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Amendment 47 means the right to work and earn less

This letter has not been edited

Gary Roeckel, Denver

Published October 27, 2008 at 6 p.m.

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Amendment 47 is a bad deal for ALL workers in Colorado. The more accurate title for this amendment is the “right to work and earn less”.

That’s right earn less! In 2006, average pay in so called “right to work” states was 13.1% lower than states where workers have the freedom to form strong unions. Now I realize that not everyone has a favorable opinion of unions but union members with their collective bargaining agreements keep everyone’s wages and benefits up. Some companies even pay higher than union scale to keep a union from organizing their workforce. So even though that workforce is not unionized they still benefited from having a strong union in the state. The one benefit they don’t get is a union pension and with the events of the last few months that is a very important thing. My union pension fund took a hit, but my lifetime monthly benefit will not be reduced. If I had a 401k as my main retirement fund like most non union workers have I would be working longer or retiring at a much lower standard of living and I would not have a lifetime benefit.

One of the lies that the pro 47 people are spreading is that members’ dues go towards political issues they don’t support. The truth is that in 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Communications Workers v. Beck that workers who are forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment may not be required to pay dues beyond those necessary for collective bargaining purposes. They also are entitled (if they so choose) to a refund of any portion of these dues that is used by their union for political purposes.

Dues are the income unions use to conduct business. That means negotiating contracts, representing workers on the job, fighting for unemployment benefits if an employer refuses to pay, resolving issues with workers compensation, paying salaries, providing a union hall to conduct business from to mention a few.

Amendment 47 is a direct attack on that income and will weaken the voice of workers in the state of Colorado. It will give every worker less money to spend down the road. Oklahoma was the last state to go “right to work and earn less” 9 years ago. In those 9 years wages in Oklahoma have increased only 1%. Colorado wages for the same time period have increased on average 36%. How would you like your paycheck to look 9 years from now? Vote NO on Amendment 47!