"it is time for employees in Colorado to have a free choice of whether to join a union when they accept employment with a company rather than being forced to join..."
I've worked in a factory in Colorado for more than three decades (1970 to 2002). One of my co-workers through all of that time never joined the union. He nonetheless had the right to file a pay-grade grievance, and the union took his grievance all the way through five steps of the grievance process. It was still not settled, so the union took it to arbitration. All this for an individual who never once attended a union meeting, and never did join the union.
When i hear the false claim that workers in Colorado can be forced to join a union, i think of my co-worker.
Now it is possible that someone hasn't been aware of the law. I'm sorry that this is a possibility. But with so many individuals spreading erroneous information about forced union membership, and others spreading the same sort of mis-information for political advantage, is it any wonder that working people don't always know all the rights that they have?
richard myers Colorado factory worker IBEW retired
The Pilot is right about all three of these amendments. They are punitive, unnecessary, and detrimental to the interests of Colorado's working people, and the economic climate. Enshrined in our state's highest legal document, the constitution, they would fester and cause grievous damage for years to come.
But the Pilot misses one important point: much of the business community has joined working people, faith organizations, and unions in opposing these three amendments.
I recommend a visit to these two websites to appreciate the extent to which this is the case:
Senator Salazar was very polite when he referred to the "small group of narrow special interests" supporting Amendment 47. In my view, they are... well, let me offer some recent history, and let the reader decide.
Amendment 47 is deceptively written, and it is being dishonestly promoted. Channel 9 News fact-check has found the most ubiquitous pro-47 ad to be false:
"QUOTE: All it does, it gives workers the right to choose for themselves whether or not they want to join a union (Graphic: 'Amendment 47 is about the freedom to choose')
The people backing Amendment 47 have broken Colorado's campaign finance laws, and even after being fined for those transgressions, they apparently are continuing to break the law:
So we have a shadow group of donors, we don't know who they are. And we have a front group that violates the law, and that furthermore puts out a deceptive -- well, Nine News calls it "false" -- political ad.
Do we really want such a group modifying the highest law in the state of Colorado?
Readers can find more information about Amendment 47 at:
Frank Roitsch: Yes on 47
"it is time for employees in Colorado to have a free choice of whether to join a union when they accept employment with a company rather than being forced to join..."
I've worked in a factory in Colorado for more than three decades (1970 to 2002). One of my co-workers through all of that time never joined the union. He nonetheless had the right to file a pay-grade grievance, and the union took his grievance all the way through five steps of the grievance process. It was still not settled, so the union took it to arbitration. All this for an individual who never once attended a union meeting, and never did join the union.
When i hear the false claim that workers in Colorado can be forced to join a union, i think of my co-worker.
Now it is possible that someone hasn't been aware of the law. I'm sorry that this is a possibility. But with so many individuals spreading erroneous information about forced union membership, and others spreading the same sort of mis-information for political advantage, is it any wonder that working people don't always know all the rights that they have?
richard myers
Colorado factory worker
IBEW retired
November 3, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Our View: Right to work doesn't work
The Pilot is right about all three of these amendments. They are punitive, unnecessary, and detrimental to the interests of Colorado's working people, and the economic climate. Enshrined in our state's highest legal document, the constitution, they would fester and cause grievous damage for years to come.
But the Pilot misses one important point: much of the business community has joined working people, faith organizations, and unions in opposing these three amendments.
I recommend a visit to these two websites to appreciate the extent to which this is the case:
http://www.protectcoloradosfuture.org/
and,
http://www.voteno47.com/
Check out, in particular, this link:
http://www.protectcoloradosfuture.org...
No to Amendments 47, 49, and 54. They're bad for all of us.
October 27, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Chamber board revises stance
The re-thinking of Amendment 47 is great to hear. Amendment 47 would be very bad for Colorado's working people.
richard myers
October 21, 2008 at 6:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Ken Salazar: Measures pose threats
Senator Salazar was very polite when he referred to the "small group of narrow special interests" supporting Amendment 47. In my view, they are... well, let me offer some recent history, and let the reader decide.
Amendment 47 is deceptively written, and it is being dishonestly promoted. Channel 9 News fact-check has found the most ubiquitous pro-47 ad to be false:
"QUOTE: All it does, it gives workers the right to choose for themselves whether or not they want to join a union (Graphic: 'Amendment 47 is about the freedom to choose')
"TRUTH: This is false."
http://www.9news.com/news/article.asp...
The people backing Amendment 47 have broken Colorado's campaign finance laws, and even after being fined for those transgressions, they apparently are continuing to break the law:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news...
So we have a shadow group of donors, we don't know who they are. And we have a front group that violates the law, and that furthermore puts out a deceptive -- well, Nine News calls it "false" -- political ad.
Do we really want such a group modifying the highest law in the state of Colorado?
Readers can find more information about Amendment 47 at:
http://www.voteno47.com/
October 20, 2008 at 11:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Too much time?
Readers can take action to get these two young men released. Please sign the Hunger Is Not A Crime Petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/colofre...
The Free Siller and Charle web page is here:
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/colorado...
September 4, 2006 at 10:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )