COWINS

COWINS stands for Colorado Workers for Innovative and New Solutions. It is a union representing classified, covered state employees. COWINS describes themselves as a union “working to improve the quality of services, safety, pay and benefits, working conditions, conflict resolution, staff attrition and more to ensure an effective workforce to serve all Coloradans.”

Shortly after former Gov. Bill Ritter signed Executive Order D 028 07 “Authorizing Partnership Agreements with State Employees” in November 2007, elections of eligible state employees were held across the state.

In June 2008, more than 50% of the eligible employees who voted selected COWINS to represent them. Under Section 24-50-1105(2) of the Act, COWINS continues to be the Certified Employee Organization (commonly referred to as “union”) representing all covered employees.

COWINS can be reached at info@cowins.org or (720) 614-1547. Employees can find more information about COWINS at coloradowins.org. 

Employees should contact COWINS at info@cowins.org or (720) 614-1547 for information on becoming a member.

COWINS represents covered employees regardless of whether they are dues paying members of COWINS. According to the Act, all classified employees are covered, except if they are designated in one of the 10 categories listed below.

• Confidential Employee: A person who is required to develop or present management positions with respect to employer-employee relations or whose duties normally require access to confidential information contributing significantly to the development of such management positions.
• Managerial Employee: Any employee having significant responsibilities for formulating agency or departmental policies and programs or administering an agency or department.
• Executive Employee: Any employee (a) whose primary duty is management of the entity in which the employee is employed or of a customarily recognized department or subdivision thereof; (b) who customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more other employees; and (c) who has the authority to hire of fire other employees whose suggestions and recommendations as to the hiring, firing advancement, promotion or any other change of status of other employees are given particular weight.
• State Personnel Director and employees of the Director working to implement the Act.
• Director and employees of the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics within the Department of Labor and Employment working to implement the Act.
• Governor’s Designee: the person or people the Governor designates, in writing, as the individual or individuals who will represent the state in the exercise of the state’s responsibilities under the Act.
• Administrative Law Judges, and Hearing Officers.
• State Troopers.
• Employees of the Legislative Branch.
• Temporary employees as defined in Colorado Revised Statute Section 24-50-114.

Note: Non-classified employees are not covered employees.

Yes. 

No. While COWINS represents all covered employees in collective bargaining in the formation and implementation of a partnership agreement, employees are not required to be dues paying members. 

Employees can contact COWINS at info@cowins.org or (720) 614-1547 for information on the requirements of being a member.

The terms of the membership are between COWINS and the employee. As such an employee must be directed to COWINS at info@cowins.org or (720) 614-1547 if they no longer want to be a member or to cancel their authorization for membership dues through payroll deductions and other payments. COWINS is responsible for processing these requests in accordance with the terms of the authorization and sharing that information by the 10th of each month with each agency and institution.

The Act provides that an employee can revoke the authorization for a payroll deduction, and thus membership, at least annually. Because membership is a matter between the employee and COWINS, an employee must be directed to COWINS at info@cowins.org or (720) 614-1547 in order to change or cancel their membership. The university has no authority to terminate a membership even at the request of an employee and must be neutral with regard to the employee’s decision. 

COWINS membership dues are paid through payroll deductions. When an employee decides to become a member of COWINS, the employee will provide COWINS with an authorization for a payroll deduction. Authorizations for payroll deductions can include electronic authorizations, including voice authorizations, that meet the requirements of an electronic signature. COWINS will provide the university with a list of all covered employees from whom payroll deductions should be made and the corresponding amount. Employee Service’s payroll team will process the list prior to payroll processing for the next payroll.

Employees should contact COWINS at info@cowins.org or (720) 614-1547 for information regarding membership dues.

Employees should contact COWINS at info@cowins.org or (720) 614-1547 for information regarding membership dues.

The employee will need to contact COWINS directly at info@cowins.org or (720) 614-1547.

In addition, covered employees may opt in or opt out of their personal information being shared with COWINS through this web-based form.

If an employee has concerns, they should first contact COWINS at info@cowins.org or (720) 614-1547. Membership and membership dues are governed by the membership terms between COWINS and the employee. 

No. A classified employee is a covered employee, except as described above, regardless of for whom they work or where they work in state government. For example, classified employees within the Community College System, Attorney General's Office, Secretary of State, and independent institutions of higher education are covered employees unless they are specifically exempted.