Amendment makes privatization an unlikely prospect

PROVIDENCE – An amendment to the fiscal 2008 state budget approved by the General Assembly – but vetoed by Gov. Donald L. Carcieri – is likely to avert privatization of services at the Eleanor Slater Hospital and the Veterans’ Home.
The amendment, introduced by Rep. Charlene M. Lima, D-Cranston, requires the state to show there would be savings under privatization and that current state employees are not able to perform the job as efficiently. It also sets up an appeals process for employees whose jobs would be privatized.
In his budget proposal, Gov. Donald L. Carcieri proposed privatizing both the food service and housekeeping operations at Eleanor Slater, which has a campus at the John O. Pastore Center in Cranston as well as the Zambarano Unit in Burrillville, and food service operations at the Veterans’ Home in Bristol. (Housekeeping is already performed privately there.)
The privatization would have resulted in 183 job cuts (98 in food services and 85 in housekeeping) at Eleanor Slater, for savings Carcieri estimated at $5.4 million.