Let’s take the lead on labor policies that empower hardworking Coloradans and grow the middle class
unions
Posted inNews
Purgatory ski patrollers form union, push for better wages as part of national resort labor movement
Pete Kemery spent last winter living in his truck camper parked at a friend’s house. “I wasn’t paying rent so I was able to make my job work,” said the ski patroller at Purgatory ski area outside Durango. “That’s pretty common for a lot of us. And I guess we’ve reached a point where we […]
Posted inNews
What’s Working: Colorado employers say there’s still a labor shortage even as more jobs are filled
Colorado employers may be facing some of the highest inflation in decades, not to mention talk of recession (no, one hasn’t been officially announced). But one thing that may be finally easing up is attracting enough workers. It’s still bad, just not as bad as it was a year ago, said Curtis Englehart, executive director […]
Posted inSunLit, SunLit Interviews
SunLit Interview: In the tale of a union trailblazer, Jane Little Botkin found a story that still resonates
Jane Little Botkin turned to historical investigation and writing upon her 2008 retirement from teaching. Now she melds personal narratives of American families with compelling stories of women, labor radicals, miners, lawmen, and outlaws in settings rich with the history of the West. Though a Texas native, her family’s roots are entwined with Colorado’s mining camps. She is […]
Posted inBusiness, News
Denver’s Convergence Station could be the second Meow Wolf location to unionize
More than half the people working at Convergence Station in Denver say they want to join the Meow Wolf Workers Collective and create a union bargaining unit for the massive immersive art installation. The workers of Meow Wolf Convergence Station announced their intention to join the Communications Workers of America on Tuesday, declaring “the age […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
Two King Soopers workers file unfair labor charge against union after getting fined for crossing the picket line
Two King Soopers employees who crossed the picket lines as union grocery employees went on strike in January for better wages — and were then fined by the union — filed an unfair labor charge against the union on Monday. According to the complaint, the union fined Nick Hall $812 and Marcelo Ruybal $3,799. In […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
Starbucks workers allege retaliation for union efforts at Colorado stores
What’s Working: This is a segment of our weekly What’s Working column. Read the full column. >> Sign up for the newsletter Since Jan. 1, workers at nearly two dozen companies have filed for the right to be represented, including caregivers at The Bridge at Longmont assisted living to tree trimmers at Asplundh Tree Expert […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Coloradans feel inflation’s pain, make compromises on food and travel
Colorado’s 2022 began with grocery store employees at King Soopers from Colorado Springs to Denver voting to strike. Workers did, gained a ton of public support and ended up with a new contract that will lift pay for some workers by $5 an hour in the next three years. It was the start of what’s […]
Posted inBusiness, News
Superior Starbucks to become the first Colorado location to unionize
This article first published on Rocky Mountain PBS. By Alison Berg, Rocky Mountain PBS SUPERIOR — After a vote on Friday, the Starbucks on Rock Creek Circle in Superior became the first location in Colorado to unionize its workers. Of the 29 employees in the store, 15 cast a ballot, with 12 in support, two […]
Posted inBusiness, News
What’s Working: Colorado has recovered 89% of jobs lost during COVID-19
Colorado’s unemployment rate declined to 4.8%, the lowest since the start of the pandemic. A lot of new economic data poured in Friday to give us a better sense of how the state’s recovery is going. But first, let’s talk about a livable wage, which seems like a fair starting point for any worker who […]