Election Day Q&A on fans, foes of Amendment 47

The Colorado Independent posed three questions to proponents and opponents of Amendment 47, a so-called right to work initiative that would restrict what way labor organizes in the state, by banning collective bargaining agreements between unions and businesses that require minimal agency fees from nonmember employees who receive union-negotiated benefits in the workplace.

1. How do you feel going into the final stretch of the campaign?
2. What do you feel was the most affective tactic used by your campaign?
3. Any specific plans or parties for election day?

A Better Colorado—Pro-47

1. “We are hopeful and confident that voters understand what Amendment 47 is really about — the individual freedom for us all to decide for ourselves if we want to pay dues to a labor union or not.”

2. “When people understand that Amendment 47 is not an anti-union measure — but rather a pro-freedom, pro-worker measure — we know that Amendment 47 enjoys overwhelming support. Delivering our message, and telling the truth in the process, was very effective in earning supporters.”

3. No public function at this time.

Protect Colorado’s Future—Anti-47/49/54

1. “We feel very good about our efforts to educate voters and the depth and breadth of the coalition we have built going into tomorrow’s election but we are continuing to work hard to reach out to voters about these deceptive amendments.”

2. “We had a very robust campaign of going door to door talking to voters and once you explained to the voters how these amendments would silence our first responders and teachers they understood the importance in voting.”

3. “We will be at the Sheraton hotel in the Grand Ballroom.”

Stay tuned for the results!

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.