Letter to the Editor – The Denver Post
April 9, 2025
Part of a “recipe for escalating class warfare”
It continues to alarm me that opponents of the worker protection act (that would overturn the Labor Peace Act ) use the union shop argument as a false defense of workers’ rights. Compelling union membership vs open shop contracts is an important discussion, but the existing Colorado Labor Peace Act is designed to stop union organizing and nothing more. They are fully aware of this because they are the same people who oppose open-shop unions as well.
The Labor Peace Act curtails freedom of association for thousands of people who want to improve their lives. It is not just about money. The right to organize is about public safety, work schedules and appeal rights. In short, it is about due process of law. People who truly believe in freedom of speech and association could modify this bill to mandate strong open-shop contracts, but they choose to label anything they disagree with as extreme or overregulation – Especially labor law, considered by many as “anti-business” which is a death knell that has helped turn the two-party system into a smoldering mess.
Looking at the big picture, I think the DOGE and the labor peace act resemble a perfect recipe for escalating class warfare. Colorado is a blue state. I hope Governor Polis listens to Senator Sanders on this one. (but not everything).