Laitner in Washington
>
>November 15, 2002; Financial Times
>
>Federal employee trade unions vowed on Friday to keep fighting
>plans by the US administration to open nearly half of government
>jobs to competition from the private sector.
>
>The administration on Thursday outlined details of its plans,
>including speeding the way federal agencies decide whether to
>outsource work to the private sector.
>
>"The Bush administration is clearly at war with its own workforce .
>. . we will organise and mobilise our members to oppose this," said
>Jacqueline Simon, public policy director of the American Federation
>of Government Employees, which represents 600,000 federal workers.
>
>The plans could affect about 850,000 jobs in "commercial
>activities" ranging from managing national parks to administrative
>and secretarial jobs.
>
>The administration sees speeding up outsourcing as a way to make
>savings and improve efficiency. Its plans can be implemented
>without congressional approval.
>
>Trade unions and the administration are already at odds over a new
>homeland security bill that will waive normal federal union
>employment protection for the 170,000 employees of the new
>department. The debate has underscored deep ideological differences
>between the White House and congressional Democrats, who are
>traditional allies of labour unions.
>
>On Friday, Senate Democrats continued to voice strong opposition to
>several elements of the homeland security legislation that they
>said were unnecessary special-interest add-ons made at the last
>minute by House Republicans.
>
>Among the most contentious items was a provision that limits the
>liability of pharmaceutical companies that produce vaccine
>additives.
>
>Another was a measure that permits US companies that move offshore
>to secure government contracts from the new department.
>
>"How serious are [Republicans] about coming up with a good bill if
>they're going to protect companies who declare that they don't want
>to do business in the United States of America, to avoid paying
>taxes?" asked Tom Daschle, the Democratic Senate leader.
>
>Most senators, however, said that while they opposed the extra
>provisions they were still likely to vote in favour of the overall
>legislation. President George W. Bush has made the new department a
>top priority. A final Senate vote is expected next week.
>
>
>
>__________________________________________________________________
>The NEW Netscape 7.0 browser is now available. Upgrade now! 
>http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp
>
>Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account today at 
>http://webmail.netscape.com/
>
>
>portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is a
>news, discussion and debate service of the Committees
>of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It
>aims to provide varied material of interest to people
>on the left.
>
>Post            : mail to 'portside at yahoogroups.com'
>Subscribe       : mail to 'portside-subscribe at yahoogroups.com'
>Unsubscribe     : mail to 'portside-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com'
>List owner      : portside-owner at yahoogroups.com
>Web address     : <http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/portside>
>Digest mode     : visit Web site
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/