Posted By: ccotsmire
How can any honest WV citizen vote for Uncle Joe Manchin, he is trying to outsource 589 state jobs at a increased cost of 50% to 75% of the current cost for the state paid employees. He is willing to risk your data privacy on him and Posted By: ccotsmire (2 hours ago)
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How can any honest WV citizen vote for Uncle Joe Manchin, he is trying to outsource 589 state jobs at a increased cost of 50% to 75% of the current cost for the state paid employees. He is willing to risk your data privacy on him and his appointees filling their pockets with cash from IBM.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
State technology employees protest outsourcing plans
July 14, 2010
By Phil Kabler, Staff writer
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- About 75 state Office of Technology employees rallied outside of their Capitol Complex offices Wednesday evening to protest state plans to outsource information technology operations.
The move could not only eliminate their jobs, but also could jeopardize the privacy of West Virginians' personal data, speakers warned.
"Do you want your tax data, your driver's license information, your health information being made available to people in other states, or possibly overseas?" asked Carolyn Saul, a systems programmer.
Speakers also noted that attempts in Texas, Virginia and Indiana to outsource state IT operations to private companies have been plagued with massive cost overruns and numerous operating errors, system outages, and glitches.
"Privatization has not been a panacea, but rather a way to plunder public wealth," said Pam Schwarz, president of West Virginia Public Workers Union UE Local 170, which organized the rally.
Last month, state Chief Technology Officer Kyle Schafer told legislators that discussions of outsourcing state data centers and other information technology operations is strictly in the preliminary stages.
He did confirm that IBM is reviewing all of the state's data centers and IT applications, but said the company volunteered to do so after the state opened discussions with the company about replacing the state's computer mainframe, which is an IBM product.
Participants in the rally were urged to join UE 170 officials on Tuesday to lobby legislators to oppose any efforts to outsource state IT operations.
Legislators will be at the Capitol Tuesday for regularly scheduled July legislative interim meetings, as well as for an expected special session dealing with public school reforms.
"I believe in the principle of, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it,'" Saul said. "IBM and the other outsourcing companies are in this business to make a profit, and they will either do it by having the work done cheaper offshore or by making the West Virginia taxpayers foot the bill."
By Phil Kabler, Staff writer
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- About 75 state Office of Technology employees rallied outside of their Capitol Complex offices Wednesday evening to protest state plans to outsource information technology operations.
The move could not only eliminate their jobs, but also could jeopardize the privacy of West Virginians' personal data, speakers warned.
"Do you want your tax data, your driver's license information, your health information being made available to people in other states, or possibly overseas?" asked Carolyn Saul, a systems programmer.
Speakers also noted that attempts in Texas, Virginia and Indiana to outsource state IT operations to private companies have been plagued with massive cost overruns and numerous operating errors, system outages, and glitches.
"Privatization has not been a panacea, but rather a way to plunder public wealth," said Pam Schwarz, president of West Virginia Public Workers Union UE Local 170, which organized the rally.
Last month, state Chief Technology Officer Kyle Schafer told legislators that discussions of outsourcing state data centers and other information technology operations is strictly in the preliminary stages.
He did confirm that IBM is reviewing all of the state's data centers and IT applications, but said the company volunteered to do so after the state opened discussions with the company about replacing the state's computer mainframe, which is an IBM product.
Participants in the rally were urged to join UE 170 officials on Tuesday to lobby legislators to oppose any efforts to outsource state IT operations.
Legislators will be at the Capitol Tuesday for regularly scheduled July legislative interim meetings, as well as for an expected special session dealing with public school reforms.
"I believe in the principle of, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it,'" Saul said. "IBM and the other outsourcing companies are in this business to make a profit, and they will either do it by having the work done cheaper offshore or by making the West Virginia taxpayers foot the bill."
Monday, May 10, 2010
May 5, 2010
DHHR violated free speech rights, organizers say
By Alison Knezevich
Staff writer
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Leaders of a public workers union say the state Department of Health
and Human Resources violated their First Amendment rights by trying to prevent organizing on
state hospitals' property.
The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) and the West Virginia Public
Workers Union UE Local 170 have asked the ACLU of West Virginia for help.
On multiple occasions since December, administrators at state hospitals have told security
personnel to call police to ask union members -- who were passing out leaflets near employee
entrances -- to leave, UE field organizer John Thompson said.
The union, which represents workers in other state agencies, started organizing state-hospital
employees in summer 2008.
It now represents about 300 employees at six state hospitals, including nurses and maintenance
workers, Thompson said.
"When we first started, they would not allow us on the state hospital grounds to leaflet,"
Thompson said. "But they did allow meeting space [inside the hospitals] ... Because we had that
limited access, we didn't challenge that ban."
But in November, DHHR officials decided the unions couldn't hold meetings inside hospital
facilities, citing a pending grievance case involving union meetings.
So union members have been distributing leaflets near employee entrances "in defiance of the
ban," Thompson said, at facilities including William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital, Mildred Mitchell-
Bateman Hospital, and Lakin Hospital.
In a letter to state Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities Commissioner Vickie Jones,
ACLU of West Virginia attorney Sarah Brown wrote last week that "as public institutions, the state
hospitals of West Virginia are subject to the requirements of the First Amendment of the United
States."
"In the absence of a significant public interest requiring narrowly tailored limits on the time, place,
and manner of the Union's speech, DHHR may not place a complete ban on leafleting and other
forms of solicitation on public ground outside of the state hospitals," Brown wrote. "If DHHR has
imposed such a ban, it is in violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution."
The letter asks state officials to explain by May 14 "how [they] intend to address violations of the
First Amendment in West Virginia state hospitals."
DHHR spokesman John Law said Wednesday the agency would comply with all state and federal
laws when dealing with any organization seeking contact with employees.
After the ACLU sent the letter, management did not ask union members at Bateman to leave while
leafleting last week, Thompson said.
Issues at the hospitals include understaffing, low pay and mandatory overtime on short notice,
said UE Local 170 organizer Gordon Simmons.
Simmons said the union hasn't had the same access problems at other state agencies.
"This sort of restriction to access to this degree is pretty unusual," he said. "Apparently DHHR,
particularly at the state hospitals, is just feeling the heat in some way."
Union members are also collecting signatures for a petition calling on Health and Human
Resources Secretary Patsy Hardy "to respect their First Amendment rights," Simmons said.
DHHR violated free speech rights, organizers say
By Alison Knezevich
Staff writer
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Leaders of a public workers union say the state Department of Health
and Human Resources violated their First Amendment rights by trying to prevent organizing on
state hospitals' property.
The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) and the West Virginia Public
Workers Union UE Local 170 have asked the ACLU of West Virginia for help.
On multiple occasions since December, administrators at state hospitals have told security
personnel to call police to ask union members -- who were passing out leaflets near employee
entrances -- to leave, UE field organizer John Thompson said.
The union, which represents workers in other state agencies, started organizing state-hospital
employees in summer 2008.
It now represents about 300 employees at six state hospitals, including nurses and maintenance
workers, Thompson said.
"When we first started, they would not allow us on the state hospital grounds to leaflet,"
Thompson said. "But they did allow meeting space [inside the hospitals] ... Because we had that
limited access, we didn't challenge that ban."
But in November, DHHR officials decided the unions couldn't hold meetings inside hospital
facilities, citing a pending grievance case involving union meetings.
So union members have been distributing leaflets near employee entrances "in defiance of the
ban," Thompson said, at facilities including William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital, Mildred Mitchell-
Bateman Hospital, and Lakin Hospital.
In a letter to state Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities Commissioner Vickie Jones,
ACLU of West Virginia attorney Sarah Brown wrote last week that "as public institutions, the state
hospitals of West Virginia are subject to the requirements of the First Amendment of the United
States."
"In the absence of a significant public interest requiring narrowly tailored limits on the time, place,
and manner of the Union's speech, DHHR may not place a complete ban on leafleting and other
forms of solicitation on public ground outside of the state hospitals," Brown wrote. "If DHHR has
imposed such a ban, it is in violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution."
The letter asks state officials to explain by May 14 "how [they] intend to address violations of the
First Amendment in West Virginia state hospitals."
DHHR spokesman John Law said Wednesday the agency would comply with all state and federal
laws when dealing with any organization seeking contact with employees.
After the ACLU sent the letter, management did not ask union members at Bateman to leave while
leafleting last week, Thompson said.
Issues at the hospitals include understaffing, low pay and mandatory overtime on short notice,
said UE Local 170 organizer Gordon Simmons.
Simmons said the union hasn't had the same access problems at other state agencies.
"This sort of restriction to access to this degree is pretty unusual," he said. "Apparently DHHR,
particularly at the state hospitals, is just feeling the heat in some way."
Union members are also collecting signatures for a petition calling on Health and Human
Resources Secretary Patsy Hardy "to respect their First Amendment rights," Simmons said.
Friday, May 7, 2010
What are they hiding?
Thursday May 6, 2010
Union says W.Va. agency violated free speech
by The Associated Press
A public workers union is accusing the state Department of Health and Human Resources of violating the First Amendment by banning leafleting on state hospitals' property.
Field organizer John Thompson with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America says the DHHR has told union members passing out leaflets at employee entrances to leave.
Last week, the ACLU of West Virginia sent a letter on behalf of the union to Behavioral Health and Health Facilities Commissioner Vickie Jones. The letter seeks an explanation by May 14 of how the alleged violations will be addressed.DHHR spokesman John Law said Wednesday the agency would comply with all state and federal laws when dealing with organizations seeking contact with employees.
Union says W.Va. agency violated free speech
by The Associated Press
A public workers union is accusing the state Department of Health and Human Resources of violating the First Amendment by banning leafleting on state hospitals' property.
Field organizer John Thompson with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America says the DHHR has told union members passing out leaflets at employee entrances to leave.
Last week, the ACLU of West Virginia sent a letter on behalf of the union to Behavioral Health and Health Facilities Commissioner Vickie Jones. The letter seeks an explanation by May 14 of how the alleged violations will be addressed.DHHR spokesman John Law said Wednesday the agency would comply with all state and federal laws when dealing with organizations seeking contact with employees.
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