The unprecedented accord between business and labor last week that led to the removal of four ballot measures includes a twist: a side deal between the unions, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The side agreement calls for labor groups to contribute to the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union’s political-issue committee, which was formed to fight Amendment 47 and promote two other measures that have since been pulled from consideration.
The National Education Association this week gave $1 million to the committee, called Coloradans for Middle Class Relief, according to a secretary-of-state filing Wednesday.
UFCW Local 7 political consultant Steve Welchert said the money has no connection to the business-labor deal.
“This is labor helping labor,” Welchert said. “They see this as a united front.”
An NEA spokesman didn’t return a call seeking comment.
Before the $1 million NEA contribution, Coloradans for Middle Class Relief had raised $4.8 million — all from UFCW Local 7.
The business-labor deal announced last week led to UFCW Local 7 and a union coalition called Protect Colorado’s Future, which includes the NEA, each removing two measures targeted by business from the November ballot.
In return, businesses pledged to contribute $3 million to labor’s fight against Amendment 47, the right-to-work initiative aiming to prohibit forced union fees, and two other pro-business measures.
The other measures, Amendment 49 and 54, directly affect only unions that represent government workers.
UFCW Local 7 doesn’t represent any government workers. Its members include grocery-store workers, meatpackers, private health-care employees and barbers.
Protect Colorado’s Future is a coalition of labor groups, including the Service Employees International Union, the Colorado AFL-CIO and the Teamsters. The SEIU is a member of Colorado Wins, which has been selected to represent 32,000 state employees.
Amendment 49 would outlaw the automatic deduction of union dues from government-employee paychecks, and Amendment 54 would ban political campaign contributions from unions that represent government workers or any entity that wins no-bid government contracts totaling $100,000 or more.
Welchert said the NEA’s $1 million contribution will go only toward the campaign to defeat Amendment 47.
Staff writer Greg Griffin contributed to this report.
Andy Vuong: 303-954-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com
