Dear CO Labor Leaders,

Check out this great blog recently published on "Work for Less" at www.squarestate.net. The message is very strong and the piece is well-written.

Whenever something appears on "Work for Less" in the press, we want you to be the first to know. We'll be sending you these sorts of stories as "breaking news" from time to time.

In solidarity,

Mike Cerbo

Executive Director, CO AFL-CIO

___________________________________________________________________

Outsiders Pushing Anti-labor 'Right to Work' Amendment in CO

http://squarestate.net/showDiary.do?diaryId=5231

As some of us well know, there is another attempt this year by anti worker forces to destroy unions in CO.  Once again, Republicans and anti-union business owners are trying to destroy the benefits union members have fought hard to achieve by passing a 'Right to Work' amendment.

Such an amendment would allow non-union workers to get the benefits and improved working conditions won by labor unions without paying union dues. In other words, it allows them to freeload off the unions.  If that happens, it will not be long before there will not be any unions or they will be so weak they will be ineffectual.

'Right to work' also dictates the relationship between employer and employee, rather than letting them determine by themselves what that relationship should be.  This is how a free market works, and a right to work actually constricts employer and employee options, the exact opposite of what it claims to do.

So who is the main catalyst for this 'right to work' movement in CO? Apparently some out of state special interest groups.  Nothing quite like having out of state special interests come into your state to tell you how to run your economy.  In fact, recently Dimitri Kesari, the Executive Director of the National Right to Work Committee, testified before the Colorado Congress on behalf of this regressive amendment.  This is familiar territory for Kesari.  He was in Michigan recently pushing his anti-worker agenda there too.

Who spoke for the rights of working Americans?  A local Coloradoan firefighter. 

So to make their case, anti-union forces brought in some lobbyists from outside the state, while those supporting working Coloradoans used someone much more familiar with the CO economy and working conditions, a local firefighter.