In an attempt to stop privatization-in-place at Kelly and McClellan Air Forces Bases, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has asked a judge for a temporary restraining order preventing the Air Force Materiel Command from going forward with privatization.
The motion, filed last Friday, seeks to prohibit the Air Force from considering or selecting any private contractor for the performance of all or part of the workloads at the bases. A ruling on the motion is expected this week.
"Our union will not stand idly by while critical defense measures are ignored," AFGE President John Sturdivant said. "AFGE defense workers know how to keep this nation ready for any military emergency. Our national security should not be for sale to the lowest bidder."
AFGE said the motion was filed to ensure that critical national defense functions remain in "experienced and reliable hands" while guaranteeing cost effectiveness for taxpayers.
The Air Force Materiel Command, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, released the following statement on the matter: "The government has opposed AFGE's request for a temporary restraining order. There are no emergency circumstances that would warrant such an order . . . We anticipate that the court will continue to deal with this case in an orderly fashion."
During the last election cycle, President Clinton, in an effort to avoid the loss of jobs at Kelly and McClellan Air Force bases, directed that private firms be allowed to assume work at the bases, a process known as privatization-in-place. AFGE has long fought this move.
AFGE is still awaiting a decision from a Columbus, Ohio, federal court in response to its earlier motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent the privatization in place.
The 1998 Defense Authorization Bill, passed by the House in June, includes a provision requiring that the two bases be shut down and not simply turned over to private control. The work from the bases would be transferred to existing DoD maintenance centers in Utah, Oklahmoma and Georgia. The bill is currently under consideration in the Senate.
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