Members of the city’s Governance and Intergovernmental Relations Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to advance a required ordinance implementing and clarifying collective bargaining rights for certain city employees. 

Last year, more than 64% of voters approved a ballot measure that establishes collective bargaining for non-supervisory city employees to negotiate compensation, working conditions, and other employment terms.

The measure has been strongly supported by members of the City Council.

Once established, eligible employees for the new collective bargaining unit include all career service employees and employees of the City Council, Library Commission, Civil Service Commission, Board of Adjustment and Denver Water.

Denver Police, Fire and Sheriff’s office employees would not be included as they already have bargaining rights.

Also exempt will be careers service employees of the Denver Health and Hospital Authority, all supervisory and confidential employees and certain political employees and elected officials.

Employees will be able to authorize payroll deductions for union dues. 

Denver Department of Human Services employee Hanna Heredia thanked members of the City Council for standing with city workers, particularly during the layoffs this summer.

“You’ve shown that you value the people who keep the city running,” Heredia said. 

“I am a 51-year product of collective bargaining. I know what it does, I know how it changes your life,” said Ronnie Houston, a longtime member of the Teamsters, one of the local unions supporting the efforts of city workers to organize. “I know how it takes you out of the ghetto and puts you in the middle class. I’m a testament, a living example of what it does. Everybody wants a livable wage, everybody wants good health care, everybody wants a pension, everybody wants safety rules, and everybody wants to be respected. Everybody wants their voices heard.” 

Just over two months ago, Denver cut 169 city and county employees from the payroll in a painful round of layoffs that left workers reeling and unions accusing Mayor Mike Johnston of “changing the rules” before workers could organize for collective bargaining.

Union members have vowed to fight decisions by the city’s Career Services Board, which some say have made it easier to shed employees in light of the city’s projected $200 million budget deficit.

Johnston’s union critics argue that the rules place emphasis on merit, as opposed to seniority. 

Opponents have called the shift a more merit-based system “insulting” and ripe for opportunities for managers to “eliminate critics and rivals.”

Voter-approved 2U requires the city to pass an ordinance ensuring city workers can begin collective bargaining as part of unions on Jan. 1, 2026. 

The proposed ordinance is expected to be presented before the whole body of the Denver City Council for its first reading on Nov. 3.

A second reading is anticipated Nov. 10.