The WINS Compensation Team signed its first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on November 6, 2009 with the Department of Personnel and Administration.  After many months of constructive discussion, WINS and DPA reached an historical agreement through the interest-based bargaining process that fundamentally changes the salary survey process to create a more fair and equitable system to attract and retain great employees to provide quality services.

 Specifically, for the first time ever, WINS members will help develop criteria for salary survey selection for the August 2010 letter.  This criteria will include an agreed upon definition of "prevailing wages," a benchmarking system to accurately compare state salaries, and a way of weighting in-state data differently than out-of-state data.

In addition, WINS members will work with DPA to redesign the pay progression process to ensure a reasonable degree of progression in the respective ranges--with the goal of providing a clearer, more fair way for state employees to move through their pay ranges.

Finally, through the partnership process, the WINS negotiating team reached formal agreement with DPA that "the State contributions for insurance and retirement are considerably less than the corresponding market contributions for these components of total compensation."  Therefore, beginning in 2010, DPA's August 1 letter will include comparative data for employer share of retirement/pension costs, which will provide the Governor, Legislature, and general public with a more accurate portrayal of state employee compensation.

Colorado WINS and the State Patrol Association have been working to ensure the best, most affordable healthcare for all state employees. Now the cost of the 2010/2011 plans are in the hands of the state legislature. The current proposal will mean state employees will pay 7-10% more for their healthcare next year.

Back in June, after months of careful analysis, Colorado WINS and the State Patrol Association negotiating teams have reached agreement with the Department of Personnel and Administration over the scope and language of the Request for Proposal for the 2010/2011. State Employee Healthcare Plan(s).

WINS members accomplished two priorities throughout these negotiations - 1) a bidding process for state employee healthcare that is broad, which ensures optimum choice for selection of a vendor(s) and 2) maximum flexibility to improve the quality and structure of our healthcare plans as the funding and system improves in the future.

Agreeing to this Request for Proposal with the DPA is the first step towards ensuring that state employees have a voice in state employees' healthcare plans for over the next six years.

After analyzing bids, the evaluation team of the state has selected Kaiser Permanente and United Health Group to be the providers for state employee health.

Despite a real voice in plan design, ultimately the cost of these plans will be determined by the state legislature. Contact your legislature today (Link to the Email the state legislature "
Take Action" page.)

Last year the state cut $1.820B from the 09/10 budget and the state now faces a 1.3B shortfall for 10/11. In just two fiscal years a general fund of just less than 8B will have to fill a gap of 3.12B.

To save vital state services, the legislature can only use revenue options for this revenue problem. There's no way to cut our way to prosperity.

Some revenue options include:

-          Capping the total amount of net operating loss deductions that corporations can carry forward in their tax filings

-          Requiring withholding for all non-resident partners and shareholders

-          Reviewing Enterprise Zones across the state to make them more targeted and accountable

-          Limiting Salary Deductions for Corporations and Pass-through entities

-          Eliminating or reducing the Conservation Easement tax credit

-          Eliminating the tax exemption on sales from vending machines

For more information visit the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute (http://www.cclponline.org/ccs/cfpi_tax_budget.php)

Latest News...From the Secure PERA Coalition.

On January 26^th, more than 6 hours of testimony the Senate Finance committee passed a favorably amended Senate Bill 1.

The amendments made to Senate Bill 1 addressed the Secure PERA Coalitions' concerns regarding over burdening our retirees and shifting the costs of the most expensive school employees onto the school districts. You can see the amended bill language here. You can see just the amendments by clicking on the committee report.

There were three amendments added to SB1 that speak to the calls members and allies logged.

1)      Make the 2011 COLA 2% unless PERA has negative investment returns in 2010. The 2011 COLA was previously 0%

2)      Delete the rule of 90 requirement for people hired after 1/1/2017 for the DPS and school divisions. In return the school and DPS division employees will pay a little more into PERA via the SAED then other divisions.

3)      For people working after retirement the 110 days allowed were extended to 140 days and the employee will not have to pay all of the PERA contributions they will be split between the employer and employee.

These amendments allowed the bill to gain the support of the Coalition. We still have one outstanding issue that we are continuing to discuss, which is the idea of inflation protection for the smallest pensions.

Senate Bill 1 will now go to the Senate Appropriations committee. They do not accept testimony in appropriations but you are welcome to come watch. Then the bill will head to the floor for 2^nd and 3^rd readings. Assuming the bill passes all of these votes, we anticipate it will, then the bill goes to the House side.