Firefighter union bill going to Ritter

A bill that would make it easier for firefighters to unionize has cleared the legislature and is heading to Gov. Bill Ritter — who may not want it.

Senate bill 180 would give firefighters in larger departments the ability to collectively bargain without having to get local approval first. It won the last of its narrow victories today, when the Senate voted 18-15, with two Republicans not present, to concur with the House’s changes to the bill and re-pass it.

The bill first cleared the Senate last month by a one-vote margin, then won in the House by only four votes.

Ritter, who won praise from unions when he signed an executive order in 2007 allowing state employees to form bargaining units, has expressed serious concerns about the bill.

“I’ve said all along to the proponents of that bill that what they needed to have on board was local officials, county and municipal officials because it’s important that those people who will bear the burden of this, that they understand what that means for them.,” Ritter said earlier this week.

The Colorado Municipal League, which represents the state’s town and city governments, is opposed to the bill.

The bill, when it was originally introduced, covered all public safety workers, but it was amended to take out police officers and sheriff’s deputies, leaving only firefighters covered in the final version.

Republicans blasted the bill one last time on the Senate floor today, with Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Littleton, saying that unions are uninterested in advocating for firefighters.

“What they’re interested in is union members and more dues-payers to get more political power,” Kopp said.

Proponents say the bill will allow firefighters to have collective representation in lobbying bosses for better training or more safety equipment.

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