Still griping about the icy, snowy winter of our discontent?

Get in line behind Herb Lynch.

He's among the -army of state highway workers who plowed snow-choked roads in freezing, white-out conditions while everyone else guzzled eggnog and stayed home from the office.

"We were out there plowing snow eight weeks in a row," Lynch said. "We missed Christmas with our families; we missed New Year's with our families.

"We worked eight straight weeks under horrid conditions. And the least they can do is pay us what we're owed, on time."

Lynch protested with 200 co-workers at the state Capitol on Friday about getting stiffed for months of overtime because of problems with CDOT's new financial-management system.

Lynch, who joined CDOT's road crew 18 months ago after leaving the grocery industry, said he is paid about $2,400 a month. He said he had a hard enough time adjusting to CDOT's payroll system, which pays overtime a month after it is earned.

The computer system debuted in November, and Lynch said he is still owed $850 in overtime."It's tough to make ends meet," Lynch said.

He had a message for his new boss: "Gov. Bill Ritter, I'm calling you out to find out if we're part of your 'Colorado Promise,' " invoking Ritter's campaign slogan.

During an address to the Colorado Association of Public Employees on Friday, Ritter told CDOT workers that he heard about their situation before taking office in January.

Ritter said that he and his team are doing everything they can to address it.

gathrighta@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5486