Colorado: Ritter Crafts Agreement for State Workers
According to The Denver Business Journal:
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter on Friday issued an executive order that could potentially let state employees bargain for better wages and benefits -- raising the ire of Republican lawmakers and some business leaders.
"In one stroke, the Governor has turned over the state budget to labor unions," said Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs. "This is window dressing for doing the exclusive bargaining for state employees."
But Evan Dreyer, Ritter's spokesman, emphasized that under the order, any deals that employees would reach with the state are "non-binding."
Dreyer said that while the order creates a framework in which fiscal matters can be addressed in bargaining, the intention was to give government workers a voice in helping the state run more effectively and efficiently...click to continue.
