Face The State Staff Report
Colorado’s Right to Work initiative, or Amendment 47, is gaining momentum as it picks up endorsements from around the state.
If passed by voters this November, the ballot measure would prohibit workers from being forced to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment. Most recently, the Northern Colorado Home Builders, Independent Bankers of Colorado and Colorado Petroleum Marketers Association have taken positions in support of Amendment 47.
"The northern Colorado community will benefit with the passage of Amendment 47, and that's why we have endorsed the measure,” said HBA President Vicki Wagner in a news release. “Right to Work states consistently show better job growth and economic performance, and that's exactly what we need to help Colorado's economy get back on track."
The Greeley Tribune also recently voiced its support on its editorial page, saying:
“The way things stand now, many unions, under collective bargaining agreements, require every worker to pay union fees. If they don't want to join the union, that doesn't matter. They pay anyway. Even if they're opposed to unions, they pay anyway. That's extortion and exploitation, and that's why we're supporting Amendment 47, the so-called Right-To-Work measure.”
Right to Work opponent Jess Knox, director of Protect Colorado’s Future questioned the endorsements. He points out that the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Golden Chamber of Commerce have come out against the measure. The Denver Chamber is opposing any initiative that would disturb the status-quo of the Labor Peace Act, which requires a special worker vote to establish an all-union shop.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2006 there were approximately 165,000 union members in Colorado, equal to about eight 8 percent of the state's private workforce.
“As our voter education and public outreach efforts continue, we expect endorsements to keep coming in from across Colorado and from a broad range of businesses, organizations and individuals,” said Amendment 47 spokesman Kelley Harp.
YES on 47 - why the unions and their coalition is corrupt
On July 2nd, 2008 Libertad says:
Shouldn't all Coloradans have the same rights to join or not join the union?
The shameful and corrupt Denver Chamber vote to oppose Amendment 47 is wrong on numerous fronts.
There are clear social and economic benefits to allowing workers to freely choose whether or not to associate with a union. From job creation to the number of employees covered by health insurance, Right to Work states have consistently exceeded their non-Right to Work counterparts in almost every metric of economic performance.
The values promoted by this Chamber are generally admirable, yet when asked to support the extension of equal rights to all Coloradans the Chamber sadly balked to move to 1st base the Union hitman.
Amendment 47 will bring to all Coloradans the same rights state employees enjoy today. Just 9 months ago the Governor gave state employees (and state management) the protection of Right to Work when he invited the Unions to organize state employees in the name of partnership. The Chamber, led by the Governor’s former college buddy, oddly said nearly nothing in opposition then, but oppose fundamental business princples today.
This Chambers’ adoption of selective union-funded statistics to justify its mistaken position fails to capture the numerous advantages of Right to Work states.
The National Institute for Labor Relations Research published a response to the deceptive, union-backed study cited by the unions. The Institute demonstrated that states that protect employees' freedom of association enjoy higher real wages and lower costs of living. In other words, workers' paychecks go much further in right-to-work states.
While it's hardly surprising to find a union official defending an arrangement that ensures his organization can earn from forced dues; the Chambers adoption of the same reasoning is illogical, intellectually dishonest, and frankly corrupt. It calls into question the Chamber’s coalition ‘Coloradans for Responsible Reform’ (CFRR).
The attempts on Coors. Recalling the Union backed quote suggesting that the Coors family take their son to DIA’s LT parking in the car trunk proves that corrupt Unions promote death when threatened with real worker rights.
The promotion of assassination for ones beliefs is disgusting, corrupt, immoral, and a low blow for those that purport to invite active civic minded people of all shades to engage. Worse here, we have a ‘business’ Chamber in coalition with Union bosses that promote death and the double-speaking political partners who seek cover.
Any coalition with such actors deserves strong questioning of their purpose and intent, this should include their political arm CFRR.
While the moral case for a right-to-work law rests on the principle that no worker should be compelled to join a union against his or her will, the economic benefits of protecting employee freedom are clear to all but the purported 'business' chamber.
Colorado voters do well to heed the example of our more prosperous right-to-work neighbors when contemplating what to do about the state's economic woes, budget woes, and a +30% DPS dropout rate.
Stopping education reform should not be consistant with the values of a business chamber.