Council 62 Wins $100,000 Award for Anti-Privatization Program

Washington, D.C.

A landmark employee empowerment program developed by Council 62 and the City of Indianapolis has been named a winner of a 1995 Innovations in American Government Award by the Ford Foundation and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

The “Competition and Costing” program for delivering public services in Indianapolis puts city operations up for bid to public agencies and private vendors. While AFSCME does not endorse competitive bidding, the Indianapolis model has allowed the union a sweeping role and voice in redesigning municipal services.

The award includes a $100,000 grant that will be used jointly by the council and the city to train employees for participation in competitive bidding, to develop a video and other informational materials, and to host delegations from other localities to replicate the Indianapolis model.

Accepting the award on behalf of Council 62 at the U.S. State Department ceremonies in the nation’s capital recently was Council 62 Staff Rep. Oliver Webb and Local 725 Pres. Steven Quick, who stated, “Indianapolis has empowered its AFSCME members as partners in the process of redesigning government.”

Council 62 Locals 725, 3131, and 3766 have won 80 percent of all bids, ranging from sanitation to street and housing repair, and vehicle maintenance. The union has been able to win back to the public sector a number of operations that had long ago been privatized, sometimes without having to go through the bid process. No bargaining unit member has lost work, and in fact, membership is up.