No 'groundswell' seen in Ritter's union move

Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Just because the governor is recognizing labor unions for the first time, it doesn't mean other governments will be pressured to do so, according to experts on city and county affairs.

Gov. Bill Ritter's executive order issued last week is specific to state employees only, they say.

"It doesn't directly affect us," said Sam Mamet, executive director of the Colorado Municipal League. "It's narrowly crafted to affect state employees."

Chip Taylor, legislative director for Colorado Counties Inc., said he doubts that Ritter's action will cause a "groundswell" among county employees.

That's because of what Ritter's directive allows and forbids.

"I doubt (county workers would) say, 'Here's our dream proposal,' " said Taylor of Ritter's order. "There's a no-strike clause, and it doesn't allow for binding arbitration. It's not really collective bargaining."

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said he believes that Ritter's goal is the same one he had when he took office in 2003: building a better relationship with workers.

"They really do play a major role in creating efficiencies," Hickenlooper said, noting employees were key in reducing a $70 million deficit when he took office. "Employees are key to your success."

Mamet said there would be a concern if any directive tried to impose a mandatory approach on cities regarding unionizing or collective bargaining.

What they're saying

• House Majority Leader Alice Madden, D-Boulder:

"This executive order is, number one, about opening lines of communication and making employees feel like they are an important part of the process. Why that scares Republicans, to me, seems like part of their continued war on the middle class. . . . While Bill Ritter is busy governing, the Republicans are busy campaigning."

• Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party

"(Bill Ritter) promised the business community he was pro business, and he told the unions, 'I'm with you.' It is a strategy that won him an election, but it is also a strategy that is causing him the kind of problems he is experiencing right now and could eventually bring him down."

bartels@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5327