Stanley (company)

Stanley, Inc. (Nyse|SXE) (also known as Stanley Associates) is an information technology company based in Arlington, Virginia which describes itself as "a leading provider of systems integration and professional services to the U.S. federal government". The company is publicly traded but the majority of stocks are owned by officers, directors and employees (the latter through an employee stock ownership plan).It operates facilities for the production of United States passports [ [http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2007/12/10/daily5.html "Tucson to get secure passport production center" The Business Journal of Phoenix by Chris Casacchia on December 10, 2007] ] [ [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=198762&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1119161&highlight= Stanley, Inc. Press release, March 17, 2008. Stanley Awarded $570 Million Contract to Continue Support of Passport Program. Over 15-Year History of Providing Passport Services Continues.] ] and for mailroom work and data entry for applications for U.S. visa and citizenship.

Company Controversy

The company controversially reduced wages when it took over the management of two facilities in St. Albans, Vermont, and Laguna Niguel, California in December 2007 which process immigration documents. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/us/02immig.html The New York Times, December 2, 2007. "Immigration Contractor Trims Wages". By Julia Preston] ] The United Electrical workers union (UE) became involved in an effort to create a union to protect low paid employees who process immigration records. As it was about to assume controle, Stanley announced that it would be changing job classifications at the facilities, resulting in a pay decrease of about 12 percent which prompted Sen. Bernie Sanders from Vermont to call on the Labor Department to investigate what he charged was a violation of the Service Contract Act. Stanley mounted one of the most intense and brutal anti-union campaigns the UE has ever faced.

A July 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office on passport and visa security outlines the potential dangers of outsourcing passport functions to contractors like Stanley Inc. [ [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071006.pdf United States Government Accountability Office, July 2007 GAO-07-1006 "Security of New Passports and Visas"] ]

Passport Scandal

In March 2008, the U.S. Department of State, which is responsible for issuing U.S. passports, stated that two employees of a Stanley Associates subcontractor had been fired for improperly accessing the passport application file of presidential candidate Barack Obama. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/us/politics/22passport.html The New York Times, March 22, 2008. "Passport Files of 3 Candidates Were Pried Into". by Helene Cooper] ] The company published a press release [http://www.stanleyassociates.com/news/Press_Releases/Official%20Statement%20from%20Stanley%2003_21_08.pdf Stanley Associates Website, March 21, 2008. "Official Statement from Stanley, Inc. in Response to Passport Files"] on March 21, 2008 placing all the blame on its subcontractors. No Stanley Associate managers were fired or any disciplinary action taken over the passport scandal.

Additional information on the breach of passport information has yet to be disclosed to the public. [ [http://breachblog.com/2008/03/22/usdos.aspx The Breach Blog, March 22, 2008 "A breach that hits home with 2008 presidential candidates"]

Stanley is now under investigation by the State Department for rampant snooping into the passports of over 150 notable politicians, athletes and entertainers which uncovered 4148 inapproprate accessed files between September 2002 and March 2008. [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080703/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/passports_privacy Associated Press Yahoo News "Passport Snooping Likely Rampant"]

Corporate Mergers

On June 10th 2008, Stanley announced that it was accquiring Oberon Associates, a fellow defense contractor also based out of Virginia.. [ [http://investor.stanleyassociates.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=198762&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1164408&highlight= Stanley to accquire Oberon Associates.] ]

Corporate Recognition

Washington Technology listed Stanley at the 50th position in its 2007 list of the top 100 U.S. federal government prime contractors. [ [http://www.washingtontechnology.com/top-100/2007/50.html Washington Technology - Top 100 Federal Prime Contractors: 2007 – Stanley Inc.] ]

Fortune magazine included Stanley in its 2007 and 2008 lists of the "100 Best Companies to Work For". [ [http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2008/snapshots/84.html Fortune – 100 Best Companies to Work For, 2008 - Stanley (84th position)] ] [ [http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2007/snapshots/100.html Fortune – 100 Best Companies to Work For, 2007 - Stanley (100th position)] ]

References