ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, has issued a call to action for all members of the professional cleaning industry to contact their U.S. Congressional representatives in opposition to the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI). Distributors and manufacturers who are U.S General Services Administration (GSA) schedule holders and currently doing business with the federal government stand a good chance of losing that business and being locked out of any future government contracts. The jan/san FSSI was originally scheduled for final contract announcements this month.
 
“The implementation of the FSSI in its current structure will have dire economic consequences for the thousands of cleaning industry professionals currently doing business with the federal government,” says ISSA Legislative Affairs Director Bill Balek. “There is no doubt it will severely impact the janitorial and maintenance supply industry in the next few months and years to come.”
 
ISSA opposes the jan/san FSSI based on the fact that the federal government has failed to conduct an economic analysis of the initiative’s impact on small business as required by the Small Business Act and the initiative is in direct contradiction to the policies embodied in the Small Business Act. Furthermore, as the GSA has proposed its implementation, the jan/san FSSI will place an unreasonably burdensome economic impact on the jan/san industry and small businesses in general, Balek says.

Under the proposed jan/san FSSI, the number of GSA Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) awards will be drastically reduced from the estimated 1,000-plus current vendors to just 21 vendors recognized to supply jan/san products to the government.
 
More devastating will be the mandated requirement that all federal agencies purchase jan/san products from only the selected 21 vendors.
 
Under the proposed request for quotation (RFQ), just six BPAs will be awarded for cleaning compounds and related dispensers, five vendors will be chosen to supply nonmotorized cleaning equipment and waste receptacles, five vendors will be selected for providing paper products and related dispensers, and five vendors will be able to supply motorized floor cleaning equipment. This will lock-out approximately 980 current businesses relying on GSA contracts for a portion of their revenue streams.
 
During Congress’ August recess, members of the professional cleaning industry are encouraged to attend local town hall meetings with their representatives and publicly voice their opposition. ISSA has provided the following links for taking action and sharing your perspective on FSSI with your representatives.
 
• Contact your U.S. Senators: www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
• Sample Senate letter: www.issa.com/s1304
• Contact your U.S. Representative: www.house.gov/representatives
• Sample Letter for Congressional Representative: www.issa.com/hr2694

NOTE: Once you’ve identified your representative and senators, click through their names, and you will be taken to their individual Web sites with e-mail contact information.
 
Furthermore, your representative may be one of the 35 sponsors of the strategic sourcing legislation, which would lend itself to an additional comment regarding their choice to sponsor FSSI legislation. You can access the full list of sponsors here.
 
Information regarding jan/san FSSI can also be accessed at www.jansanFSSI.com, including all links for background information and ISSA’s resources to take action.
 
GSA has been moving forward on a fast track to implement the FSSI and currently is targeting the jan/san industry. And now, GSA’s efforts will be bolstered by recently introduced federal legislation (H.R. 2694; S. 1304) that would expand federal strategic sourcing.


The current draft RFQ is posted online.