‘Right-to-Work’ battle goes to Craigslist

Opponents of a so-called "right-to-work" ballot measure are seeking a few good canvassers, and they’re using on-line forums and social networking sites to find them.

Under the "right-to-work" proposal, also called Amendment 47, collective bargaining rights for labor would be significantly weakened by making it illegal for unions to negotiate with businesses as well as prevent unions from collecting dues or agency fees from non-member employees who also enjoy the union-fought benefits in the workplace.

Protect Colorado’s Future, a committee that is opposing Amendment 47 and supporting two counterproposals that would make corporate executives liable for any fraud that happens in their companies and make employers give a reason when workers are fired, has filed numerous ads on Craigslist and other sites like MySpace looking for workers:

Join a broad based coalition in grassroots politics. Help us protect Fair Wages, Workers Rights, and Stop Corporate Fraud. Pass laws that will help Colorado’s working families $8.00-$14.00 per hour, flexible schedules

• No previous experience required!

• Fun work environment!

• Door-to-Door!

• No Fundraising!

• Exceptional Political Experience!

The contact number on the ads can be quickly traced to FieldWorks, a consulting firm that represents a wide array of candidates and causes, including Protect Colorado’s Future.

Erin Rosa was born in Spain and raised in Colorado Springs. She is a freelance writer currently living in Denver. Rosa's work has been featured in a variety of news outlets including the Huffington Post, Democracy Now!, and the Rocky Mountain Chronicle, an alternative-weekly in Northern Colorado where she worked as a columnist covering the state legislature. Rosa has received awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for her reporting on lobbying and woman's health issues. She was also tapped with a rare honorable mention award by the Newspaper Guild-CWA's David S. Barr Award in 2008--only the second such honor conferred in its nine-year history--for her investigative series covering the federal government's Supermax prison in the state. Rosa covers the labor community, corrections, immigration and government transparency matters. She can be reached at erosa@www.coloradoindependent.com.

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