Governor Polis, Colorado WINS Sign Memorandum of Understanding Supporting State Employees

DENVER - Today, Governor Polis, joined by the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration, and Colorado WINS signed the Step 2.0 Memorandum of Understanding between Colorado WINS and the State of Colorado. The Step 2.0 MOU triggers the Step Pay 2.0 Plan that will be requested as part of the Governor's November 1, 2026 budget submission for implementation on July 1st of 2027. This MOU builds off of the 2024 collective bargaining agreement to convene a working group and design an update to the step pay program, meeting the interests of Employees, the State, and Coloradans.

"Colorado State Employees are dedicated public servants that are the backbone of our state. State employees deliver critical services to Coloradans across our state, spending years learning new skills, taking on more responsibility, and becoming someone the State and the public rely on," said Governor Polis. "Step pay means more predictability, helping Classified employees afford housing, child care, groceries and the other costs - giving them the freedom to create the life they want in Colorado. I want to thank Colorado WINS for their partnership and their dedicated work to support Colorado and our dedicated public servants that make our state great."

"This is an exciting step to ensure that public service remains an attractive career option," said Jana Locke, Executive Director of the Department of Personnel & Administration and State Personnel Director. "This, along with other initiatives such as skills-based hiring, help us ensure that we hire and retain talent and recognize and reward our employees who have dedicated their careers to the State. In partnership with the Governor's Office, Colorado WINS, and the legislature, we will continue our efforts to take care of our employees and build a thriving workforce of the future."

"We're proud that we've finally reached agreement with the State on tangible recognition for state employees' years of service. This win is especially critical now, given the increasing demand for public services, and will help us retain and hire the people we need to keep Colorado running," said Hilary Glasgow, COWINS Executive Director.

There are three main aspects to the Steps 2.0 Memorandum of Understanding:

• It expands eligibility for pay progression with a change in Step pay from time in a single job series, to time in the larger bucket of occupational groups.
• It introduces the new Total State Service Award, an annual cash award that starts in year 3 of employment. The Award is based on total years of State service, giving employees credit for time spent instead of one specific job series. This specifically honors the value that long-term institutional knowledge brings to our State.
• It includes a 1.25% Cost of Living Adjustment to help State of Colorado employees continue to thrive as economic conditions change.

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