FFs Get Collective Bargaining On CO Ballot

Colorado Springs firefighters collected nearly twice as many signatures as needed to put a collective bargaining question on April's ballot.

By Conrad Swanson

Source The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Dec. 4, 2018

2 min read

The local firefighters union has submitted nearly twice as many signatures as it needed to petition a collective bargaining question on to the city’s April ballot.

The Professional Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 5, turned in petitions with more than 29,000 signatures this week to City Clerk Sarah Johnson, union Vice President Chris Jones said in a release. The union had until mid-December to submit the needed signatures.

Johnson previously said the union would need about 16,000 valid signatures to earn a spot on the ballot. She now has 30 days to ensure enough of the signatures collected by the union are valid registered voters.

The quest for collective bargaining comes from an overworked and understaffed Fire Department, Local 5’s President Dave Noblitt has said. Through nonbinding arbitration, the union could negotiate for higher pay and lower mandatory overtime hours.

Even if voters approve the question, firefighters won’t be able to strike. State law prohibits public safety employees from walking off the job during labor disputes.

“This proposed ballot measure would solidify the seat at the table that firefighters desperately need to serve the community effectively,” Noblitt said in the release. “We look forward to talking to the citizens of Colorado Springs about this campaign.”

Noblitt also previously stressed the importance of a grassroots campaign as the April election approaches. The union hired Rocky Mountain Voter Outreach of Denver to help collect signatures.

The issue has drawn sharp criticism and opposition from city leaders, however.

Perhaps the most outspoken has been Mayor John Suthers, who asked the City Council not to approve Local 5’s request to be placed on the ballot. With the council’s approval, the union wouldn’t have had to collect signatures. But, ultimately, the council postponed a vote on the topic.

Collective bargaining would slow salary negotiations each year and could shrivel funding for other city departments, Suthers said. In addition, if Local 5 gains collective bargaining status, other city workers will attempt to follow suit, further burdening the city’s coffers, he said.

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