DENVER—Colorado is closer to making its biggest revisions in some four decades to how state employees are paid, hired and fired.
A House committee voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of a measure to change decades-old personnel protections.
The bill includes revised pay standards and big changes to the so-called “bumping” rule, in which senior employees could “bump” newer hires if they’re laid off. The rule would be eliminated for most employees, but not those within five years of retirement.
Some of the changes must be approved by voters because Colorado is one of five states with employee protections in the state constitution. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper requested the changes, which have sponsors from both parties.
The governor’s legislative aide, Christine Scanlan, told lawmakers at the hearing: “We have to do something to modernize the personnel system. It’s too constraining.”
Employees say the “bumping” rule protects older workers from getting axed just because they’re about to become eligible for full retirement.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Democratic Rep. Mark Ferrandino, talked about his time as a state employee before becoming an elected official. He said older employees need protection, but that “bumping” is detrimental to younger staff.
“Like a game of musical chairs, at the end of the day a chair is pulled out and someone is out,” he said.
The bill also shortens term limits on the state personnel board, a change that would give the governor’s office more control over the board.
The largest state employee union did not oppose the bill because some of the updates are favored by workers. Those changes include first-ever severance pay for laid-off state workers and revisions to a panned “pay for performance” pay scale adopted more a decade ago. State employees complained they were never given raises even after stellar reviews.
That system would be replaced with a “merit pay” scheme that state workers say would put them more in line with private-sector colleagues.
The union said it also reached compromise on temporary hires, which are currently limited to six months. The bill would allow the state to hire temps for up to nine months, but the state would have to wait four months between temporary gigs. That means the state would not be able to skirt benefit obligations by hiring people for never-ending temporary jobs.
The executive director of the Colorado WINS union, Scott Wasserman, said the updates are important because many state employees are disgruntled with what they consider an outdated and inflexible personnel system.
“As the economy recovers, don’t stand in the doorway of a state facility” because so many employees will leave, Wasserman said.
The hearing took on a more combative tone when a nurse at a state correctional facility, Kim Bodin, testified that she has a second job to make ends meet. When Bodin talked about her retirement plan, the Republican committee chairman reminded her that he couldn’t take away her retirement.
When Bodin replied that he would if he could, Republican Rep. Jim Kerr lost his temper.
“Lady, shut it! Shut it!” he said while banging his gavel. I am chair of this committee, and you insult me. … That’s unacceptable. I’m done, and so are you,” Kerr said. Bodin did not reply.
The measure now heads to the full House.
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