Over the weekend, a Rocky Mountain News editorial blasted the Ritter administration for allowing unions almost unfettered access to state employees, a move that A Line of Sight has also criticized as transparent pandering to unions (see “More kowtowing to unions in Colorado“).

From the Rocky:

“To be sure, unions would be expected to “pay all associated costs” involved in any mailings, refrain from criticizing management in e-mails, and permit employees to opt out of correspondence. Still, all this amounts to extraordinary access. While the current policy aligns closely with the rules and practices that apply in private business, the proposed rules do not.

“It is naive to think that volume e-mails dealing with union organizing will not disrupt normal work performance, regardless of when they are sent. Campaign material is inherently a discussion-provoking distraction. Moreover, the possibility of the pervasive presence of union organizers allowed by such broad mandatory access to state workplaces is likely to create at least an irritating and distracting environment for many workers, if not worse.

“A small fraction of Colorado’s 74,000 state workers are unionized; the single largest bargaining representation covers about 4,000 members. So it’s easy to see why Colorado labor leaders are so enthusiastic in their defense of the generous assistance being offered by the Ritter administration.

“The new policy on “employee organization access” as currently crafted is unnecessary at best. At worst, it is the payback to organized labor that Republicans have characterized it to be.”