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Ritter's pleas on ballot issues go unheeded

Business, unions not backing off petition efforts

By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 3, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Business and labor factions are pressing ahead with competing voter initiatives despite efforts by Gov. Bill Ritter to discourage them.

Union interests have launched several ballot proposals in recent weeks, while a business-backed "right-to-work" measure expects to have enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

"We are staying focused on collecting the signatures, getting it on the ballot and winning the campaign in November," said Kelley Harp, campaign spokesman for the group pushing the so-called right-to-work proposal, which would ban arrangements that require workers to pay for union representation.

"I'm not aware of any negotiations (with the governor's office) at this point," he said.

Union leaders also have vowed to keep working on their far- reaching proposals, though some say they are open to discussing whether some sort of compromise could be reached.

The right-to-work campaign expects to have more than enough signatures by its April 10 deadline.

Sources tell the Rocky Mountain News that the campaign has been funded by executives Jonathan Coors of CoorsTek and Jake Jabs of American Furniture Warehouse. Coors sits on the board of the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, which decided last week to endorse the ballot proposal after labor groups had filed other ballot initiatives. Jabs is a former CACI board member. American Furniture executive Andrew Zuppa sits on the CACI board.

A labor-backed coalition called Protect Colorado's Future is pushing for two ballot initiatives:

* A constitutional amendment that would require employers to prove "just cause" for firing employees.

* A measure, backed by workers affected by corporate fraud, would allow any Coloradan to sue executives engaged in criminal wrongdoing.

"We think these initiatives are really important for Colorado families," said Mitch Ackerman, president of the Colorado Council of the Service Employees International Union.

Ackerman, who is part of the Protect Colorado's Future group, said he has talked to the governor's office but has yet to meet with the opposing side.

"We appreciate what the governor is trying to do, and we're open to discussions," Ackerman said. But he noted that the pro-labor ballot measures "make a lot of sense" and said, "We're moving forward, and that's been our plan from the start."

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 entered the fray this week when it filed five measures that would do everything from require cost-of-living increases to health care coverage for all workers at companies with 20 or more employees.

The governor's office has been talking to the various parties in an attempt to persuade them not to proceed with the ballot fights.

"Colorado's economy right now is in a somewhat precarious place," Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer said. "Having a ballot-box confrontation like this is not conducive."

So far, Dreyer said, Ritter's office has been trying to "bring people together to reach common ground. There have been conversations and there will be more conversations."

Political pundits say getting groups to back off could prove challenging.

kelleyj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5068. Staff writer April Washington contributed to this report.

Comments

  • April 3, 2008

    12:22 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    rwmorrisonjr writes:

    I'll also vote for right to work, if for no other reason than to make the grocery stores more competitive. The whole concept of unions has outlived its useful life in today's modern economy.

  • April 3, 2008

    12:25 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    dolander123 writes:

    Anyone that can say unions are just a bunch of thugs does not know much about what unions have done for this country. Who do you think brought you all the benefits all of you enjoy. Do you think these companies just gave you insurance,40 hour work week,paid vacations. out of the goodess of there hearts. You are sadly mistaken. People died for what you enjoy these days and we will continue to fight for working people in this country.

  • April 3, 2008

    12:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    momoftwo writes:

    Shame on you for enjoying the fruits of those who labored before you. Without the blood, sweat and tears of those workers who sacrificed, and yes, picketed when necessary, we, the middle class, would never be able to dream of owning houses or sending kids to college.

    Without a union contract in place, any benefits you might have left, have been and will continue to be dismantled before your eyes. Who will stand up for you?

  • April 3, 2008

    1:53 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    oneworker writes:

    The so-called right to work is nothing more than a desire to keep workers from having the means to have a say about their conditions. The message from the anti-worker groups is clear. They will do whatever it takes to weaken workers so they can be forced to work for less. By the way, isn't CACI a union of owners.

  • April 3, 2008

    2:49 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    courtneym writes:

    the compianes are goin to what they can so the employees wont fight for a better contract. so why plan the right to for less at a better time when people are starting to not believe in the union like they use because the contract is weak and sad and they see the employees are not happy and they want a change and when they can have a change they bring this in and say hey you dont have to pay dues so how does that sound when people dont make much and out of all the things they can say of course let's get the employees in the pocket because we kno money is everything to people this is wrong say no to right to work for LESS.

  • April 3, 2008

    3:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    middleclass writes:

    Martin Luther King JR said," In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, as 'right to work.' It provides No rights and No works. It's purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining...We demand this fraud be stopped. "

    Wake up people. The middle class is shrinking as fast as labor. Colorado doesn't need corporate interests attacking the middle class in Colorado.

    Colorado needs better jobs and wages, not more low paying jobs.

  • April 3, 2008

    3:47 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    middleclass writes:

    Corporate interests are trying to hurt Colorado workers and our economy. Why don't they sit down with labor to deescalate this situation. Colorado doesn't need this. Let's get back to trying to make things better, not worse.

    Right to work for Less proponents won't be satisfied until the middle class is gone and everyone works at Wal- Mart..

  • April 3, 2008

    6:26 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    erod writes:

    This article states that the right to work for less initiative would ban unions from requiring workers to pay for representation. Lets make a law were we banned lawyers from requiring clients to pay for representation, wouldn't that be the same thing? Unions provide a valuable service to workers who have VOTED to have a labor union. That's right they VOTED to be union members. If you don't want representation go work for wal-mart I'm sure they would be glad to exploit you.