Face the State Staff Report
A bill seeking to eliminate secret union ballots for workers has not yet received the full support of all of Colorado's newly elected congressional Democrats.
BennetFTS File Photo
While Rep. Betsy Markey, a Fort Collins Democrat, has pledged her support as a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, her fellow newly elected Democrats, including Sen. Michael Bennet of Denver, and Rep. Jared Polis of Boulder, have yet to announce whether they will support the controversial Employee Free Choice Act.
"Rep. Markey supports the Employee Free Choice Act. She supported it during her campaign, and she is supporting it now," Markey spokesman Ben Marter told the Fort Collins Coloradoan.
The legislation, conversationally known as "card check" will be considered beginning today in the U.S. House. If successful, it would eliminate the confidential voting process currently afforded to workers faced with contemplating unionization. Under a new system, workers would be required to sign petition cards indicating support or lack of support for unionization.
Bennet, who has a history of standing up to unions, has yet to formally take a position. "Senator Bennet supports the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain free from intimidation," said Bennet spokeswoman Deirdre Murphy. "While he believes legitimate concerns have been raised on both sides of the issue, he has not taken a position on the Employee Free Choice Act."
Before being appointed to the Senate by Gov. Bill Ritter in January, Bennet served as the superintendent of Denver Public Schools where he regularly challenged union-sponsored policies.
Political consultant Katy Atkinson said Bennet's lack of position on the bill may be designed to make him sound neutral, but could ultimately be a bad move.
"He probably knows how he is going to vote," Atkinson told Face the State. "I think the idea [behind his statement] is not to make anyone angry, but it's tough. Not taking a position isn't always the best political move."
Looking forward to Bennet's 2010 campaign, Atkinson said Bennet is in a difficult position. "If he is going to try and be a different kind of Democrat, that would indicate a 'no' vote," she added. "But it's awfully hard for somebody who has no history or base within his own party to be a different kind of Democrat. He has to somehow, someway, try to build a base for himself within his own party."
Also worth watching is how Sen. Mark Udall, a Boulder Democrat, will vote on the bill, which was first introduced in the 2007 session, passed out of the House but failed in the Senate. Udall ultimately voted yes despite his "serious reservations."
In her successful 2008 campaign against incumbent Republican Marilyn Musgrave, Markey benefited heavily from union support, with Markey's critics now claiming her co-sponsorship is payback for campaign contributions.
The AFL-CIO is actively engaged in a campaign to garner Polis' support. In an ongoing online plea to the union's Colorado members, Marc Laitin, AFL-CIO online mobilization coordinator, encourages personal letter writing to Polis to urge his co-sponsorship. "It's crucial that we demonstrate a strong majority of votes to pass the bill in the House, and we need to add more co-sponsors this week," Laitin wrote.
Polis and Markey did not return requests for comment.