The Journal’s March 4 guest column, “Commissioners unite to oppose collective bargaining,” demonstrates the commissioners of Montezuma and La Plata counties haven’t really thought out the consequences of SB22-230. They claim there is currently a cooperative relationship between government and its workforce. If this were actually the case, the workers would not unionize. If the workers do vote to unionize, that is proof that the “working relationship” isn’t working all that well for a majority of workers.

If “Collective bargaining will necessitate additional staff time, legal resources, human resources expertise, dispute resolution costs and, ultimately, higher personnel costs” of an estimated $3,000,000 to $4,000,000 per year, then this is proof that the “cooperative relationship” is a myth and the employees really do need a union to protect themselves.

Senate Bill 22-230 simply gives workers an opportunity to unionize, a choice they currently don’t have.

Gala Pock

Pleasant View