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LANSING—The Court of Appeals ruled in early June that the state government cannot hire private contractors to perform services without approval from the Civil Service Commission. An attorney for the 40,000 state workers represented by the Michigan Coalition of State Employee Unions immediately declared the ruling a "victory" for unionized state employees.
The Lansing State Journal editorialized that the ruling is likely to bring increased scrutiny of state-level privatization proposals, but will not stop the state from hiring private contractors. The Civil Service Commission consists of four members appointed by the Governor to eight-year terms. One of the commissioners is Robert Hunter, director of labor policy for the Midland-based Mackinac Center for Public Policy. In response to the ruling, Hunter said, "While the court decision was a blow to the financial interests of Michigan citizens, the case is far from over. I am convinced that the Civil Service Commission is authorized by the Michigan Constitution to approve disbursements for services performed by persons outside of the classified service for efficiency and economy."
