Washington, D.C.

January brings a round of new state legislative sessions. Local governments; municipalities, school districts, and counties are also opening the New Year with a busy legislative schedule.

At the state level, virtually every state faces major budgetary shortfall and stress. The same fiscal downdraft has affected most municipalities, counties, and school districts also. Years of reckless tax cutting, out-of-control corporate giveaways, poor or unrealistic planning, and pursuit of various privatization and outsourcing boondoggles now combine with the deep recession to put state and local budgets in the worst shape in decades. Will lawmakers deal with the structural problems, or just use it as another opportunity to launch attacks on the public sector workforce?

All across the country the politicians are already on the attack, and as the New Year unfolds we should expect this assault to increase. All too many lawmakers find it easier to wage war against the public sector workforce than it is for them to come to grips with their mismanagement and failures. It’s time to do some homework – or add to what you may have already done – without any further delay. Defending your job as a public sector worker and defending the taxpayer from further abuse is no easy task. Keeping up with the facts and flow of information is step one.

If you are a UE member who works for a municipality, school district, community college, or county it is imperative that you continue to monitor your council or school board proceedings closely. The web site of your jurisdiction should contain information on the meeting schedules and legislative process. Attend the meetings in-person if possible. Take time to read the budget documents and statements provided. If they are not posted on the web page ask for them in writing. Be on the lookout for the hiring or retention of consultants or advisor firms, no matter how innocent they may sound. Do your homework on these companies, and be aware that most of these outfits are nothing more than privatization and outsourcing promotion vehicles. Corrupt or lazy politicians hire these companies in order to manufacture excuses to advocate privatization and outsourcing, no matter whether it saves money or not.

To keep tabs on the good, the bad, and the outright ugly of what your boss may be up to, visit the web pages of the National League of Cities [1] and the National School Boards Association [2] Some of the information will be helpful and positive, and some won’t be. Look for articles, fact sheets, and “white papers” promoting layoffs, outsourcing, and privatization, or setting the stage to do so. Pay special attention to the seminars and “educational” conferences advertised. Find out if any of your local politicians or management personnel have been sent on these expensive trips to suspicious events. Taxpayer monies should not be used to fly lawmakers or staff to glitzy resorts to study problems that we are well aware of. These bogus conferences and seminars are frequently just trade shows for consultants and privatizers, and they are a networking bonanza for bosses looking to move to new and more lucrative pastures elsewhere. Don’t forget to use the links to find your local version of these organizations for further research.

For UE members who work for states, a schedule of the state legislative sessions for 2010 may be found at the web page of the National Conference of State Legislatures [3] (NCSL.) There is a helpful listing of the statewide primary election [4] dates, since 2010 will feature statewide elections in most states on November 2nd. While at the NCSL site visit some of the articles and tables on the current fiscal and budgetary crisis, most of which is available to the public. See the article [5] on the U.S. House of Representatives “jobs bill” passed in mid-December, and its projected positive impact on the state and local situation should it pass the Senate in the coming Congressional session.

To find your own state legislature search using “State of ___________” as your query. And don’t forget to check the web page of your state governor. Most governors have a tremendous influence – for better or worse – on the legislative process. State web pages contain links to the separate governors web page. For a digest of news from all 50 states as well as other helpful information visit the Stateline [6] web page. The Stateline page contains links to information on stimulus funds for the states as well as final reports from the 2008 legislative sessions.

For a detailed resource of reports on how UE public sector members have fought back – and frequently won – in these tough times please review the UE News Update [7] archive
Get out your back issues of the UE News print edition as well. Each copy is full of articles reporting on the blow-by-blow battles of UE members as they win new contracts as well as defend themselves from management and politician attacks. The current UE News print edition – Winter 2009 – contains nine different articles reporting on the battles of UE public sector members at the local and state levels.

We are all aware that as this New Year opens there are many battles underway, and more on the horizon. Doing some homework – or expanding that homework – is a critical component of any plan to resist the attacks and defend our jobs, wages, benefits, and working conditions.