FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2002
March 28, 2002
Magda Lynn Seymour
Diane S. Witiak
(202) 639-6419
Diane S. Witiak
(202) 639-6419
DoD Security and Fire Fighting Capabilities Must Remain Federal Functions, AFGE Tells Lawmakers
(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—AFGE expressed its strong opposition to any attempts to weaken or eliminate safeguards against contracting out the important work performed by fire fighters and security guards at Department of Defense (DoD) installations in a recent letter to lawmakers.
"The rationale used by the Congress when it established this safeguard is still valid—to prevent DoD from being penny-wise and pound-foolish with the security of military personnel, civilian personnel, military hardware, and military installations," Bobby L. Harnage, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), states in the letter. "Security and fire fighting are inherently governmental functions and should be performed by federal employees."
The letter further points out that, "Considering that [DoD’s] record, it would be a dangerous folly indeed to allow DoD additional authority to contract out work performed by reliable and experienced federal employees, especially when it’s related to security."
The March 26, 2002, letter was sent to Rep. Joel Hefley, Chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness; Rep. Jerry Lewis, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense; Senator Daniel Akaka, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness; and Senator Daniel Inouye, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
For the complete text of Harnage's letter, please contact AFGE's Communications Department or visit AFGE's Web site—www.afge.org.
The American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, is the largest union for government employees, representing 600,000 federal workers in the United States and overseas, as well as employees of the District of Columbia. Visit AFGE's Web site to learn more about AFGE.
"The rationale used by the Congress when it established this safeguard is still valid—to prevent DoD from being penny-wise and pound-foolish with the security of military personnel, civilian personnel, military hardware, and military installations," Bobby L. Harnage, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), states in the letter. "Security and fire fighting are inherently governmental functions and should be performed by federal employees."
The letter further points out that, "Considering that [DoD’s] record, it would be a dangerous folly indeed to allow DoD additional authority to contract out work performed by reliable and experienced federal employees, especially when it’s related to security."
The March 26, 2002, letter was sent to Rep. Joel Hefley, Chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness; Rep. Jerry Lewis, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense; Senator Daniel Akaka, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness; and Senator Daniel Inouye, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
For the complete text of Harnage's letter, please contact AFGE's Communications Department or visit AFGE's Web site—www.afge.org.
The American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, is the largest union for government employees, representing 600,000 federal workers in the United States and overseas, as well as employees of the District of Columbia. Visit AFGE's Web site to learn more about AFGE.
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