Three anti-union ballot issues threaten education employees

Anti-union, anti-employee groups are backing three initiatives on the November 2008 ballot that threaten your rights as a CEA-NEA member and a public education employee.

The supporters of one measure have already submitted their signatures to the state to qualify their initiative for the ballot. We ask that all CEA-NEA members DECLINE TO SIGN the other petitions so we can keep the other two initiatives off the ballot and demonstrate that they violate our rights as public employees.

1. The “Right to Work for Less” initiative supporters have submitted their signatures. This measure attacks Colorado workers and our wages, health care, and retirement benefits. Colorado workers have higher wages than people in states with right-to-work laws -- making this initiative RIGHT TO WORK FOR LESS.

Colorado workers would have less money to spend, thus the initiative would hurt our economy. It would interfere in negotiations between unionized employees and employers, banning mutual agreements that nonmembers pay their share of contract negotiations. And the initiative is unnecessary as current law already ensures that no one can be forced to join a union.

Protect Colorado's Future, the campaign of labor organizations that oppose Right to Work for Less and are working on two other anti-union ballot issues, is challenging the signatures the proponents submitted to the Secretary of State in mid-April. The Secretary of State contends the signatures are legal; however, Protect Colorado's Future believes the people hired to get the signatures violated Colorado's signature-gathering laws. CEA will work to defeat Right to Work for Less if it qualifies for the ballot.

2. Two initiatives (still in the signature collection phase) violate your Right to Participate. They are backed by the Independence Institute, the Golden-based think tank that CEA has repeatedly outed as Too Extreme for Colorado. These issues are absolutely Too Extreme for Colorado.

One would prohibit you from paying your Association dues by payroll deduction from your own salary.

The other would prevent all employee unions, including your local association and CEA, from participating in the political process under the guise of reforming “no-bid government contracting practices.” It would prohibit a local with a collective bargaining agreement and CEA from making any contribution or expenditure in connection with an election for local or state office: school board elections and elections for statewide office, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature.

We oppose any measure that limits public employees’ right to participate in their Association and their right to participate in the political process through the organization they choose as their representative. These measures unfairly target public employees and limit their rights.

We ask you to Decline to Sign the two remaining petitions when you see them at your local grocery store parking lot or at public gatherings. Circulators are seeking signatures on both right now.

These initiatives harm you and all of us in our Association. Let’s stand together against them.