Hospital contract draws union suit / Group seeks to block privatization of Fort Wayne site.
Source: MARTIN DeAGOSTINO, South BendTribune (IN), December 13. 2005 6:59AM
A government-employees union has asked a judge to block the state from turning over management and operations of a troubled Fort Wayne health care facility to private operators. The lawsuit, filed in Allen Superior Court, says the state failed to solicit proposals before signing the contract with Liberty of Indiana Corp., a division of Pennsylvania-based Liberty Healthcare Corp. "The law is clear," said David Warrick, executive director of Council 62 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "The state has to bid this work before it can award millions of taxpayer dollars to a private company. The reason for this law is to ensure that the state is promoting competition and working to get the best deal it can for taxpayers."