Union questions welfare plan

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20101025/NEWS01/710259884/0#union-questions-welfare-plan

Published Monday October 25, 2010

By Martha Stoddard

LINCOLN — The main state employees union is questioning the legality of plans to turn over more child welfare responsibilities to private agencies.

An attorney for the Nebraska Association of Public Employees raised the issue in a letter mailed Friday to Kerry Winterer, CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The letter asked whether state officials have complied with a law requiring justification for replacing state employees with private contractors.

“Given the huge human costs of the ill-conceived proposed changes, it is imperative that all legal requirements be scrupulously followed,” the letter said.

HHS spokeswoman Kathie Osterman said officials had not seen the letter as of midday Monday.

Winterer announced plans Oct. 15 to eliminate state jobs and further privatize the child welfare system. The goal is to make the changes by Jan. 1 in the Omaha area and southeast Nebraska.

FULL story at link.