A coalition of Colorado workers, union activists, and grassroots organizers announced today the launch of Colorado Worker Rights United (CWRU) and partnered with Democratic state legislators to introduce the Worker Protection Act.
This legislation, spearheaded by State Reps. Javier Mabrey (D-Denver), Jennifer Bacon, State Sens. Jessie Danielson (D-Wheat Ridge), and Robert Rodiguez (D-Denver), would overhaul labor law in Colorado, streamlining the process of forming a union and expanding workplace protections. Unlike other states, Colorado requires workers to hold a second election, this time with a higher threshold, to begin discussions on union security, a crucial part of collective bargaining agreements that go over representation fees.
“Colorado is the only state that requires a second election to achieve union security, putting up an additional obstacle for workers who want the freedom to negotiate to put more money in the pockets of working families, decrease the wealth gap, and increase worker safety,” said Senator Rodiguez, one of the bill’s co-sponsors and Majority Leader of the Colorado Senate. “Aligning Colorado’s workers’ law with most other states requiring only one election will empower workers to stand up to level the playing field with corporate employers.”
Labor advocates have been encouraged by what they see as a surge of union support. Even at a point in history when economic inequality is more pronounced than ever, recent polls have found that 7 out of 10 Americans support labor unions, an all-time high.
Activists and organizers have been further encouraged by the various labor reform measures that passed across the country in this month’s elections. Even states that wound up voting for Donald Trump by wide margins simultaneously passed initiatives to benefit workers. Missouri, Alaska, and Nebraska all passed guaranteed paid sick leave and Missouri and Alaska went further by voting to raise the minimum wage in their states. CWRU sees this as a sign that Americans are ready to stand with the labor community in pushing for economic change.
Danielson, one of the Worker Protection Act’s prime sponsors, acknowledged the broad community support the proposal has received. “I want to thank the broad coalition that is here today alongside our union brothers and sisters, you’ve got environmental advocacy organizations, religious organizations, and community organizations here to today to support this important measure.”
“Workers deserve a safe place to do their jobs, they deserve fair pay for the hard work they put in, protections from retaliation, and a seat at the table when it comes to decisions about their jobs and workplaces. We have been laboring an unfair and outdated policy that makes it harder for workers to unionize, harder to seek those basic human rights that they deserve and that come with union security workplaces. Now is the time to address that problem and pass the Worker Protection Act,” Danielson said. “Union security doesn’t just increase safety and benefits for workers, but also for members of the general public. For example, protected union nurses feel comfortable speaking up for patients’ care, construction workers with union security are able to flag unsafe bills, secure hospitality workers feel empowered to bring up food safety threats to avoid dangerous situations like the recent E. Coli outbreak at McDonalds, and in countless others ways. When you improve the workplace for the workers, it extends to the general population. This change to Colorado law is long overdue.”
After the event, we spoke with Rep. Javier Mabrey, who was emceeing the press conference.
“I am super excited to be working on this legislation and ask something simple of my colleagues, whether they support collective bargaining or not. It’s uniquely hard to collectively bargain here in Colorado because we have an unnecessary, arbitrary second election to form a union. That second election only exists to make it more difficult to form a union. Our legislation is about making sure it’s as easy to form a union in Colorado as it is in any other pro-worker state in the country.”
Mabrey had a message for fellow members of his party. He sees the trifecta that the Democratic Party holds in Colorado politics as an opportunity for Democrats to reaffirm their commitment to labor. Mabrey and other legislators who sponsored the bill worked closely with labor leaders in crafting this legislation.
Mabrey hoped his Republican colleagues would take this as an opportunity to demonstrate support for Colorado workers, but said he doubted they would take the opportunity.
Although legislative Democrats have touted the bill, six months earlier, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a set of pro-labor bills, and a statement put out by Polis’ spokeswoman, Shelby Wieman, indicated that the governor would likely take some convincing.
According to Colorado Newsline, Weiman said in a statement earlier in the day that the two-election system that’s currently in place was an “avenue to strengthen unions through union security agreements.”
Weiman also said that Polis, “As the Governor who has expanded labor rights and has proudly signed laws that expanded collective bargaining, he is leery of the need for a new bill to open the Labor Peace Act that serves the state and workers so well. Any changes to The Labor Peace Act would need to find common ground with employers and businesses and labor, and the Governor is deeply skeptical of this bill without a heavily negotiated, thoughtful, and comprehensive process.”
The Labor Peace Act, which was passed in 1943, requires a second vote by workers, which must reach a 75% approval threshold, to begin negotiating union security. Business interests in Colorado have expressed opposition to the Worker Protection Act, namely the Colorado Chamber of Commerce and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. These organizations argue that the proposed legislation would undermine the competitiveness of Colorado businesses, although the Colorado Fiscal Institute argues the opposite.
Shad Murib, the chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, lauded the efforts by the legislators. “Workers have been under attack in Colorado for too long and the Worker Protection Act will end that. We are ready to pass this legislation, put our money where our mouth is, and stand up for our democratic values. We all agree that Colorado should be one of the best places to start a business, but it should also be one of the best places to be a worker in this country,” Murib said.
Murib added: “Better pay, safer working conditions, and better health benefits, that’s what being in a union promises. That means you get workers who are happier, who are more protective. That means we’re attracting businesses to this state that are ready for a safe, productive, and happy workforce.”
Murib later said in an interview that the proposed legislation would reduce the bureaucracy and “get rid of” unnecessary thresholds that get in the way of creating better workplaces. Murib hopes to see bipartisan support for the measure in the legislature, although he did express skepticism that Republican leadership would cross the aisle.
“The Republican Party doesn’t seem to be listening to their constituents who are demanding the same thing, and they have continuously opposed worker protections. Instead, they have supported giveaways to the wealthiest corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals in the state who try to steer our policy,” Murib said.
Murib indicated that the Colorado Democratic Party specifically wanted to recenter themselves around labor issues. He says that during his tenure as chair, he has tried to elevate the voices and work of labor in campaigns and legislative priorities.
In between remarks from legislators, labor organizers, and Colorado workers took the mic to advocate for expanding worker protections.
Rich Martin, a King Soopers employee of 38 years and a UFCW organizer, emphasized how current Colorado law creates barriers to unionization and how that impacts the workforce.
“Most stores were organized before Colorado’s unfair law went into effect more than eighty years ago. That means they [King Soopers workers] were able to negotiate union security after the first election. My store in Broomfield opened later and it’s the only King Soopers without union security,” Martin told the crowd. “About seven years ago we decided to organize a second vote so we could organize union security. Management ran a very intense union campaign. The store manager wouldn’t allow people to take time to go down to vote, so we lost the vote. Without union security, King Soopers can and does outsource our work to subcontractors, we do not know if they have done background checks or if they have been through proper food safety training. We have a lot of concerns we don’t feel comfortable bringing up to management like not having enough time to properly clean to protect workers’ and customers’ safety.”
Another organizer who spoke at the event was Liza Nielsen, a Starbucks worker who helped organize the first union at a Starbucks in Colorado. Nielsen says that even though they won their effort to form a union, they faced major retaliation and union-busting tactics from the corporation. Despite this, Nielsen was proud to say that their union was finally at the bargaining table with the company and expected a ratified contract by the end of the year.
Nielsen told CTR: “The Worker Protection Act is super important to codify protections in our state law and to address a lot of our outdated labor law. There are certain boundaries in our labor law currently that make it difficult to organize effectively and efficiently. The bill would give us an easier way to fight for higher wages, safer working conditions, and less retaliation in the workplace for organizing.”
The event today officially introduced the Worker Protection Act, which Democratic leaders in both chambers say they intend on bringing to the floor the first week of this legislative session. Labor organizers used today as an opportunity to announce their labor coalition, Colorado Worker Rights United, which consists of a wide array of unions like SAG-AFTRA, AFSCME, Teamsters Local No. 455, the SEIU, United Steelworkers, and more. Other community organizations like New Era Colorado, the Bell Policy Center, the Colorado Working Families Party, and the Colorado Fiscal Insititute have joined in voicing support for the proposed legislation.
Update – 6:00 PM, Nov 19. – A statement from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ spokeswoman on the Worker Protection Act has been added, as well as information on the opposition from business groups in Colorado.
