SUPPORT THE HEALTH CARE LAW IN SECTION 8014 OF THE DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL 

Dear Senator: 

The undersigned labor organizations strongly urge you to support retention of the health care provision in Section 8014(a)(3) of the Defense Appropriations Bill to ensure that privatization does not increase the number of working Americans who lack adequate health care benefits.   

This provision excludes the cost of health care from the cost comparison process of a privatization review when contractors contribute less towards their employees’ health care benefits than that which the Congress requires the Department of Defense to contribute for civilian employees.   

Section 8014(a)(3) was enacted into law through the FY05 defense appropriations bill and has already been included on a bipartisan basis in the FY06 House defense appropriations bill.   

The law

1.       doesn’t require contractors to provide health care benefits to their employees;

2.       doesn’t require contractors to improve whatever health care benefits they provide, let alone to the level provided for in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program;

3.       doesn’t prevent any contractors from bidding, regardless of what health care benefits, if any, they provide. 

Instead, the law

1.       reduces the number of uninsured and underinsured working Americans;

2.       ensures DoD doesn’t reward contractors for providing inadequate health care benefits—or even none at all;

3.       focuses privatization reviews on coming up with better ways of delivering services, as opposed to better ways of cutting health care benefits;

4.       provides DoD with sufficient flexibility for easy implementation; and

5.       treats all contractors the same, regardless of size.

Sincerely, 

American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
American Federation of Teachers
Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO
Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO
International Association of Machinists, AFL-CIO
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, AFL-CIO
National Association of Government Employees, AFL-CIO
National Federation of Federal Employees, AFL-CIO
National Treasury Employees Union
Professional Airways Systems Specialists, AFL-CIO
United Auto Workers, AFL-CIO
United Steel Workers