'Union shop' legislation advances

David Milstead, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 31, 2007 at midnight

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Businesses of Colorado have united, but it's organized labor that's gaining the upper hand as a pro-union bill continues its journey to Gov. Bill Ritter's desk.

House Bill 1072 passed a Senate committee Tuesday on a 4-3 party-line vote after more than two hours of testimony, including vehement opposition from business groups and strong support from labor. It heads to the full Senate and then will likely go to Ritter, who has implied he will sign it.

Nearly two dozen opponents testified, with speakers from the Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo chambers of commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and industry groups representing restaurants, skiing, general contractors, hotels and mining companies.

Their message: The Colorado Labor Peace Act struck a compromise between "right-to-work" states, where no employee can be forced to pay a union for the costs of representation, and states where labor unions are free to negotiate contracts that demand just that.

"We believe it's created a good balance between labor and management, when nearly all states surrounding Colorado are right-to-work states," said Chuck Berry, the president of the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry.

Tom Clark, head of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., said he tells out-of-state companies interested in Colorado that the state is not "right to work" but has the special election as a means of labor peace.

"With House Bill 1072, we won't have that answer," Clark said.

Others were angrier. Christine O'Donnell of the Colorado Restaurant Association called the bill "a slap in the face to every business in Colorado. Those who vote for it are turning their backs on the business owners and business groups who urged their members to vote for Referendum C."

Democrats sponsoring the bill said it's a minor change that eliminates outdated language and keeps the state from interfering in private contract negotiations.

But nearly a dozen supporters, including several union members, said it's wrong to say the bill would take away workers' rights because federal law contains provisions that allow workers to de-certify a union or de-authorize a union shop.

Steve Adams, president of the Colorado AFL-CIO, referred to "right-to-work-for-less" states and said they have higher rates of workplace deaths, fewer workers with health insurance and lower spending on education.

Teamster Dean Modecker urged the senators, "Don't vote for the business people. Vote for the people."

What is House Bill 1072?

It strikes a provision of the Colorado Labor Peace Act that requires a second, supermajority election before a workplace can become a "union shop." In union shops, employees must join the union - or at least pay the costs of representation - or risk being fired.

Pro?

"Colorado is anachronistic, this is undemocratic, unnecessary, time-consuming and it's time for a change."

Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, the sponsor of the Senate version of the bill Businesses "want unions to be at a disadvantage. They do not want unions to grow."

Steve Adams, president of the Colorado AFL-CIO

Con?

"The Colorado Labor Peace Act has been an elegant solution between the tension between right-to-work and (union shops)."

Barbara Thompson, Mountain States Employers Council

"This is an attempt to gain legislative protection for outdated and what I consider coercive tactics."

Gary Bennett, spokesman for Steamboat Springs- based contractor TIC

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