AWF Opposes Colorado Move to Public Sector Bargaining
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Kartch
8 FEBRUARY 2008
202-785-0266
Colorado Moves to Public Sector Collective Bargaining
AWF Condemns Recent Efforts by Gov. Ritter to Appease Union Supporters
Washington, D.C. — Today, the Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF) issued a statement opposing the recent move in Colorado towards public sector collective bargaining that will force the state to bargain with union demands.
The decision was rendered via an executive order by Colorado governor Bill Ritter (D). The executive order is meant to prompt action by the Colorado state legislature, and would not expire until July 1st, 2009, effectively allotting the state legislature two years or two legislative sessions (and an election in the interim) to pass compulsory bargaining laws. Policy Director Brian Johnson believes this is a rather egregious use of executive power by Governor Ritter.
Moreover, this imprudent decision could put Colorado in quite an impasse. Notably, Colorado was in a serious fiscal meltdown in the years 2003 and 2004, and still has not fully recovered. Annually, the state still runs a high budget deficit. Forced negotiations could exacerbate this problem because collective bargaining laws have become mediums for exploitation by labor unions. “Collective bargaining laws are nothing more than vehicles used by the union-bosses to hold state budgets hostage,” says Johnson.
This compulsory bargaining movement also sets dangerous precedent for other states in the vicinity of Colorado. Currently, 37 states have some form of forced negotiations. These deals vary in degree of transparency, from states that allow public access to bargaining sessions like Florida and Alaska, to states with completely closed, backroom sessions, such as Delaware and Connecticut. Johnson says collective bargaining measures can render the employer or the state helpless to the demands of the union. “By giving one labor group authority to demand an increase on salaries, benefits, and promotions, everyone else has something taken away,” says Johnson. “If any public official goes on strike and demands more money, guess who will now pay their salary—the taxpayer.”
Past experience tells a tale of labor unions not adhering to the principles they purport. Johnson and his group posit that Colorado’s move to collective bargaining laws for the public sector sets dangerous precedent for other states and will ensure budget showdowns or shutdowns in the near future.
