US EditionBill to Change Colorado Labor Peace Act's Second Election ...
The bill would remove Colorado’s unique 75% approval second election for union security fees, a barrier supporters say weakens labor bargaining power amid rising union support.
- On Jan. 8, 2026, Colorado Democrats announced they will revive the Worker Protection Act and reintroduce it during the legislative session starting Jan. 14, aiming to remove the second union vote requirement.
- The law's 75% second-vote requirement under the 1943 Labor Peace Act is unique and supporters say it gives employers extra time to oppose unions and weakens their bargaining power.
- Last year, lawmakers passed the bill but Gov. Jared Polis vetoed it after negotiations with labor and business groups collapsed despite his openness to a revised threshold.
- Polis has warned he will veto again if no compromise emerges, raising pressure on U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser as Polis is term-limited and this is his final session.
- Business groups including the Colorado Chamber of Commerce and Colorado Ski Country USA oppose the bill, while a 2025 Gallup poll shows around 70% union support and regional ski-industry strikes highlight organizing struggles.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Colorado Democrats, labor movement revive push to ease unionization rules. Jared Polis is promising another veto.
Democrats in the Colorado legislature plan to reignite a labor policy fight with Gov. Jared Polis this year by trying again to pass a bill making it easier for unions to force all workers at a company to pay fees for collective bargaining representation — regardless of whether they are members of a union. Polis vetoed the same measure in 2025. This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at kunc.org. …
Gov. Jared Polis 'frustrated, surprised' at efforts to revive vetoed union bill
Gov. Jared Polis was surprised that Democratic lawmakers and labor groups are seeking to revive a union-backed legislation less than a year after he vetoed the bill due to concerns about its impact on businesses and mandatory dues. Elected officials
Colorado Democrats to reintroduce vetoed bill the would ease union formation
Rep. Javier Mabrey, center, speaks about the Worker Protection Act at the Colorado Capitol on Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline)Colorado Democrats will once again consider a bill this year to eliminate a second election requirement in the state’s union laws, following a veto on the first iteration of the legislation from Gov. Jared Polis. Lawmakers, workers and union members crammed into the space outside the governor’s offic…
Sky Hi News
Colorado Democrats revive legislation to change decades-old union law
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Gov. Jared Polis’ office. Colorado Democrats will try again in 2026 to pass legislation aimed at making it easier for unions to organize. Standing beside hundreds of workers during a rally at the Capitol on Thursday, state lawmakers said they will revive a failed bill from last year that sought to overturn an 80-year-old labor law that they say acts as a major roadblock to u…
Denver Post
Democratic lawmakers will resurrect vetoed labor bill with an eye toward Colorado’s next governor
Colorado Democratic lawmakers are bringing back a pro-union bill vetoed last year by Gov. Jared Polis, seeking to influence debate between Polis' would-be replacements, Phil Weiser and Michael Bennet.
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