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Caldara offers to pull Amendment 49

Ritter rejects deal to end right of state workers to unionize

By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 23, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Jon Caldara offered to withdraw Amendment 49 from the ballot if Gov. Bill Ritter would repeal his 2007 executive order that allowed state workers to unionize. Ritter spokesman Evan Dryer called the offer a "stunt" and said the governor rejected it.

Photo by Javier Manzano / The Rocky

Jon Caldara offered to withdraw Amendment 49 from the ballot if Gov. Bill Ritter would repeal his 2007 executive order that allowed state workers to unionize. Ritter spokesman Evan Dryer called the offer a "stunt" and said the governor rejected it.

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The backer of a statewide initiative that would ban governments from deducting union dues and certain other payments from employee paychecks offered up a deal Monday to pull the measure from November's ballot.

The Independence Institute's Jon Caldara said he would withdraw Amendment 49 if Gov. Bill Ritter agrees to repeal last year's executive order allowing state workers to unionize.

"It is my hope the governor will take this seriously," said Caldara, president of the think tank.

Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer later called the offer a "stunt," and said the governor declined it.

Caldara held a news conference at the state Capitol before delivering a letter outlining the offer to Ritter's office. Caldara reiterated that his proposed amendment is not aimed at unions but "places an ethical restriction on government only."

His proposed deal also asked Ritter for his "word" on opposing any legislative effort aimed at unionizing state workers.

Ritter signed an executive order last November that established recognition of state employee unions and allows for a nonbinding form of collective bargaining for workers. A group called Colorado WINS already has organized the 32,000 state workers affected by the executive order.

Rules governing state payroll deductions have long been the province of governors' executive orders. Before Ritter authorized special-interest deductions last November, Republican Gov. Bill Owens had disallowed them, even though his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Roy Romer, allowed them, according to the state department of personnel.

Staff writer Jerd Smith contributed to this report.

Amendment 49

* Public payroll standards: Would ban governments from taking deductions directly from employee paychecks for any nongovernmental special interest group.

Employee partnership

Highlights from Gov. Ritter's executive order of Nov. 2, 2007:

WHAT IT ALLOWS

* Vote: Allows Colorado's nearly 50,000 employees to vote by secret ballot to have one union exclusively represent them in negotiations with management

* Dues: Allows unions to collect dues from members through automatic payroll deductions

* Agreements: Allows unions to negotiate "partnership agreements" on behalf of their members that provide "for improving government services, achieving efficiencies, and establishing the framework for discussing issues of mutual concern to the employees and the state."

* Neutral party: Appoints the director of the Division of Labor as the "neutral party" charged with implementing the order, with the help of a panel he or she appoints.

* Membership: Prohibits anyone in management from encouraging or discouraging union membership

* Good faith: Requires the executive directors of 15 state departments to negotiate partnership agreements "in good faith."

* Approval: Makes partnership agreements subject to approval of department directors, the governor and his designees.

* Impasse mediation: Requires the director of the Division of Labor to appoint a disinterested third party to mediate any impasse or dispute regarding partnership agreements

WHAT IT PROHIBITS

* Strikes: Prohibits state workers from striking

* Agency fees: Prohibits unions from collecting "agency fees" from nonmembers in return for negotiating better compensation or working conditions on their behalf

* Arbitration: Prohibits binding arbitration

Comments

  • September 23, 2008

    1:02 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jacka writes:

    It is stunning that a deal has been rejected without the parties even meeting. These Union led measures will do great harm to Colorado as the Governor has stated. Labor strongly wants to continue with the process of Government collecting its dues and poltical fees, but has signalled a willingness to meet.

    Leadership that drives a divide within our state will not be successful.

    One party has come to the table, yet the Governor rejects a ballot solution without consultation of the Union leaders?

    This begs the question ... is our Governor the proxy of the Unions?

  • September 23, 2008

    12:21 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    michaelwelsh writes:

    Does this also mean that deductions for the United Way also are illegal? They must fall under the category of "non-governmental agencies" banned by this amendment.

  • September 23, 2008

    5:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    socrates writes:

    Caldera's such a piece of work. You never hear about the independence institute doing anything until election season, then they get a gazillion dollars from their industry friends to advance various crazy schemes.

    They've become nothing more than a ballot for hire shill for industry... they're about as much an "institute" as they are "independent".

  • September 23, 2008

    7:17 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    kyjohnso writes:

    Socrates -

    A little reading and research would turn up policy papers on a number of issues that the Independence Institute publishes and posts to its website throughout the year. I don't know that a gazillion is precise but if it is, George Soros donates a dozen gazillion dollars to twice as many liberal think tanks.

    As the state slowly gets taken over by liberals and labor, Caldera might be the only advocate of limited government and freedom that we have left.