093_HR0352

 
                                     LRB093 11917 HSS 16590 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS,  There  are  approximately  18,000   individuals
 3    employed by public school districts across Illinois as school
 4    support staff who provide quality services such as custodial,
 5    food services, and transportation; and

 6        WHEREAS,  These non-privatized jobs pay fair salaries and
 7    benefits which prevent high  turnover  of  staff  and  create
 8    continuity of service, safety and care for our children; and

 9        WHEREAS,   These   non-privatized  jobs  currently  allow
10    employees to  earn  a  living  wage,  health  insurance,  and
11    pension benefits for themselves and their families; and

12        WHEREAS,  Many school districts are currently considering
13    privatization of school support staff as a way to solve their
14    budget problems; and

15        WHEREAS, Privatization of these services and jobs  causes
16    severe  hardship  to  the workers and their families who lose
17    good jobs that pay a decent salary  and  health  and  pension
18    benefits; and

19        WHEREAS,  The  newly  privatized  jobs most often pay low
20    wages with few, if any, benefits; and

21        WHEREAS, Those who argue that  contracting  out  is  less
22    expensive  than  in-house  service  delivery often ignore the
23    hidden costs  of  privatization,  such  as  expenditures  for
24    contract  monitoring  and  administration,  conversion costs,
25    charges for "extra" work, and the contractor's use of  public
26    equipment and facilities; and

27        WHEREAS,  Advocates  of  privatization  argue  the profit
28    motive provides an incentive  for  efficiency,  but  all  too
29    often  it  is  actually  an  incentive  to  "cut  corners" by
30    skimping on the quality of the work performed; and
 
                            -2-      LRB093 11917 HSS 16590 r
 1        WHEREAS,   Privatization   creates   opportunities    for
 2    corruption,  such  as bid rigging, bribery and kickbacks, are
 3    created; and

 4        WHEREAS,  The  great  majority  of  educational   support
 5    workers  live in the school district where they are employed,
 6    and they feel responsible to their neighbors for the  quality
 7    of their work; therefore, be it

 8        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
 9    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
10    we   believe  that  non-privatized  school  support  services
11    deliver better and safer services than  privatized  services,
12    create  more stability and continuity for students and create
13    better jobs for  employees  than  privatized  school  support
14    services; and be it further

15        RESOLVED,  That  privatization  of  school  support staff
16    positions  in  any  and  all  Illinois  School  Districts  is
17    strongly   discouraged   by    the    Illinois    House    of
18    Representatives.