Members of AFSCME Local 120 have convinced the Tacoma Public Utilities Board to postpone a contracting-out proposal for at least four weeks.

The City was attempting to contract out work usually performed by information technology professionals represented by Local 120, all of whom are employees of the City of Tacoma. The $300,000 contract was with New York-based Cap Gemini.

The $300,000 contract was to be the second phase of a planned $1.5 million project. The contractor already has received $25,000 to visit Tacoma, look at the Customer Information System, and submit a proposal to maintain it.

Local 120 members, led by City Policy Chair John Ohlson, demonstrated to the board that the work could be done in-house with Local 120 members for 58 percent less than the contract.

The union asked the Utilities Board to delay confirmation of the contract while it prepared an alternative proposal. The board unanimously agreed to hold the contract in abeyance for four weeks and directed Utilities managers to work with the union in an attempt to resolve the matter.