抖阴ap

DENVER—Gov. Bill Ritter signed an executive order on Friday giving state government’s 49,000 workers the right to join unions or other employee associations but said strikes remain illegal under state law.

Anticipating objections, Ritter said the order doesn’t require employees to join a union or force them to pay dues if they decide against joining.

But a Republican lawmaker criticized the plan, saying it would be bad for the state.

Ritter said his order authorizes “partnership agreements” that will make better use of workers’ abilities and allow them to meet with management to discuss concerns.

Under current law, state employees can join unions, but they act more as lobbyists than collective bargainers.

Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, said “partnership” is another word for collective bargaining that would hurt state government.

“This is indeed collective bargaining,” he said. “This establishes a forum to discuss issues of mutual concern, and wages and benefits are always of mutual concern.”

Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Golden, said partnerships have worked in private industry and should bring more efficiency to state government.

“I think it would be good for employees for their service and expertise to be used,” she said.

Bill Cron, a computer technician at the state Department of Transportation for seven years, said he was “ecstatic” over the agreement.

“Now we have a voice within state government to speak to prevent bad things from happening,” he said.

He said union members could now talk to managers about such issues as computer problems that delayed overtime pay for snowplow drivers earlier this year.

Tony Gagliardi, Colorado state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, reacted strongly against the executive order.

“Like reactions in the stock market, gestures like this send strong signals far and wide that Colorado is becoming a less friendly place for businesses to come to and to remain doing business. The governor’s move is sure to create a larger division between labor and business, a division that cannot be good for the citizens of this state and our economy. Calling it a ‘partnership’ is giving it a fragrance that will shortly dissipate, leaving a potential stench that will please no one,” he said.

The Colorado Association of Public Employees-Service Employees International Union, which represents about 5,000 state employees, said the partnership with state employees is one part of a larger effort by the governor to improve the efficiency and accountability of state government.