Colorado Politics reports Gov. Jared Polis says he’s “frustrated” and “surprised” that Democratic lawmakers and labor unions are reviving the so-called Worker Protection Act less than a year after he vetoed the last version (Senate Bill 005). The new push would overhaul Colorado’s decades-old Labor Peace Act by repealing the second election requirement that currently needs 75% approval to allow a union “security agreement,” meaning all workers pay union dues whether they joined the union or not. Sponsors and union leaders say it removes an unnecessary barrier; business groups say it’s about forcing dues on nonmembers. This is Colorado politics: sell it as “pro-worker,” bill you like a subscription.
Polis wants everyone to “come together,” after his office acknowledges “nothing has changed.” A year later, the same crew is shoving the same thing back onto the table and acting shocked anyone notices. That’s not governing. That’s reruns.
Worker Protection Act: Same bill, new tantrum
- Polis vetoed SB25-005 after it passed on party-line votes.
- His veto message warned about mandatory dues deductions and no compromise.
- Now his office says the same legislation is coming back and “nothing has changed.”
Democratic lawmakers passed it, Polis vetoed it, and now Democrats are resurrecting it like a bad idea with a lobbyist’s punch card.
The real fight is who gets to skim paychecks
- Labor Peace Act requires a second election with a 75% threshold to allow mandatory dues for all workers.
- The proposal would repeal that second election requirement.
- Polis: “At its core, this is about who has a say in whether union dues are deducted from employee paychecks.”
Unions are trying to lower the bar to unlock dues from every worker, including the ones who don’t want in. That’s not “worker protection.” That’s monetizing payroll.
Denver Democrats blame “billionaires,” then demand forced dues
- Rep. Javier Mabrey says “billionaire-backed corporations” keep wages low and profits high.
- He pitches the bill as help for workers facing high costs and stagnant wages.
- The rally included several hundred union members and Democratic officials, including Jena Griswold.
Mabrey points at “billionaires,” while his policy move is to compel payments from regular workers who may not consent. It’s class-war theater with a dues-collection backend.
“Compromise” that always ends with labor getting the lever
- Polis urged labor and business to compromise during 2025; negotiations collapsed late.
- His office pushed its own deal, but the bill he got was “virtually unchanged.”
- Critics say the two-election system has been a “balanced solution” for nearly a century.
Polis is now scolding everyone to “work on a solution together” after Democrats ignored the veto signal and hit restart. That’s not accountability. That’s political laundering.
Here’s what we know as Colorado taxpayers and workers: when politicians and unions rebrand a dues-and-power play as “pro-worker,” we’re the ones who get squeezed. We’re already dealing with high costs of living, regulatory pile-ons, and the constant Denver habit of “fixing” things that weren’t broken. And the article doesn’t even show the full 2026 bill language, the specific unions driving it, or how many Coloradans get financially hit. Conveniently vague. Conveniently profitable.
Polis vetoed SB25-005 because he didn’t want mandatory dues deductions sliding through on a low bar. Now Democrats and union leaders are trying again, and Polis is acting like he’s watching the same movie for the first time. What’s the endgame here: worker choice, or a guaranteed revenue stream? Share this, and tell us who you think this bill actually protects.
Source: Colorado Politics
Just Stop It
