Colorado (battleground) Businesses Join Unions to Fight Anti-Worker Ballot Initiatives

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/10/03/colorado-businesses-join-unions-to-fight-anti-worker-ballot-initiatives/

by Mike Hall, Oct 3, 2008

Joining in one of the most unusual political coalitions of this election season, Colorado unions and business groups have come together to fight three anti-union ballot measures—including a “right to work” for less initiative.

The agreement, announced yesterday, calls for business leaders and business-backed groups, such as Colorado Concern, to join with unions and the union/community coalition Protect Colorado’s Future in mobilizing, voter outreach, debates and fundraising to defeat the anti-worker ballot initiatives.

In addition, four ballot initiatives backed by the state’s unions have been withdrawn, including Amendment 53, that addresses corporate fraud and executive accountability.

The “right to work” measure, Amendment 47, is being pushed by a small group of special interests and out-of-state supporters. Such laws limit workers’ rights to collectively bargain contracts, including wages and benefits. In 2004, average pay in so-called “right to work” states was 13.1 percent lower than in states where workers have the freedom to form strong unions.

Amendment 49 is a paycheck deception measure that would ban payroll deduction of union dues for city, county and state workers, such as firefighters, teachers, nurses and police officers. Amendment 54, according to an editorial in the Rocky Mountain News, was

a gag amendment…that would bar untold numbers of Coloradans from advocating their positions by making contributions to candidates or political parties—all because they happen to be a government contractor or related to one….Amendment 54 assaults political speech in other ways—outlawing campaign contributions by union political-action committees, for instance.

FULL story at link.

[Hand]

1. Thanks for the heads up, Omaha Steve!

I vote absentee in Colorado, and in the past a lot of these bad initiatives have been deliberately worded to imply the exact opposite of what they mean. :hi: