A bill in Washington — the Credit Card Competition Act — is trying to end credit card rewards. If the new mandates written in the bill go forward, rewards cards will be unlikely in our future — this includes benefits like airline miles or cashback.

You can predict the effect this would have on travel and union jobs; though the impact may not occur overnight, over the course of months and years booking will decrease and fewer people will be traveling. For some, out-of-state vacations are the norm, but for many working-class families in Denver, a vacation is something that must be carefully planned. You must consider if you have any paid time off available, if you have room in your budget, and how much extra it’ll cost to eat out every day. If you have to take unpaid time off, you’ve got to factor that in too.

Credit cards that let you earn perks help make trips like this more realistic. If you need to buy something, nowadays you might as well do it with a credit card so you can earn miles or cash. But with rewards like this gone, many families won’t be able to travel. I don’t have to tell you our area is popular for tourists — just a look at the Rockies on a clear day can remind you why we are lucky to live here, and why so many want to visit. But research shows tourist destinations like ours will suffer significant economic damage with this bill.

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Travel is nice, of course, but beyond the loss of vacations, there will also be a major loss of jobs. Anytime large numbers of people stop buying plane tickets or staying in hotels, people in the travel industry are furloughed or completely let go. Forty-thousand people work at Denver International Airport alone. Many of these jobs are union jobs. Flight attendants, mechanics and more all have their own unions. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA are two of the many labor organizations opposed to the mandates proposed by the CCCA. Additionally, those unions are joined in their opposition, rather unusually, by every major carrier at DIA, including United, American, Southwest and Frontier Airlines. 

Union jobs are more likely to have higher pay and worker protections. Unions are needed to be able to provide guidance to workers facing wage theft, discrimination and other situations that threaten their livelihood. They are also a critical tool for making sure the working class has a voice in negotiations. I spent 40 years as a telecom worker and have seen firsthand in my industry how important unionization is. Now, as a state representative for Jefferson County, I hear stories regularly about unfair labor practices. Word must get out about these credit card mandates so union jobs are protected in our city.

Meanwhile, the Colorado General Assembly has passed Senate Bill 5, which aims to strengthen union participation by removing the requirement for a second election when negotiating union security clauses. This will help secure stronger contracts, improving wages and working conditions, particularly for workers at places like Denver International Airport.

However, though Senate Bill 5 strengthens worker protections, the proposed end to credit card rewards would take away a key financial tool for working families, making vacations and everyday expenses harder to afford, and leading to job losses over time in the travel industry.

The loss of jobs like these would be devastating to the economy anywhere in the nation, but especially in Denver, where housing has become unaffordable for those without six-figure jobs. Though summer is now approaching, the colder months we are known for are some of the hardest for families I know. Heat is incredibly expensive, and that, on top of outrageous rent prices, makes Denver a harder and harder place to live. We can’t afford to lose stable, union jobs, especially right now.

As a state representative, I work to hold people responsible for legislation that hurts the working class. A quick look reveals the supporters of this bill include large retail corporations, most of whom are not unionized. They hope to remake the credit card system to benefit their pockets. Our U.S. senators should not let them.

Sheila Lieder represents District 28, serving Jefferson County, in the Colorado House of Representatives.