To: Sen. Gregg, Rep. Wolf, Sen. Hollings, and Rep. Serrano

Fax no: (202) 224-4952, (202)225-0437, (202) 224-4293, (202) 225-6001

From: __________________________________

________________________________________

Re: Restrict the EEOC from using funds to contract with Pearson Government Solutions

(Commerce, Justice State Appropriations- House Bill: H.R. 4754, Senate Bill: S. 2809)

Dear Chairmen Gregg and Wolf and Ranking Members Hollings and Serrano:

I am writing to you as a member of EEOC’s employee union, the National Council of EEOC Locals, No. 216. I am very concerned about the September 17, 2004 EEOC Commissioner’s 3 to 1 vote to contract with Pearson Government Solutions to create a privatized call center.

Not only are EEOC’s employees the best first point of contact for the public, we are the least expensive. When EEOC employees answer the phones as part of our jobs, as we have for forty years, there is no additional expense added to the agency’s budget. According to the EEOC, the contract with Pearson will cost “about 4.9 million.” This is of course the best case scenario. The Pearson contract to recruit TSA airport screeners ballooned to seven times the original estimate. The Pearson contract was audited for waste and abuse, subjected to Congressional oversight hearings, and later rebid to another contractor.

The Union is concerned the EEOC will have no choice but to close offices and terminate employees in order to pay for its call center contract with Pearson. For FY ‘05 the EEOC can only expect an inflationary budget increase at best: the House bill recommends $15.8 million below the agency’s request and the Senate bill is $23 million less. EEOC cannot afford to start a nationwide “pilot” at this time. EEOC should study less costly “workforce repositioning” plans.

We are also worried that quality of service to the public will suffer dramatically with Pearson and a call center. EEOC’s solicitation only provides for 7 days substantive training for call center operators. Pearson’s operators will rush through scripts to try to answer complex questions in under a minute, because profits are based on the amount of calls serviced. Pearson’s contract call center for the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services is a failure, criticized by its users as providing misinformation or no information. The public deserves better from the EEOC!

Our members request restrictive language that prevents valued dollars from going to “Workforce Repositioning,” in the form of a privatized national contact center or a reduction of field offices.

Sincerely,