ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Furniture executive Jake Jabs says he’s backing a right-to-work measure partly because he’s concerned about what he calls the growing influence of unions in Colorado and across the nation.
Jabs, the owner of American Furniture Warehouse, has been appearing in TV ads promoting Amendment 47 on the November ballot, which would bar unions from requiring nonunion workers to pay dues.
Jabs said Tuesday the measure would leave unions with less money to spend on political campaigns. He also said it would free up more money for workers to spend.
Jess Knox, head of the union-backed group fighting Amendment 47, says other businesses and unions set aside their differences to work together against the measure, which he says will hurt Colorado.
A group of business executives known as Colorado Concern as well as leaders of such companies as Xcel Energy and Qwest Communication oppose the measure.
They agreed to last week to raise $3 million to fight Amendment 47 and two other measures opposed by unions. In exchange, unions agreed to drop four other measures that business groups had opposed.
