This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Democrats and unions go together, mostly.

Organized labor almost always is aligned with the political goals of the Democrat Party. Few Republicans ever see a union endorsement, and the donations from union members largely end up in Democrat coffers.

But that hand-in-glove relationship is taking a hit in Colorado, where union leaders are complaining that Democrat leaders in the statehouse are refusing to engage in wage talks.

The fight is described by Colorado Politics and involves the Political Workers Guild of Colorado.

That group represents legislative aides, organizers, and campaign workers, and in a letter charged that its members suggested a cost-of-living wage increase from $23 an hour to $30 an hour.

And they proposed full benefits like other members of Colorado's legislature.

But the union said state leaders, all Democrats in Colorado's one-party rule, "ignored the proposal and declined to meet."

"Democratic leadership abandons the labor values they campaign on when it comes time to pay their staff a living wage," the union charged.

The union said negotiations have stalled because Democrat leadership won't engage, but Senate President Steve Feinberg said it's simply a matter of the legislative process, and the bill tied to the discussions has advanced from the House to the Senate.

Fenberg said Democrat leaders have been working with PWG since its creation in 2021.

He called it a "mischaracterization" to say Democrats are not negotiating.

Twenty-four members of the state House joined in the letter expressing concerns about the pay, but Fenberg said those members should have addressed their concerns when the bill was before them.