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Businesses, CDOT chief undercut GOP unionization complaints
Gov. Bill Ritter’s employee associations executive order and Democratic state lawmakers score two coups this morning, with the disclosures that business leaders are not so homogenously miffed as Republican lawmakers and Colorado Department of Transportation Director Russ George set the precedent for the governor’s order.
According to the Denver Business Journal: “Business leaders described themselves as ‘surprised’ by Gov. Bill Ritter’s executive order giving unions a place at the table in labor negotiations with state employees. But they lack the bitter outrage expressed by Republican politicians who claim the action will stifle the state’s economy and hurt businesses.”
And according to the Pueblo Chieftain: “A Republican Cabinet member in Gov. Bill Ritter’s administration already has found the governor’s plan to “partner” with state workers beneficial to running his department. But Russell George, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, would have done that anyway, the former GOP House speaker said.”
These articles run counter to the assertions of Colorado Republican lawmakers who have said, “The governor’s action launches the state down a slippery slope that could lead to binding arbitration and even strikes by state employees.”
By presenting former House Speaker and Owens administration cabinet member George, R-Rifle, at the center of the debate and the business community as fractured in the unionization discussion, the Democratic lawmakers have found some cover for their support of Ritter’s order. Thus, when the GOP’s bill to kill the executive order (sponsored by Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction; Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield; Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, and Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Genesee) hits its first committee hearing, expect that panel to kill the bill, provided the committee’s swing votes are not up for re-election in 2008.
*George photo from The Daily Sentinel archives.
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