By Jeremy Ross

Shame on Gov. Jared Polis.

He used his veto pen again to indulge the billionaire corporate elite by denying the freedom of workers to join together and form a union without being threatened, fired or blocked by a second election. For two years in a row, the Worker Protection Act passed out of the House and the Senate only to die on the governor’s desk.

Working Coloradans should be able to support our families. For many of us, that only happens when workers have a real voice on the job through a union, because a strong union allows workers to advocate for decent pay, benefits and safety on the job without retaliation from the boss.

But billion-dollar corporations and the politicians who side with them are fighting to keep workers quiet and the status quo in place. They do this so profits keep going to the top instead of to the people who actually do the work.

The system is rigged against workers, and it has been this way for too long. These powerful interests have protected a Colorado-specific law requiring a second supermajority election for workers to form a strong union. The Worker Protection Act was designed to eliminate that unnecessary and difficult barrier.

This broken system means nurses at Swedish Hospital and HCA HealthONE have been harassed and intimidated for speaking up, and Starbucks baristas across the Front Range have been threatened and even fired for organizing. At the same time, families are being squeezed by the rising cost of housing, health care, groceries and childcare.

At a time when talk about the affordability crisis and prices dominate the news, it’s important to recognize fair pay is the other half of the equation. Unions raise wages so families can keep up with the cost of living and can afford rent, groceries, health care and childcare.

Despite his false pro-labor rhetoric, the governor typically sides with big business at the expense of workers. He has betrayed Colorado workers many times, including vetoing a bill that would have protected construction workers from wage theft, another that would have prevented companies from retaliating from workers who opt out of “captive audience” union-busting meetings, and of course, last year’s Worker Protection Act, too.

But the tide is changing. In Colorado and across the country, it’s clear everyday people are hungry for leaders who will stand up and fight for them. The old way of doing political business that’s dominated by wealthy special interests is on its deathbed. All the people I know and work with are looking forward to a new politics that renews a commitment to working people and our interests.

Elected officials also see the politics of the future. Every Democratic state legislator voted in favor of the Worker Protection Act, recognizing Coloradans need protection so they can stand up for fair pay and the stability their families depend on. Almost all of them have signed a letter demanding the two Democratic governor candidates commit to signing it next year should either of them win.

Workers across Colorado expect the next governor — whoever that might be — to join with us to fix this broken system and level the playing field so workers can finally speak up about wages, safety, and stability without fear. Let’s build a Colorado where everyone can thrive and build a good life, not just the wealthy few.

Jeremy Ross is a member of Colorado Worker Rights United steering committee, secretary-treasurer of the Colorado AFL-CIO, and business manager/political coordinator for IBEW 111, a union that provides opportunities to workers in the electrical trades.