Workers Protest Labor Dept Outsourcing

A noontime rally TODAY will protest the outsourcing of hundreds of union jobs at the Department of Labor. "Secretary Chao and her political staff think the government will save money by contracting out jobs," says AFGE Local 12, which represents the DOL workers. "Local 12 says we will save more money if we get rid of the highly paid political appointees in the Department who are working hard to dismantle worker rights!" Although most of the DOL workers affected are African-American women over the age of forty, "all Federal workers are threatened with outsourcing on a daily basis," says Local 12 President Alex Bastani. "President Bush wants to dismantle Federal employee rights and he is just using the Department of Labor as an example." 2004 AFGE 12 rally against outsourcing, photo by Andy Richards