STATE EMPLOYEE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BILL ADVANCES

Colorado Partnership for Quality Jobs & Services Act would, for the first time, allow state employees to collectively bargain for better pay and benefits

DENVER, CO — Representative Daneya Esgar (D-Pueblo) today released the following statement after HB20-1153, the Colorado Partnership for Quality Jobs and Services Act, passed the House Committee on State, Veterans, and Military Affairs by a vote of 6-3:

“This is a great step forward for the tens of thousands of hardworking Colorado state employees who deserve the essential right to collectively bargain for better pay and benefits. This bill is long overdue and will foster important partnerships between the state and front line state employees to improve state services.

“House Democrats are committed to improving pay and benefits for our state employees, and this legislation will help us achieve this important goal. It will help us fill the hundreds of state positions that are currently vacant while improving retention rates. I will always fight for our state employees, and I’m pleased to see this bill move forward.”

The legislation would allow state employees to collectively bargain on pay and benefit issues and improve state services by fostering new partnerships between frontline workers and the state. The bill would not permit state employees to strike, which is similar to collective bargaining laws for state employees in the states that have them.