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Unions and engineers call for stronger Taxpayer Protection Act after UMass privatization; bill would bring engineering services into audit review
Summary
Public‑employee unions and state engineers urged the committee to strengthen the Taxpayer Protection Act with enforcement mechanisms after UMass privatized advancement positions in 2023; a separate bill would also add engineering and design services to the act’s review to curb outsourcing and save taxpayer dollars.
Union leaders and state engineers told the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight that the Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA) requires stronger enforcement and additional covered services to prevent illegal or wasteful privatization.
Jason Johnson, a UMass Amherst staff member and union steward, described the 2023 UMass privatization of advancement functions that state auditor determined later violated the TPA. "A year later, after thorough review, the state auditor's final determination issued on 05/31/2024 confirmed that UMass Amherst violated the provisions of the TPA," Johnson said, and he urged statutory enforcement remedies so affected workers and unions have legal recourse.
Multiple union witnesses described workplace disruption: jobs eliminated, some workers offered private‑sector contracts at higher pay, others displaced, and protracted legal and administrative fights. Witnesses asked the Legislature to add a clear enforcement mechanism to the TPA so agency violations carry consequences that deter future unlawful privatizations.
On a related but distinct track, representatives of MOSES (the organization representing state engineers and scientists) urged the committee to include engineering and design services under the TPA (Senate Bill 2168 in testimony). Joe Durant said Massachusetts spends more than $150 million a year on outsourced engineering and design work that, he argued, could be performed in‑house at lower cost and with better oversight. Durant showed examples where consultant work cost several times the price of in‑house inspections.
Speakers said including engineering and design services in the auditor's review would reduce waste and improve public safety and value for taxpayers. UMass and other public higher‑education witnesses emphasized the stress and long‑term consequences for affected employees, and academic leaders said the absence of enforcement undermines the statute's deterrent effect.
Ending: Witnesses requested two changes: (1) add enforcement mechanisms to the TPA so violations have legal remedies and (2) expand the TPA's coverage to include engineering and design services to reduce outsourcing costs. Committee members asked for follow‑up on specific examples and the legal mechanics of enforcement; no committee vote was recorded.
