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Business, labor hope to avoid ballot clash

Opposing interests seek alternatives on right-to-work

By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 5, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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The controversy over whether to make Colorado a "right-to-work" state is coming to a head, with various camps agreeing on one thing: They don't want to see the issue on November's ballot.

Labor unions, business chambers, politicians and attorneys hope supporters of such an amendment will back down before an April 10 deadline for submitting necessary signatures to put the matter to a vote this fall.

Even the National Right to Work Committee in suburban Washington, D.C., dislikes using ballot measures to get its way, preferring to pursue legislation to avoid the expensive process of running media campaigns to sway voters.

"In Colorado, we had nothing to do with the campaign to get it on the ballot," said Greg Mourad, director of legislation for the National Right to Work Committee based in Springfield, Va. "We have continued to push for a legislative solution."

In Denver, business leaders have been meeting to see how they can help avert a full-blown election battle over a host of constitutional amendments that would radically alter not only the business climate but also labor relations throughout the state.

The so-called right-to-work proposal would outlaw workplace arrangements that require employees to pay fees to a union if they are covered by union contracts. Colorado already has a law that requires a supermajority vote of employees to approve any such arrangement.

Union proponents have raised the stakes over a right-to-work ballot move by introducing their own ballot measures. Together, the array of recent proposals would effectively provide to every worker many of the things that unions fight to obtain for the employees - annual pay raises, health care, safe workplaces and "just cause" for firings.

A coalition backing two of the worker-friendly measures continues to insist its goals have little to do with retaliating against "right-to-work" boosters.

"Ours are not related to that at all," said Jess Knox, executive director of Protect Colorado's Future, the coalition that has support from labor unions and groups such as the Colorado Progressive Coalition, the 9-to-5 National Association of Working Women, and Catholics United for the Common Good.

But Knox said the group will also use the funds it raises to campaign against a right-to-work amendment. It has yet to reach a point where it can start collecting signatures. But the coalition filed a complaint Friday with the Colorado secretary of state's office alleging the "right-to- work" petitioners had collected some of their signatures fraudulently.

"We're holding these folks to the highest standards, and we'll do the same," coalition leader Knox said.

Colorado AFL-CIO Executive Director Mike Cerbo said businesses should also weigh in against the "right-to-work" measure.

"The business community should be taking a position against it," Cerbo said. "This is not an issue we need. We've got too many other pressing issues in this state."

While labor and business leaders have clashed recently over contentious legislation and an executive order by Gov. Bill Ritter, the two sides also have teamed up on transportation, education and health care challenges affecting the state.

"We worked well with organized labor trying to move those issues forward," said Tamra Ward of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. "We've had this unique ability to work collaboratively."

The coming collision at the ballot box could change all that.

"Unfortunately, where we're headed is mutual destruction," Ward said.

Ritter's office has scheduled a meeting Monday expected to include Jonathan Coors, a key local backer of the "right-to-work" ballot initiative.

Coors is an executive at CoorsTek, a private company with roots in the brewing empire. He confirmed his involvement in the "right-to-work" campaign through a spokesman this week. Coors did not return several phone calls seeking comment.

Kelley Harp, serving as spokesman for the campaign, said the initiative has support from a "broad-based coalition of concerned citizens."

The campaign also has hired a nationally recognized strategy firm specializing in ballot initiatives and issue advocacy.

Goddard Claussen, with offices in Washington and Sacramento, has been on the winning side of a host of California measures. It also created the Harry and Louise television spots that helped kill the Clinton health care plan in the 1990s.

Executives at the firm did not return repeated phone calls, including several to pointman Reed Galen, who left his post as deputy campaign manager for Republican presidential nominee John McCain in July during a staff shake-up. Galen also served in California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign.

The political nature of ballot initiatives bothers Bill Berger, a Stettner Miller attorney who represents employers in labor matters.

"What isn't right is for both sides to elevate these political arguments to a constitutional level," Miller said. "The Colorado state constitution shouldn't shift with the political winds."

For the most part, states without right-to-work laws have higher levels of union participation, a statistic that some observers attribute to the popularity of unions rather than right-to-work laws.

kelleyj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5068

Comments

  • April 5, 2008

    9:01 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Brockage writes:

    Too late to worry about cluttering the Colorado constitution with the results of ballot measures. That matter has been settled long since.

    It has become the only way to get action by the people instead of special interest groups. I say, let the battle begin, and let's test to see just how powerful the union gang is with the people instead of with many in the legislature and in the governor's office. May the people win, not the special interests.

  • April 5, 2008

    10:06 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    uncledave writes:

    Amen Brockage - I say bring it on and let the voters speak instead of back room deals between Ritter, City Council and the Unions. I worked in a Union company for thirty years and if you think the services you get from city and state workers now is less than satisfactory (think DMV) just wait 'til the Unions get in. Their motto is "average work for above average pay for all". God forbid that you should want to pay extra for good performance or take action against slackers - you'll be in grievance meetings for the rest of your career. And, you'll be paying a bunch of union stewards to sit in the meetings with you.

  • April 5, 2008

    9:20 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    STOPUSAGiveaway writes:

    If this has anything to do with the US Chamber--they are for multinational corporations.
    What has been done for the USA worker: especially since the WTO?
    That is why we have repeated miner dead...NAFTA ripped their rights to shreads.
    This is about ILLEGALS...as the one union is for international elements--not USA.
    May l is the Communist-Socialist workers and this group is related--they marked for ILLEGALS with HERE...Restaurant workers...
    COORS has been the recipient of EXTORTION since the 80's by good ole Jesse Jackson....when Coors was already one of the best employers in the USA...
    Soon the ILLEGALS ....will just dispose of us dba the USA anyway...
    There is something too sudden and back door without the proper implications....
    No one is for us dba the USA as working-citizen-taxpayers...
    We are the worlds slaves...and most are too dumb to get it...

  • April 6, 2008

    9:33 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jacka writes:

    Should you… be forced to join the union just to work in Colorado?

    Or, should you… be free to work in Colorado?

    Right to work lets YOU DECIDE to join or not join the union.

    Instead of politicians, CEOs or labor bosses forcing you to do what they decide. Say what, a cabal?

    That right the CABAL IS THEY: the AFL-CIO, the Denver Chamber of Commerce, a compromising Chamber board, AFSME, CEA, Ritter, Ritters college buddy aka the Chairman of the Denver Chamber, SEIU, and that hardworking former businessman Hickenlooper.

    It’s YOUR job, YOUR’RE doing the work. It’s YOUR decision.

    It’s YOUR Right to Work. Support YOUR Right to Work.

    Send a message to the group that conspires - Denver Chamber, Ritter/Hickenlooper, Big Labor bosses - tell them your not interested in this years compromise.

    It’s YOUR Right to Work. Support YOUR Right to Work.