More Colorado snake oil:

Formula for Big Labor coercion to come:

By Will Fine, Executive Director National Alliance for Worker and Employer Rights

Have we not been sold a bill of union goods in Colorado?

Governor Ritter, a Democrat, went against his own big labor bosses by vetoing very prudently a pro-union Bill. Yes, a union intimidation Bill that would have driven many businesses from Colorado making it easier for unions to establish so-called "closed shops". "Closed Shops" that would have forced all workers to pay Union dues in designated unionized businesses. To punish Governor Ritter for his action, Labor threatened to remove the 08 Democratic Presidential convention from Colorado: "Unless we can be assured that the governor will support our values and priorities, we will strongly urge the Democratic Party to relocate the (2008 national) convention."

Clearly Unions still don't know how to win fair and square. Unions will do anything to coerce you into being a "yes" man, even to go against themselves. In this case, unions had set up the sweetest deal from the state of Colorado that would bring the Democratic convention to Denver in 08. Howard Dean had worked on the deal with Andy Stern and John Sweeney forcing Colorado to give into more Union demands. The sweet deal the Unions had worked out for themselves was to turn then non-Union Pepsi Center in Denver into a site staffed by the stage hand Union members alone. Even in Howard Dean's words, there is a strong commitment to Denver while he gave up on non-Unionized Coloradoans to close the deal: "Still, Dean said, the choice of Denver reflected his commitment to building the party nationally. It's important, in politics, to put your money where your mouth is, Dean said. I've said consistently we want to have a fifty-state strategy." Mr. Dean, an important question here for you to answer: Are threats to the Governor of Colorado if he is not a "yes" man for paying back the Unions a part of your fifty state strategy?

Are Unions not entitled to be named the match-coercers of the Democrats?
Sure, when Unions give $65,000,000 to Democrats in the last elections. Of the $65,000,000, $850,000 went to the Colorado delegation alone. Yes, in terms of desperation according to union density, Unions in Colorado have kept failing to keep their members unionized. For twenty nine years private sector unions have shrunk from 21.7% of employment in 1977 to today's Union density of only 7.4% Clearly, Unions are good matchmakers for a minority of Colorado Democrats out for their own self -survival.

Curiously,when you think Unions threaten cities like Denver with millions of potential victims to get their way you would think the Democrats would come forward to protect Governor Ritter? Maybe they looked back fondly to the 04 Democratic convention in Boston that brought in $154,000,000 and did nothing. The truth is no Democrat came forward to repudiate the lynching that Labor gave to the Governor for not toeing the party line, and isn't this another sad reflection on the kind of "yes" Democrats the Unions have bred nationwide. While the Democrats want their convention in Denver, they also endorsed a radical Union position that would have caused so much harm to the city. Through their undeniable silence they proved they would never stand up for Democratic rights even if their own Democratic Governor went to his end.

Don't these same national Democrats continue to use their silence to not protect your Democratic rights while hiding their own radical Union positions from you? Does this not hurt all Americans who want to have a say in their future? Have you heard the report from Congress that the Union- driven Democrats voted to end secret ballot elections in every workplace through their Employee Free Choice Act? Yes, when the Union-Democrats, in their vote for EFCA, had a chance to protect your free rights-- like they never did with Governor Ritter-- did they? As "yes men" what could you hear from them but the silence of your rights taken away.

People of Denver, the truth is Labor thinks you owe them. You owe them for just threatening unmitigated economic harm to your city by taking the Democratic convention away. Just talk to New Yorkers during Local 100's strike last year. During that strike, which was in violation of New York's Taylor law, businesses lost billions during Christmas time while chaos reigned. Isn't it clear that whether its New York or in Denver, Labor Unions continue to separate themselves from the harm they do to everyman and every woman when they hold hostage entire cities to get what they want? People of Colorado, ask yourself why should you be the victims of such Union coercion that forces workers to pay these "lords of chaos" for the single purpose and single privilege of having a job.

William Fine is Executive Director of the
National Alliance for Worker and Employer Rights
122 C. St. Suite 220 NW
Washington D.C.
202-393-1185 (OFFICE)
202-492-3196 (CELL)
http://www.freeworkplace.org