Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I am proud to work for Boulder County and I love my supervisor. Why do I need a union?
A. Those of us who are involved in building our BoCo union feel the same way about our county and many of our supervisors. Our union will be a collective voice for frontline employees. We need an organization of us, by us, and for us – to protect what is good and to improve what needs to be changed. There are some issues which even the best supervisor could not address on their own. For those issues, we need our own organization.
Q. A group of us tried to organize a union at BoCo 20 years ago. What’s different now?
A. So much is different now! Boulder County Commissioners passed a BoCo Union Neutrality policy in 2007 which forbids our Boulder County supervisors and managers from discouraging us to form a union. On July 1, 2023, a state law goes into effect which allows county workers to collectively bargain. Also, a group of us have been building an organizing committee and meeting with our County Administrators and Commissioners for the last few years. And finally, we are in a historic period of a labor upsurge. More Americans support unionization than any time in the last 50 years. The time is now!
Q. Why did we choose to organize with CWA?
We are proud to affiliate Boulder County Employees Union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) for many reasons::
CWA’s strong national history and culture as a worker-led, democratic union.
CWA has a demonstrated record of support for our independent BoCo union efforts.
CWA is one of the largest public sector unions in Colorado and has a proven record in the fight for Colorado public sector workers’ rights.
Q. How did we choose to affiliate with CWA?
Our Boulder County organizing committee debated and discussed the possibilities of organizing independently or affiliating with a national union.
We met with and communicated with AFSCME and CWA and we weighed the pros and cons of each organization.
- Our organizing committee took a unanimous vote in June 2023.
Q. I cannot afford to lose my job or get in trouble at work. Will I be retaliated against for supporting the union?
A. Absolutely not. Both the Boulder County policy and state law protect your right to support the union and be active in the union in your workplace
Q. If we vote to form a union with Boulder County Employees Union/ CWA, how much will we pay in dues?
A. Boulder County Employees Union membership dues will be 1.3% of your base wages. Union members will only pay dues once we vote to ratify (or approve) our first union contract. In the public sector, it is not required to be a union member or to pay dues though we strongly encourage everyone to become a member so we can have the strongest, most effective union possible. Union dues are our collective money and we decide how they are spent.
Q. How are our dues spent?
A. We decide! In our union, 60% of our dues stay with our local union where we control how we spend our collective money. Forty percent goes to our national union where we also get a voice in decision making through our national executive board and our elected Defense Fund Oversight Committee.
Q. I heard there were two different union efforts. Can you help me understand what is going on?
A. Yes! An independent committee of workers started a unionization in 2020 and we voted recently to affiliate with CWA (learn why here). Another national union, AFSCME, started an organizing effort at the end of 2022. If our effort and/or AFSCME get 30% of workers to sign cards, we will have a union election! Depending on what happens we will likely have the choice between one or two unions and no union. We encourage everyone who is pro-union to follow our pro-union code of conduct so we stick to a positive, pro-union messaging.
Q. I support us having a union at BoCo. How can I help?
A. Please sign our Boulder County Employees Union/ CWA E-authorization petition and get your co-workers to do the same. To build a strong and effective union, we need a strong union presence in every department and workgroup – and you can build a union presence in your area! We have a regular organizing committee meeting for people who want to help lead this effort. Please contact us at [email protected] to get invited to the next on-boarding meeting.
Q. How does the unionizing process work?
A. Workers start by talking amongst ourselves about the issues we care about and how, through forming a collective voice, we can better advocate for ourselves and the people we serve. We sign union cards and turn them into the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) in order to call for a union election. CDLE will hold a union election by secret ballot and if the majority of votes cast are for the union, our union will be the certified representative for negotiations on wages, benefits, and working conditions with County Leadership. We will elect a bargaining committee from among our membership and head to the bargaining table. Learn more about collective bargaining here.