May 2012

The Governor recently sent out a letter to state employees
that recapped the 2012 legislative session and its impact on the state
workforce. Unmentioned in the letter was the critical role employees played in
legislative victories that will put more money in state employees’ paychecks
for the first time in years. Make no mistake; these victories didn’t happen by
accident. If you signed a postcard, made a call, sent an email, talked to a
legislator, then you were a vital part of the victories below.

END OF 2.5% PERA SWAP

Starting last summer, Colorado WINS members collected and
delivered thousands of petition signatures and postcards urging decision-makers
to end the 2.5% PERA swap. Our efforts led the Governor to propose a state
budget that ended this 2.5% pay cut and moved legislators to keep this
provision throughout the budget process. Starting in July, the 2.5% will be
back in employees’ paychecks.

LOWER MEDICAL PREMIUMS

The Governor’s initial 2012-13 state budget proposal passed
along the entire medical premium increase to state employees while holding the
employer contribution constant. Rather than just accept this proposal, WINS
members turned the frustrations of facing yet another health care increase into
action by directing thousands of postcards, calls, emails and one-on-one
conversations into key policymakers urging them to fund premium increases.
Joint Budget Committee members heard us loud and clear and in the end
appropriated an additional $15.1 million to reduce medical plan premiums this year.
When
a JBC impasse threatened to cut 500 jobs, Colorado WINS members fought to keep
state funding for premium increases and protected jobs.

NEW MERIT PAY SYSTEM

Colorado WINS was approached by the Governor last summer
with his ideas on changing Colorado’s personnel system – “the Talent Agenda.”
When faced with the choice to engage or walk away, we chose to use the
conversation as an opportunity to fix the state’s broken Pay for Performance
system in the process. Out of our negotiations came HB 1321 which created a new
merit pay system. With more than 50% of employees below the midpoint of their
pay range, this new pay system will prioritize moving employees at the bottom
of their ranges up.

WHAT’S AHEAD?

Continued efforts to fund this new pay system and improve
employee pay.  Health care will continue to be a pressing issue until
structural problems are remedied. Next year, we’ll be fighting for the first
raise in more than four years. It will take an even stronger organization to
achieve this. Join
Colorado WINS today and be part of the only organization fighting to win
concrete victories that improve quality of services, working conditions,
safety, pay and benefits.

On May 2, the state legislature passed HB
1321, which contains the new merit-pay system and changes to retention
rights. It heads to the Governor to be signed into law. It will not need
voter approval before it takes effect on September 1, 2012. The passage of this
legislation represents a huge first step toward achieving the first raise for
state employees in four years. Conversations have just begun with DPA over the
new retention rights and will be heading to a rulemaking process this summer.
To understand this a little bit better, check out our FAQ’s on bumping rights.

The legislature also referred HCR 1001 to the
November general election ballot where it will appear as a referendum question.
Read our press statement on HCR 1001, which affects seven areas of the state personnel system:

• Expanding the veterans’ preference
• Increasing ‘Rule of 3′ to ‘Rule of 6′ for the
  number of candidates eligible for a position
• Adjusting duration of temporary employees from 6
  months to 9 months; prohibits successive appointments
• Capping the number of exemptions to 1% of
  classified workforce; only enumerated positions
• Modifying the residency requirement for
  facilities near the border
• Adjusting the term limits for members of the
  State Personnel Board; limits “at-will” appointments
• Changing “competitive tests” to “comparative
  analysis based upon objective criteria” for merit-based appointments

HCR 1001 will not become law unless approved by a
majority vote in the November election.

Because we believe that the integrity of the personnel
system will remain intact regardless of the outcome of the vote, Colorado
WINS will not take a position on the referendum. Because it will be up to
Coloradans to decide the final outcome, it will be our job to make sure that
folks understand what this measure does or does not do.

Colorado WINS will remain an active, vigilant voice on
issues affecting state employees. The next five months will be an opportunity
for Coloradans to better understand our state workers and their contributions
to communities across the state.

To help generate discussion around the
personnel referendum question, a new website is in development that will allow
you to discuss the pro’s and con’s on the measure in an open forum. This site
will be centered on the state employee perspective of this ballot
measure.  

Here’s a timeline of our progress during personnel reform
negotiations.