On Friday, March 24th Governor Hickenlooper signed the Keep Jobs in Colorado Act - HB 1292 at the United Steelworkers Hall in Pueblo, Colorado. Governor Hickenlooper was joined by state and local elected officials, union leaders, and community members.

The "Keep Jobs in Colorado Act" includes several provisions aimed at increasing state economic growth while limiting outsourcing on out of state contracts. Along with outsourcing reform, the bill looks to create transparency in manufacturing purchases, improve interstate bid competition and simplify enforcement of Colorado's 80 percent hiring rule.

Colorado Pols
May 28, 2013
http://coloradopols.com/diary/43677/oh-you-mean-those-jobs-bills

Pueblo Chieftain
May 25, 2013
http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/hickenlooper-signs-jobs-bill-at-union-hall/article_4846af56-c4ef-11e2-a1f6-001a4bcf887a.html

Our Colorado News
May 24, 2013
http://www.ourcoloradonews.com/news/hickenlooper-signs-bill-intended-to-keep-jobs-in-state/article_61bd3b4e-c4c2-11e2-8240-001a4bcf887a.html

Denver Business Journal
May 24, 2013
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/capitol_business/2013/05/hickenlooper-signs-eco-devo-jobs.html

Northern Colorado Business Report
May 24, 2013
http://www.ncbr.com/article/20130524/NEWS/130529951

Action Business Blogger
May 24, 2013
http://action-business-blogger.blogspot.com/2013/05/hickenlooper-signs-eco-devo-jobs.html

 

This week Robert Reich, secretary of labor in the Clinton administration and professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, leads a discussion on what we can do to close the inequality gap as the AFL-CIO continues its crucial conversation about the future of working people and of unions at www.aflcio2013.org.

 

As commonsense immigration reform moves through the U.S. Senate, people and groups on the losing side of the debate are making outrageous claims in bogus studies and TV commercials. Let’s take a minute and revisit some of the facts about immigration reform.

Immigration reform with a path to citizenship and workplace rights doesn’t just benefit aspiring citizens and their families. It's good for all workers. Earlier this year, we published a 10-point checklist showing how all workers will benefit from fixing our broken immigration system. Here are just a few. Read the entire article.

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The AFT and First Book—a nonprofit that has distributed more than 90 million new books to children across the United States—have joined forces with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) to help encourage a culture of reading for low-income and middle-class students.

This video features AFT’s team-up with First Book to place books in the homes of the children of Freeport, N.Y., a community devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

 

Denver—Yesterday, the Keep Jobs in Colorado Act was passed by the General Assembly and is now headed to Governor John Hickenlooper’s desk. Recently the AFL-CIO released a video of the "Harlem Shake" dance in the capitol rotunda. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJA5WqXriJI??

The bill sponsors included Representatives Pete Lee (D), Dan Pabon (D), Senators Andy Kerr (D), Jeanne Nicholson (D) and cosponsors included every Democratic member of the House and Senate.

Click the title to read the full press release.
 

On Monday, April 8th the Colorado AFL-CIO released this video to coincide with the Keep Jobs in Colorado Act - House Bill 1292. This bill promotes local hiring, domestic manufacturing, expansion of "best value" employment metrics and procurement reforms that curb taxpayer-funded outsourcing of jobs overseas.

DENVER- Results from a statewide survey released today by Myers Research reveals strong voter support (86%) for ensuring collective bargaining rights for Colorado fire fighters. (See attached memo.) The timely results of this survey are arriving just as a firefighter collective bargaining bill, Senate Bill 13-025, passed the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2013, and moves to the House.

“This survey demonstrates overwhelming support for fire fighters and to ensure that we have a seat at the table to negotiate as a group,” said Mike Rogers, President of the Colorado chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters. “86% of voters supporting collective bargaining rights for firefighters sends a strong message to our elected officials at all level about the priorities of voters.”

Andrew Myers, president of Myers Research | Strategic Services, said, “It is rare to see such a high level of support for an issue like this. Public sentiment is clearly with firefighters on collective bargaining rights and legislators should be wary of being on the wrong side of this issue.”

The survey of over 600 voters in Colorado in late January has a margin of error of +/- 4.0. (See attached memo.) Respondents were asked the question:

And as it relates to firefighters in Colorado, do you favor or oppose allowing firefighters to negotiate with local governments over issues like better safety equipment, ensuring safe staffing levels, and health care and survivorship benefits if they are killed in the line of duty?

The bill would ensure firefighters a voice in community discussions of resources and compensation. Several fire departments already collectively bargain in Denver and Aurora. These current collective bargaining entities allow fire fighters and their employers to discuss daily service delivery, wild land operations, and acquisition of necessary first responder equipment.

“The Colorado Professional Fire Fighters represent 3,800 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics in the state. More information is available at www.cpff.org.