State employees who unionized last year are asking for greater access to fellow workers in order to increase their organizing efforts.

Colorado WINS, the union that represents 32,000 state employees, held a lobbying and organizing day at the Capitol on Wednesday, capped by a speech from Gov. Bill Ritter.

He told the union that while raises for state employees must be eliminated next year because of the recession, he will work to safeguard against layoffs.

Several attendees at the speech said that in lieu of increased pay or benefits, they would like greater opportunities to sign up more workers.

Tax examiner Dennis Berry said he would like to get a column for the union in Stateline, the newsletter for state employees, to let people know about WINS activities. "We can't have an organizer walk up to every person in the state and ask: 'Will you join?' " Berry said.

Driver's license examiner Ellen Oliver added she is tired of having supervisors tell her to stop talking about union activities on work time. She said she'd like easier access to talk to other workers about joining.

"If this is a partnership with the legislators or with the governor, this is something I should be able to do," Oliver said. "If he's validating us, why do we get all the resistance from our supervisors?"

Such suggestions concerned Republican legislators who attended the speech.

Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, called it "ridiculous" that state employees should expect to use their paid time to try to increase union membership.

"If I would like to go to political rallies, I have to do it off work on my dime," Stephens said. "I'm not sure why these people think they should be doing things while they're on the taxpayers' clock."

Several people also said they worry about whether union organizers are getting more access to government resources than union opponents.

Dave Ohmart, an unemployment call-center worker, said he recently received an e-mail about budget concerns from Colorado WINS that was sent out through the state's e-mail system.

He asked on Feb. 2 to send out an opposition letter through the same system and continues to wait for a response. "They get access immediately, while I have to beg and plead," Ohmart said.