Business, labor (Colorado) plan for November ballot fights

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/apr/25/business-labor-crafting-plans-for-ballot-fights/

By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Friday, April 25, 2008

With little chance left of getting "right-to-work" backers to pull their ballot measure, business and labor interests have drawn up battle plans.

A union-backed coalition filed a last-minute proposal Friday that would change the definition of a labor organization. The aim is to exempt unions from the impact of a potential right-to-work law that would bar all-union workplaces.

"This is such an incredibly divisive issue," said Jess Knox, head of the Protect Colorado's Future coalition. "We wanted to make sure Coloradans have an opportunity to vote affirmatively for the current system."

A group of Denver business leaders has been weighing several options for a voter dissuasion campaign, while labor groups will try first to knock the right-to-work amendment off the ballot by finding enough invalid signatures on the petitions that were turned in this month.

"You hope, hope, hope in your heart of hearts that everybody will stand down," said Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Denver Metro Economic Development Corp., an affiliate of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. "But you've got to plan for the worst."

In a slide presentation obtained by the Rocky Mountain News, the economic development corp.'s executive committee discussed various strategies last week for warding off "mutually assured destruction":

FULL story at link.