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Fact Sheet: Right to Work
This November, Colorado voters will have the opportunity to decide if workers in the state will be free to choose for themselves whether or not to join a union. It’s Amendment 47, the Colorado Right to Work Amendment. If passed, Amendment 47 will strengthen Colorado’s economy, protect the rights of all employees and ensure that no one can be forced to join a union to get or keep a job.
Here’s why Colorado needs Amendment 47:
No one should be forced to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment.
Under current Colorado law, workers can be forced to join a labor union to get or keep a job. Some companies in Colorado have what is called a “closed shop,” meaning that union membership is compulsory for certain jobs. This unfair practice limits employment opportunities for many Colorado workers and is an unfair infringement upon their freedoms. Amendment 47 will give workers in ALL industries and in ALL companies the right to choose whether or not to join a union, and will make this necessary right a part of the Colorado Constitution.
Amendment 47 protects worker rights, including the right to strike, collective bargaining and the right to organize and belong to a union.
The Colorado Right to Work Amendment simply removes the requirement that workers MUST join a union as a condition of employment.
Amendment 47 protects workers’ paychecks.
Unions have played an important role in promoting worker safety and improving wages and benefits for many Colorado workers. But today, unions are far more likely to spend their membership dues on politics than on negotiating better salaries and working conditions. In fact, studies have shown that UP TO EIGHTY PERCENT of union spending goes to political campaigns and purposes not related to negotiating with employers. No one should be forced to pay dues when union bosses spend the vast majority of their members’ hard-earned money on political candidates and causes that might be contrary to a member’s political beliefs. Amendment 47 will stop the unfair practice of forcing workers to pay dues that support political causes without their consent.
Amendment 47 will strengthen Colorado’s economy, create jobs and make our state more competitive.
It is more important than ever that Colorado takes the necessary steps to keep jobs in the state and attract more businesses in the future. States that have adopted right to work laws similar to this amendment have seen an increase in economic productivity and job growth. This will be an economic engine for Colorado, spurring the creation of new and better paying jobs today and in the future.
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