Contentious Colorado labor union bill clears first hurdle of 2026 legislative session

Less than a year after Gov. Polis vetoed a bill to overhaul Colorado's labor unionization law, a House committee approved a new bill that's essentially a carbon copy of the old one.    

The House Business Affairs and Labor Committee passed the Worker Protection Act (HB26-1005) on Thursday afternoon on a party-line vote, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.

The bill would upend the state's 80-year-old Labor Peace Act, which requires union organizers to hold two elections to form a union. The first vote determines whether employees want to unionize, and it requires a simple majority to pass. The second vote determines whether non-union workers must pay dues, which requires a supermajority (75%) to pass.

Brennain Degenhardt was among those who testified in favor of the bill, which he says is about protecting workers and making it easier to organize in a state with one of the highest costs of living.

"Being a member of a union... have better protection... better wages...opportunities to lead a dignified life in Colorado," he said.

Degenhardt was among a group of workers, business owners, union activists, and grassroots organizations who formed "Colorado Worker Rights United" to support the bill.  

The Colorado Chamber of Commerce is among those opposing the legislation.

Stacey Campbell with the chamber suggests the bill is a solution in search of a problem.

"I don't know why advocates wouldn't want all employees...vote on whether... pay union dues... union is deducting wages from their paycheck," she said.

That bill passed the legislature last year, but Governor Polis vetoed it, demanding that labor and business come up with a compromise.

Data published by the Colorado Fiscal Institute shows that union workers earn 10% more than non-union workers with similar jobs and qualifications and are more likely to receive employer-provided health insurance and retirement benefits.