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The old union debate concerning collective bargaining is heating up again at the Capitol — this year with sights set on local police and firefighters.

Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, has introduced legislation that would grant firefighters and law enforcement officers the right to form a union and bargain collectively.

Senate Bill 180 has already made its way through the State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee in the Senate, as well as through appropriations. Tochtrop said the legislation could be scheduled for a hearing by the Senate as a whole as early as Monday.

Opponents raise similar arguments made in the past concerning collective bargaining by employees of the state and local municipalities. Concerns are being raised that collective bargaining leads to overtaxing government budgets through increased payroll costs, which ends up hitting taxpayers hard.

The last time the issue raised so many conservative eyebrows was in 2007 when Gov. Bill Ritter issued an executive order authorizing state employees to join unions and bargain collectively. 

Tochtrop, however, said her legislation would be about negotiating for safety equipment and tools — not for higher salaries.

“The big thing is safety issues,” she said. “There’s not going to be anything about raises because raises are determined by (municipalities,) and there’s also a no-strike clause in it.”

Several Colorado cities and towns already give officers and firefighters the right to collective bargaining. Denver has allowed both its police and firefighters to do so for more than a decade. Vince Gavito, president of the Denver Police Protective Association, said his union has never been involved in negotiations that overwhelmed the city’s budget.

“One of the key components of any bargaining contract is the city’s ability to pay — I mean it has to be realistic,” he said. “You can’t go in there and bargain for a 100 percent pay raise. It’s just not realistic. The city wouldn’t have that kind of money to make that payment.”

Gavito added that collective bargaining allows for a more equitable negotiation process since conversations involve issues specific to individual municipalities, not general discussions and comparisons to other towns and cities.

Costing taxpayer’s more?

But Sen. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, said he plans on leading the charge against Senate Bill 180 when it makes its way to the Senate for debate. Cadman believes collective bargaining leads to higher labor costs, which in the case of Senate Bill 180 would end up costing taxpayers more money.

“In these tough times, many, many Coloradans cannot even find jobs or are facing the threat of imminent layoffs,” said Cadman in the Senate Republicans’ latest “Capitol Update” YouTube video. “They and their families are only a paycheck away from defaulting on bills and even mortgages. As elected lawmakers, how can we look them in the eye and tell them they must fork over even more to pump up the government’s payroll?”

The Colorado Professional Fire Fighters association — part of the International Association of Fire Fighters — says the measure is about fairness and equality, not pay raises and draining local budgets.

“SB 180 creates a fair process for public safety employees and public employers to present their concerns and evidence to each other or to a neutral in an effort to reach an agreement,” states the union in a letter to lawmakers. “If those efforts fail, the voters have the final authority over the compensation, hours and working conditions of their firefighters and law enforcement officers.”

Tochtrop also pointed out that the legislation would not change any agreements already reached between firefighters and law enforcement officers and their respective municipalities.

About safety

She maintained the argument that collective bargaining would help police officers and firefighters to obtain the equipment and tools needed to keep themselves safe.

“This is important to the folks who put their lives on the line,” said Tochtrop. “When they walk out of the door, many of these people truthfully — thank God it doesn’t happen often — but they never know what’s going to happen, they’re in harms way … I think they deserve the respect.”

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