Colorado Voters To Decide on Police, Fire Union

LONGMONT, Colo. (AP) -- Firefighters and police say they have submitted enough signatures to get a proposal to allow them to unionize on the November ballot.

More than 7,000 signatures were submitted, said Steve Schulz, a police officer and spokesman for the union supporters. ``We're very pleased the citizens gave us as many signatures as they did, so we could get on get on the ballot,'' he said.

Public safety workers in the city are allowed to be in associations but the groups cannot bargain on their behalf. If they unionize, the city would have to negotiate with them as a group instead of as individuals.

Mayor Julia Pirnack and several other city council members oppose unionization, saying it takes power away from elected representatives by forcing them to accept decisions by arbitrators and mediators.

They also said the city cannot afford to pay police or firefighters more.