Many University of Colorado Classified staff are represented by Colorado Workers for Innovative and New Solutions — or COWINS — the labor union established to negotiate on behalf of state employees.

The agreement between COWINS and the State of Colorado is authorized by the 2020 Colorado Partnership for Quality Jobs & Services Act. For CU supervisors and Human Resources staff, it’s important to understand the responsibilities and limitations set out in the partnership.

To help departments navigate their relationship with Classified staff, we’ve created an HCM Community webpage that brings an array of resources together.

On this page, users can find:

• A copy of the current partnership agreement
• Text of the legislative action
• A decision tree to help users identify if an employee is covered by COWINS
• A guide to using the Union Code field in Position Data
• Extensive FAQs that address new employee orientation, the rights of the institution, prohibited activities and more.

It’s important for supervisors and HR professionals to understand the university’s responsibilities and rights according to the partnership between the union and the state. If you have any questions not addressed by this page, reach out to your campus HR office for guidance.

It’s also valuable for covered, classified staff to understand their own rights and responsibilities. For that purpose, we’ve created an Employee Services COWINS page with relevant resources and an FAQ focused on employee concerns.