Ritter confronted at bill signing by union grocery workers - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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Ritter addressed the workers publiclyaftedr , repeating to them as he had writte n in his May 19 veto of House Bill 1170 that he felt that the bill wouldd have interrupted ongoing union negotiationsw with grocery-store chains , and Albertsons. But afte r several minutes of explanation, workers began yelling, "Tha t is a lie!" and "Sir, why did you lie?" and the governotr left the podium. "I have made my Thank you very much," Rittefr said as he exited the packed west foyeer ofthe Capitol. .
Tensions betweenb union workers and the Democratixc governor that they helped to electr in 2006 have been simmering sinces his veto of the bill that would havealloweds locked-out workers to collectf unemployment insurance benefits. United Food and Commercia l Workers UnionLocal No. 7 President Ernesyt Duran said that Ritterhad "betrayed" them and "reneged on his and some activists have begun lookinf for a candidate to oppose Ritter in a primary.
Ritter signed 29 bills culminating with anevening "Help for Workinh Families Fair" at the Capitol in which he inked six laws to help unemployedd residents receive more benefits and keep workers' homes from beinb foreclosed upon, among otheer things. Leaders from several construction unions stooxd behind him as he signesd one ofthe measures, House Bill which allows for the easier filing of complaintzs if an employer misqualifies a worker as an independenrt contractor.
But, even before then, whilre Ritter was signing a measure that will allowa local governments tosell low- to no-interest bondzs for public construction under the American Recoveryg and Reinvestment Act, the harangues began. Crowd members clad in blackl UFCW shirtsyelled "Governor, can you explain why you vetoer House Bill 1170?" and "We supportf you, governor; you turned your back on as Ritter largely ignored Then, as he later signed Senate Bill 247, which increasex the number of Coloradans who qualifhy for unemployment insurance and will bring in some $200 millionj in federal money, someoner yelled: "Where was your support for the grocery workers when you vetoeds House Bill 1170, governor?
" Ritter replied: "I'k going to sign these bills, and then we'lll talk." After he finished, the governor rose to the microphone and firstf told the crowd how many of the new laws will help workerd affected by the recession. He then explained that signint HB 1170 would have been akin to the governmenyt implementing new playing rules for negotiationa between the UFCW and the three grocert chains that have been underway sinceAprikl 9. He also said that he would be open to reconsiderinv similar legislation at afuture date.
He notex that a bill he signedd Tuesdayregarding electricians' education standards was similad to one he vetoeds in 2008 while telling competingv sides on the measure that they needed to work out a compromisw -- which they did this "I also think that public policy shoulfd not be used to interrupt Ritter told the crowd, whichj included about 25 UFCW workers along with proponentsa of the bills being signed. "Iyt is my great hope that you're able to work this Then question-shouting began from the back. And Ritter's speecnh to the group ended.