2012 March | Colorado WINS

FOX31 Denver: As budget improves, state workers remain on chopping block

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Colorado WINS

Read the original story here.

DENVER — Monday’s revelation that Colorado has an additional $199 million to spend next year brought doesn’t appear to be enough to save several hundred state employees from the chopping block.

The revenue gains will be enough to restore a property tax exemption for all Colorado seniors and to ensure that per pupil spending on K-12 education doesn’t drop next year.

But a proposed cut to state agencies’ payrolls is still a part of the budget proposal, after the Joint Budget Committee on Monday split over whether or not to reverse it.

Three Democrats voted to restore the proposed cuts, but three Republicans on the committee voted to maintain them.

Colorado WINS, the union representing state workers, estimates that keeping the 2 percent reduction in place will result in the loss of between 450 and 500 state workers, affecting those in higher education, Youth Correctional Institutions, Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo, State Patrol troopers and DMV offices.

(more…)

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Release: Colorado WINS statement on personnel reform bill

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Colorado WINS

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Colorado WINS has
been active participants in the development of House Bill 1321, legislation
that would change the classified personnel system introduced on Tuesday, March
6^th in the House chamber. This legislation reflects our concerns in
protecting merit, protecting jobs and enacting a new pay system. Read the
statement on HB 1321 by WINS Executive Director Scott Wasserman and President
Paul Boni.

For Immediate
Release: March
6, 2012

For More Information: Scott
Wasserman, 303-619-3734 or Laura
Chapin, 202-236-6161

Statement
by Colorado WINS on the Personnel Reform Bill Introduced Today

House
Bill 1321, introduced today, would reform the Colorado personnel system. Colorado
WINS, which represents the interests of thousands of state workers, released the following statements from Executive Director
Scott Wasserman and President Paul Boni.

Stated
Colorado WINS Executive Director Scott Wasserman, “We’ve been active
participants in the conversation and our goal throughout has been to protect
merit, protect jobs and fight for a new pay system.

After
four years of devastating cuts, freezes, and increased demand for services,
it’s no exaggeration to say that the entire state workforce is in crisis. We
think there’s a very important change in this bill that addresses that fact and
gets us on the road to fixing longstanding problems.

There
are also some proposals in this bill that are not of our choosing and we worked
hard with our members and leadership to make tough calls and figure out how to
carefully balance the concerns of management with those of front line workers.

We
will be watching the process carefully to ensure that harmful amendments are
defeated and that state employee issues are not turned into a political
football. This legislation presents lawmakers with an opportunity to learn more
about the workforce that carries out the work that makes Colorado a great state
to live and work.”

And
according to Colorado WINS President Paul Boni, “”When Governor
Hickenlooper approached us for our input on his proposed personnel reforms, we
made the decision to commit to this conversation with both workers and
taxpayers in mind. We held dozens of meetings with state workers all across
Colorado to determine the top concerns and to prioritize our agenda.

I
believe our input was taken seriously and that the talent agenda has evolved
into a more complete approach to workforce issues. There’s much more we need to
do and I think both the Governor and Director Nesbitt have a fuller
understanding of that work that lies ahead. “

# # #

Formed in 2007, Colorado Workers for Innovation and New Solutions
(WINS) represents the interests of more than 31,000 classified state employees
working together to ensure Colorado’s quality of life in communities across the
state. Colorado WINS works in partnership with the state to improve
quality of services, working conditions, safety, conflict resolution, staff
attrition, pay and benefits and more to ensure an effective workforce that
serves all Coloradans.

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