programs Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Loop: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk One of the world's largest defence armaments manufacturers - Lockheed Martin - is now winning competitive tender contracts to provide welfare work in the USA. It is part of a major trend for the private sector to move into welfare services work traditionally done either by Government welfare agencies or not-for-profit community, church or charity agencies. Just months after President Clinton introduced his controversial 1996 welfare reforms the New York Times ran a Page One article stating that a Lockheed Martin subsidiary had put in a $563 million tender to bid for the management of Welfare-to-Work operations in Texas. Lockheed, a defence armaments corporation, sent shock waves through the not-for-profit community, who accused the US giant of 'poverty profiteering'. Lockheed failed in its Texas tender, but it is now one of the biggest providers of Welfare-to-Work services in Florida, and has more than 20 contracts in four US states. American unions have expressed concern about this trend. Australian unions also need to study the trend as already some multinational profit-takers have tendered successfully for the Job Network - and they may soon start tendering for other Australian welfare work contracted out by the Government sector. US Harvard academic William Ryan will be in Australia in November to discuss this trend at forums in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, sponsored by JOB futures the largest not-for-profit employment agency in the Federal Government's Job Network. One Australian union is sending out leaflets about William Ryan to their activists, so that they can register for these JOB futures forums. http://www.jobfutures.org.au/events/ or call and ask for Maureen Beckett at JOBfutures 02/9281 6822. Activists can register on line to attend either the Sydney forum on the afternoon of Thursday November 4 or the Melbourne forum on the afternoon of Monday November 8. The Canberra forum arrangements are yet to be completed. In his presentation William Ryan outlines the trends currently affecting the funding and delivery of US welfare services. He will discuss how not-for-profits can adapt to the competitive tendering environment and will identify the risks of adapting. His presentation will be followed by a panel, comprised of prominent local advocates for community organisations, who will provide a local perspective on the issue and respond to Ryan's presentation. Questions from the floor will be welcome as a conclusion to the forum. LL.NK LL.VK -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
