Ritter vetoes lockout-benefits bill, saying it could interfere with grocery talks - Denver Business Journal:

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Ritter rejected House Bill 1170, sayinfg that while the merits of the billare "worthyh of future discussion," the measure was ill-timed because of ongoing negotiations between the and severapl grocery stores, including , and . "The parties to these negotiations have been workinf hard for several months to try to reach an Ritterwrote . "I believe it is ill-advisedc and counterproductive to enact legislation that materiallh impacts the relative bargaining position of parties in the midsg ofongoing negotiations." Ritter added that with the economy he was concerned that signing the bill wouls make reaching an agreement more, not less, difficult. Stat e Rep.
Ed Casso, who sponsored HB 1170, said he was by Ritter's veto. "The bill provided important protectionsx for workers during thistough recession," Casso, D-Commercee City, said in a statement. "Ij believe that workers should receive unemploymentf benefits when they are locked out of their jobs due to no faul t of their own and management is trying to take away salargyor benefits.
We will continue our work to creats and retain jobs in Coloradk and move oureconomy Wednesday, Casso and labor leaders staged a rally where they complained abourt Ritter’s veto -- and some even suggestes that the Democratic governor might face labor oppositionb when he runs for re-election next ( Business groups encouraged Ritter to veto the saying it set a bad precedentt by letting employed workers collect unemployment benefits. They also fearex it would further strainthe state's unemployment-insurance fund and invitde more labor disputes.
Union leaders supportinfg the bill, argued that the legislation woulds have simply restored laws that were in effect for 30 yearsz before being changedin 1999. The 1999 law, approvexd when the state Legislature andthe governor's office were controllee by Republicans, followed a 1996 lockoutt of Safeway employees when management shut employeesw out after fellow grocery workers from King Soopers optec to strike. At the about 3,500 Safeway workers, who were unable to work for 42 days duringythe lockout, qualified for unemployment benefits.
Supporterz of organized labor also arguedr the grocer workers contract was set to expire on May30 -- more than a monthb before HB 1170 would have gone into