Outsourcing plan hits key milestone in Indiana
Source: KEN KUSMER, Associated Press (IN), March 18, 2007
The outsourcing of much of Indiana's welfare safety net reaches a key milestone Monday when more than 1,500 workers leave their state jobs to join a group of private vendors with a 10-year contract designed to streamline the way people receive benefits. Those former employees of the Family and Social Services Administration still will help people apply for and continue receiving food stamps, Medicaid and other aid, but not as state case workers. They'll now be employees of Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services Inc., a partner in the IBM Corp.-led group calling itself the Hoosier Coalition for Self Sufficiency.
…… Dave Warrick, executive director of Council 62 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, also said that many departing FSSA employees have little confidence that the new system will adequately take care of clients. "They don't see how the structure that they're creating is going to work," Warrick said. "There's a lot of worry."