Washington Post : Faced With Fine, WGL Hands Over Copy of Contract

[Omaha Steve]

By Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 3, 2007; Page D04

Faced with a fine growing at a rate of $5,000 a day, Washington Gas Light's parent company has turned over a copy of a controversial outsourcing contract to the District's Public Service Commission.

The commission imposed the fine Friday -- starting at $350,000 -- after WGL Holdings refused to supply it with a copy of a $350 million agreement the company had made with Accenture that would mean laying off about 300 people in the Washington area. The commission ordered the company to produce the agreement July 20, and Friday it criticized WGL's "egregious violation" of local legal codes and "willful and knowing violation" of commission orders.

Eric Grant, a spokesman for WGL, would not answer any questions yesterday. He issued a brief written statement saying that Washington Gas had asked the commission to rescind its fine. "We respect fully the authority of the commission," the statement said. "Washington Gas has acted in good faith throughout the proceedings . . ."

Earlier, WGL had asked for some of the costs in the Accenture contract to be considered in its pending application for a $20.5 million rate increase. That opened the door for the Office and Professional Employees International Union, which represents 160 of the workers who are being laid off, to ask the commission to demand a look at the contract. The commission agreed.

FULL story at link.