Resources

Social share icons

Colorado Law Gives County Workers the Right to Unionize

Colorado County Workers now have the right to be active in a union in our workplaces and to collectively bargain with county management. Here are the rights protected by SB22-230 (Collective Bargaining for County Workers): 

  • Right to organize (talk to our coworkers about unionizing at work on our own time)
  • Right to raise concerns about shared working conditions without retaliation
  • Right to collectively bargain with our employer to improve our jobs
  • Right to use work email and interoffice mail to communicate union matters
  • Right to information from our county about budgets, working conditions, and wages
  • Right to representation and to negotiate for justice on the job
  • Right to request a union steward to join meetings with management about grievances, personnel issues, general conditions of employment, investigations, and disciplinary actions
     

About the collective bargaining bill (COBCA)

The bill went into full effect as of July 1, 2023. A coalition of labor unions worked in 2021 and 2022 to pass a strong collective bargaining bill for all public workers. A bill passed which was ultimately more narrow in scope. SB22-230 (COBCA) granted collective bargaining rights for county workers, but banned county workers’ right to strike. County workers now have rights to engage in workplace organizing, many other forms of mobilization, and political action. 

 

SB22-230 (COBCA) establishes the following: 

The creation of a statutory framework that recognizes the rights of county employees to join organizations of their own choosing, to be represented by those organizations, and to collectively bargain with their employer over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of their employment will improve the delivery of public services in the state of Colorado.

 

Want to help organize your department or unit?

  • Fill out our BCEU union membership form and encourage your co-workers to do the same! The more members we have in our union, the more power we will have to protect ourselves and obtain better contracts.
  • Spread the word by sharing our website, social media, surveys, and flyers, and join the Organizing Committee. Email [email protected] to join a committee!
  • Get in touch with a member of the Organizing Committee or a Steward at bit.ly/BCEU-Contact.
  • Join or help start a Bargaining Action Team (BAT) in your department! There are multiple departments with a BAT. If you want to start one or join, email us at [email protected]. 
     

Interim Agreement

Our Bargaining Committee, with members' input, successfully negotiated an Interim Agreement with county management in October 2025. This interim agreement gives us the following rights and protections until the full Collective Bargaining Agreement goes into effect: 

  • BCEU will have 12 employee stewards to serve as representatives for our bargaining unit
  • Representation activities will be paid up to one hour daily
  • BCEU is permitted to use county email and mail systems to communicate union matters
  • Paid bargaining time
  • One hour paid time per day for stewards or CWA staff to talk to bargaining unit members at work regarding rights under COBCA
  • BCEU will be granted one seat on the Boulder County Benefits Advisory Board for a union member to fight for better benefits for workers in our bargaining unit

Link to Interim Agreement (Boulder County login required): Interim Agreement
 

Wages Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for 2026

Our Bargaining Committee, with the passionate support of our organized members, successfully negotiated wages for 2026 with county management. This MOA grants employees these increases: 

  • Bargaining unit employees will receive an average of 4.5% increase for 2026, with the lowest-paid workers receiving over 10% increases

  • All Eligible FTE-employees who are below the mid-point of their pay band will receive a 2.7% Standard Pay Increase, and those at or above the mid-point of the pay band will receive a 2.2% Standard Pay Increase beginning on the January 2026 paycheck, as long as the employee has not gone through a disciplinary process in the last twelve months

  • Cost of living increase of $152 per month

  • The lowest paid 10% of eligible full-time employees will receive an additional 1% one-time bonus on their February paychecks

  • The minimum salary will be raised from $50,000 to $52,000 per year

  • Temporary, hourly, or seasonal employees will receive a Standard Pay Increase of 2.45% for 2026

Link to 2026 Wages MOA (Starts on Pg. 6 - Boulder County login required): Wages 2026 MOA
 

Helpful Links