WHEREAS:
America’s public safety employees, including employees in law enforcement, corrections, security at health care facilities and probation and parole, serve on the front lines to protect our communities; and

WHEREAS:
Public safety employees go to work every day and proudly accomplish some of the most dangerous and stressful jobs in the country; and

WHEREAS:
The safety and livelihood of public safety employees is under constant threat from federal, state and local budget cuts, anti-union politicians and an often hostile media; and

WHEREAS:
Increases in the crime rate, a lack of services for the mentally ill and sentencing policies enacted without the funds to pay for them, combined with these budget cuts, have led to severe staff shortages and extremely dangerous working conditions for public safety employees; and

WHEREAS:
For-profit corporations see a market in this mess and pitch privatization to public officials as a silver bullet that will decrease costs without compromising services or security; and

WHEREAS:
Time after time, these claims have been shown to be false. Public safety is an inherently governmental function that should not be auctioned off to the highest corporate bidder.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will initiate and promote a bold legislative agenda to ensure safe working conditions for America’s public safety employees, respect the work of public safety employees by securing their economic well-being and defeat corporate schemes to privatize the inherently governmental functions of public safety; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will work to pass specific legislation that accomplishes these principles, including the Public Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (S. 2123/H.R. 980); the Wayne “Cotton” Morgan Bulletproof Vest Act (S. 2511/H.R. 3711); the Private Prison Information Act (H.R. 1890); and the State and Local Law Enforcement Discipline, Accountability and Due Process Act (S. 449/H.R. 688/H.R. 3440); and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
AFSCME will launch an innovative campaign at the federal level and in the states to win solutions to the severe and dangerous staffing shortages in public prisons and jails.
 
 
SUBMITTED BY: Robert McLinn, President
Paulette Feld, Secretary and Delegate
AFSCME Council 24
Wisconsin