Opinion ID: 1144822
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Adopted Title, Ballot Title, Submission Clause, and Summary

Text: The title as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows: AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE XII OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO PROHIBITING STRIKES, WORK STOPPAGES, SLOWDOWNS, OR OTHER INTERRUPTION OF SERVICES BY STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC EMPLOYEES; DIRECTING THE DISCHARGE, PURSUANT TO PROCEDURES APPLICABLE IN THE JURISDICTION INVOLVED, OF A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE FOUND TO HAVE ENGAGED IN SUCH PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES; PROHIBITING PUBLIC EMPLOYERS FROM SUBMITTING TO BINDING ARBITRATION; AND PROVIDING THAT NO PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SHALL BE REQUIRED TO JOIN OR TO PAY DUES TO ANY EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION AS A CONDITION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT. The ballot title and submission clause as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows: SHALL ARTICLE XII OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO BE AMENDED TO PROHIBIT STRIKES, WORK STOPPAGES, SLOWDOWNS, OR OTHER INTERRUPTION OF SERVICES BY STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC EMPLOYEES; TO DIRECT THE DISCHARGE, PURSUANT TO PROCEDURES APPLICABLE IN THE JURISDICTION INVOLVED OF A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE FOUND TO HAVE ENGAGED IN SUCH PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES; TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC EMPLOYERS FROM SUBMITTING TO BINDING ARBITRATION; AND TO PROVIDE THAT NO PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SHALL BE REQUIRED TO JOIN OR TO PAY DUES TO ANY EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION AS A CONDITION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT? The summary as prepared by the Board is as follows: The proposed amendment would prohibit strikes by public employees, as well as work stoppages, slowdowns, or interruptions of service. Public employees means employees of the state or any political subdivision thereof, or any agency of either, including but not limited to, employees of school districts, special districts, authorities, cities and counties, home rule and statutory counties, cities, and towns, and territorial charter cities. The amendment would provide for the immediate discharge, pursuant to procedures applicable in the jurisdiction involved, of any employee found by a court or by an appropriate entity of the public employer to have engaged in any activities prohibited by the amendment. The amendment would prohibit a public employer from submitting to binding arbitration as to establishment of wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment of public employees; however, the amendment would not limit access to the courts or other dispute-resolving methods where such access otherwise exists, in matters concerning such wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. In addition, any requirement that a public employee join or pay dues or fees to any employee organization as a condition of his public employment would be prohibited. The amendment would permit the general assembly to enact laws in furtherance of the policy expressed in the amendment, but not laws restricting the prohibitions or penalties of the amendment. The fiscal impact of this proposed amendment cannot be determined because of the many variables involved. The proposed initiative AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO (of which the foregoing title is hereby made or constituted a part) is as follows: Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Colorado: Article XII of the Constitution of the State of Colorado is amended by the addition of a new section to read: Section 16. Rights of the public to uninterrupted services by public employees. (1) It is hereby declared to be against the public interest and welfare, and in violation of the rights of the citizens of this state, for public employees to interrupt services rendered to the citizens of this state. Public employees in this state are prohibited from engaging in any work stoppage, slowdown, or strike, or from engaging in any interruption of services. For the purpose of this section, the term public employer means the state or any political subdivision thereof, or any agency of either, including, but not limited to, school districts, special districts, authorities, cities and counties, home rule and statutory counties, cities, and towns, and territorial charter cities, and the term public employee means any nonelective officer or employee of a public employer. (2) Upon determination by any court having jurisdiction or by the individual, board, or agency having the duty to act on behalf of a public employer in the employment of public employees that any public employee has engaged in activity prohibited by this section 16, such employee shall be deemed to have abandoned his employment and shall be immediately discharged from his employment pursuant to procedures applicable to employees of the jurisdiction involved. (3) No public employer shall submit to binding arbitration establishing the wages, hours, or other terms and conditions of employment of public employees. (4) No public employee shall be required to join or pay dues to any employee organization as a condition of his employment with a public employer. (5) The general assembly may enact laws in furtherance of the policy of this section 16, but may not restrict its prohibitions or its penalties. (6) This section is to be construed liberally to prevent actions by public employees which deny, interrupt or diminish services to the public. This section is in all respects self-executing.