The union coalition Protect Colorado’s Future has raised $3.3 million during the latest reporting period to promote two ballot measures and defeat three others.
The group received $1 million from the National Education Association and $500,000 from the Teamsters union, according to secretary of state filings. As of Wednesday, Protect Colorado’s Future has raised $6.7 million and has about $1.7 million on hand.
The coalition is promoting Amendment 53, which seeks to hold executives criminally liable for corporate wrongdoings, and Amendment 55, which would limit a business’ ability to fire workers except for “just cause,” such as incompetence or poor performance.
The coalition is fighting, among others, Amendment 47, the right-to-work measure that seeks to prohibit forced union dues.
The group pushing Amendment 47 raised $418,000 during the latest period, which includes $287,000 from a nonprofit called Coloradans for Economic Growth. The group, called A Better Colorado, has garnered nearly $1.2 million and has about $493,000 on hand.
The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s political issue committee, Coloradans for Responsible Reform, raised $708,000, taking its total to $2.9 million. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave $250,000 and the Anschutz Corp. contributed $100,000.
The committee is fighting the two measures pushed by Protect Colorado’s Future and two others that are being led by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union. Those measures seek to mandate businesses with 20 or more workers to provide health insurance and require businesses with 10 or more workers to provide a safe workplace and allow injured employees to seek unlimited damages beyond the workers’ compensation system.
UFCW Local 7’s issue committee, Coloradans for Middle Class Relief, didn’t report any new funds during the latest period and has raised $4.7 million to fight Amendment 47 and promote its two measures.
