The Denver Post has a great feature story today about Colorado state employee Dave Ohmart, who has been challenging the union organizing power with a mixture of tenacity, fair-mindedness, and self-deprecating wit:The self-described "nonunion rep" worries that the nascent state workers union will eventually draw dues from even employees who voted against it, a specter other states have faced. It's a scenario Colorado union organizers flatly reject. Nevertheless, Ohmart in June began offering counter-points to union pitches through a group dubbed "Colorado LOSES," a jab at the three-union coalition Colorado WINS that won the right to represent all 31,000 eligible state workers last month. "I don't want someone forcing me to join … [Read more...]
Pushy Union Rep Making Himself at Home on Colorado State Property
Regular readers of this blog and followers of the Colorado political scene generally are aware of Gov. Bill Ritter's executive order that has given union leaders the keys to state government. Already the "Colorado WINS" labor union coalition has ridden the popularity of the "don't give a crap" mentality to become the "exclusive representative" for a majority of state workers. Right now, two elections are pending that would unionize the remaining 9,500 Colorado state employees. Disturbed by the "don't give a crap" mentality and wanting his fellow public servants to judge the union's promises for themselves, state employee Dave Ohmart has started the tongue-in-cheek group "Colorado Loses." He has a regular e-mail list of interested state … [Read more...]