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Union ad campaign blasts city's use of contractors

By JASON FINK

May 19, 2009

The city's largest municipal workers union launched an ad campaign Monday slamming the city over its use of outside contractors.

The subway ads, paid for by District Council 37, show a variety of city workers and text saying they save taxpayers' money. Other ads feature the slogan "Cut private contractors not public service."

The ads appear on 570 cars and will be up for a month.

DC37, which represents 125,000 of the city's 300,000 workers, also published a highly critical report in February about the use of private contract employees, who work across a wide range of departments.

The report said the city spent $9 billion this year on contractors - up from $6.7 billion in 2005.

"This is a misuse of taxpayers' dollars and it's just the tip of the iceberg," said Lillian Roberts, head of DC 37.

The city disputes the union's numbers.

"This report overestimates savings and underestimates cost, and doesn't account for burdensome pension obligations," said the spokesman, Jason Post. "We encourage DC 37 to come to the table with ideas on pension and health care savings."

A union spokeswoman declined to reveal how much the ad campaign costs.