Green Career Training for Women

My name is Pamela Pigford, I am a 56-year-old African-American lesbian and my dream is to become an Electrician.

After working as a telecommunications technician for 20 years in LA, I moved back to my hometown of Denver knowing that these skills would soon be obsolete. With the goal of getting into the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 68, Denver Joint Electrical Apprentice and Training Committee Program, I applied, tested and interviewed with Local 68 to become an electrician in June 2010. I scored very successfully and have been on a waiting list for the Apprentice Training Program since.

While waiting for acceptance into the apprenticeship, I discovered that there is free career training available in green jobs through a grant with FRESC Good Jobs Strong Communities. Last summer, I successfully completed two courses, became a Certified Energy Auditor, and obtained my BPI certification.

Since I chose to quit my job in California to pursue career training, I have not been eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) in Colorado, and have been living off credit cards and family support. Had I been able to receive any UI benefits, I would not be as deep in debt as I am now.

Being underemployed has dramatically impacted my lifestyle and my ability to reach economic security in any real way. Last year I explored Denver, trying to learn my way around the city and took advantage of Free Day events. Now I only leave to house to job search, interview, drug test and work at temporary jobs. I continue to use free job search resources like the Workforce Center and the Public Library, and I am anxious to find something steady to support myself. My only hope is that once given the opportunity, I will prove my determination to become a valuable employee to a truly inclusive and equal opportunity organization, and succeed in my goal of becoming an Electrician or Technician in a Green Career.

Secure Our Jobs, Protect Colorado Workers!

Civil rights protection is more than the morally right thing to do: it's the right thing for our economy, and practical in every workplace.

It's already against the law for employers to discriminate against employees based on race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or domestic violence. However, holes in the existing Colorado law prevent justice for employees when their rights are violated. This results in situations where discrimination exists, but the law is unenforceable.

Legislation has been introduced to update our law as 41 other states have done, and fill the holes in workplace discrimination law to protect workers in all businesses. Senate Bill 72, sponsored by Senator Morgan Carroll and Rep. Claire Levy, will ensure that more employees in Colorado are protected by the same standards that federal law already guarantees for most employees. It would also help ensure that all of Colorado's existing discrimination protections are enforceable.

Corporate lobbyists are sabotaging attempts to make these sensible changes that have already been adopted in most of the rest of the nation. They want to keep the status quo, and create barriers to accountability for civil rights in the workplace. We need you to speak out right now, and tell legislators that we can't afford to lose jobs to discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Give employees the opportunity to seek justice.

Click here to sign the petition: urge your state representative and senator to support the The Job Protection and Civil Rights Enforcement Act of 2011.

Click here to send an email to your State Senator - asking for their support.

A Boost for Colorado's Lowest-Paid Workers

A grand total of $15,308 a year: That's the before-tax pay for a full-time worker making Colorado's minimum wage. The good news: that wage, of $7.36 an hour, is 11 cents more than it was last year. The bad news: the cost of everything else is going up.

Recent college graduate Laura Baker, who makes just above minimum wage, says that extra $20 a month will really help.

"For a salaried person, that may sound a little bit trivial, but for people who are just struggling to make sure they can go buy groceries, twenty bucks is a lot. That can help you buy a bus pass. It can help you buy school supplies for your kids."

Baker says she works two lower-paid part-time jobs, and has been unable to find work in her chosen profession.

The National Employment Law Project reports that nearly 60,000 Colorado workers make minimum wage, which still puts them below the federal poverty level. In all, nearly one-fifth of Coloradans make at or below poverty-level wages.

In Colorado, the minimum wage increases when cost of living goes up, and last year it was the only state where the minimum wage decreased because the cost of living had fallen slightly.

Ann Thompson, policy analyst with the National Employment Law Project, says increasing pay for the lowest-paid workers produces a variety of benefits, from lowered absenteeism and improved morale to boosting the economy.

"Putting a little bit more money in the pockets of people who are most likely to spend their income immediately can give a little bit of a bump to the state's economies."

Colorado is one of 17 states with wages higher than the federal minimum, and one of seven where the minimum wage increased this month. Thompson says other states use the federal minimum wage standard, which is $7.25 an hour.

"One of the big problems we've seen over the last 40 years with minimum wage policy is that the federal minimum wage especially has failed to keep up with the rising cost of living. "

Thompson says if the federal minimum wage had been pegged to the cost of living, it would be more than $10 an hour. Opponents of indexing the state or federal minimum wage claim it increases costs to business, with very little benefit to workers.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/17826-1

Welcome 9to5 Colorado's New ARRA Organizer: Jenny Santos!

9to5 Colorado Organizer Jenny Santos was born in Los Angeles to Mexican parents -- Severa Casillas of La Noria de Molinos, Zacatecas and Juan Santos Acosta of El Refugio, Aguascalientes, México.

She comes to 9to5 with an open heart to help protect women’s rights in the workplace and to help bring economic justice to all people. Jenny’s desire to help struggling families comes from her own experiences. Her mother relocated to Denver, CO in the 1980s and suffered social and economic hardship as a recent immigrant. As early as age 5, Jenny was conscious that her purpose in life was to protect her people and the Earth from oppressive powers through the strength of God. She has worked to create systemic change to empower communities of color and believes that the people directly impacted by issues should be leading the efforts to create social justice.

Six years ago, Jenny and Michael Miera founded La Raza Youth Leadership, a program that empowers Latino youth to continue their education and build leadership skills. She is on the board of COLOR, (Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights) an organization for Latinas and their families focused on providing education and advocacy for reproductive rights and quality healthcare. Jenny is also a danzante with Grupo Tlaloc Danza Azteca and believes in preserving the cultural traditions of her ancestors.

As a new organizer leading 9to5’s ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) efforts, Jenny will work to ensure that ARRA information reaches all communities and that women and people of color are well-represented in efforts to make ARRA and the new economy more inclusive.

Jenny can be reached at jenny [@] 9to5 [dot] org or (303) 628-0925.

9to5 Colorado Seeks Communications and Public Relations Intern

9to5, National Association of Working Women, in its fourth decade of strengthening women’s ability to win economic justice, is seeking a volunteer Communications and Public Relations Intern to augment its national media and new media work. Intern would work under the direction of the National Public Relations Coordinator and work collaboratively with other staff.

Position is based in 9to5’s Denver office.

Minimum requirement is 10-20 hours per week.

Tasks may include:

• Compiling and updating media lists
• Phone and email pitch work
• Exploring effective and appropriate social media to enhance organizing work
• Writing online content
• Other administrative tasks related to media outreach and social networking work

Required skills:

• Basic understanding of traditional and new media
• Competent writer
• Familiarity with Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Flickr, blogging, etc.
• Good communicator
• Evidence of strong interest in women’s rights, policy issues, civil rights, social and economic justice
• Demonstrated ability to work well with diverse populations

Women of color, lesbian/bisexual/transgender women, women with disabilities and older women are encouraged to apply. Please send a letter of interest and/or resume to Rosemaryh [@] 9to5 [dot] org.

9to5 Colorado Needs Board Members!

9to5 Colorado needs a couple new board members! Please read the information below.

If you are interested in applying to be a board member, email a cover letter and resume to 9to5colorado [@] 9to5 [dot] org.

9to5, National Association of Working Women – Colorado Chapter

In 1973, a group of office workers in Boston got together to talk about issues which had no names: sexual harassment, work/family challenges, and pay equity. From this beginning, 9to5 emerged as the national organization dedicated to putting working women's issues on the public agenda. 9to5's constituents are low-wage women, women in traditionally female jobs, and those who've experienced any form of discrimination.

9to5's Colorado chapter was founded in 1996 and is dedicated to the issues that directly affect women in the workplace. We work to involve women in improving policies addressing pay equity, work/family issues, sexual harassment, discrimination, welfare, unemployment and protections for temporary and part-time workers.

Our mission is to build a movement to achieve economic justice, by engaging directly affected women to improve working conditions.

Our vision is an economically just world where poverty and discrimination have been eliminated, the contributions of women are recognized and valued, and all women and their families thrive.

9to5 is committed to:

• Winning family-friendly policies to help working people balance responsibilities at home and on the job.
• Making nonstandard jobs voluntary and equitable so that those who work part-time or as temps receive fair pay and benefits.
• Eliminating workplace discrimination through educating about legal rights on the job, monitoring enforcement agencies, and expanding anti-discrimination laws.
• Opposing punitive welfare policies and backing those that allow women to be self sufficient while supporting their families.
  

Board Members’ Responsibilities:

• All Board members should be familiar and agree with the purpose and goals of the organization, and fairly and accurately represent them to the public.
• Make every effort to attend and participate in regular Board meetings each month, emergency Board meetings, chapter events, activities and campaigns. If unable to attend a Board meeting, Board members should notify a Co-Chairwoman or staff member prior to the meeting if possible.
• Be familiar with issues that will come before the Board, and upon which you will be expected to make decisions for the organization. Read all material sent out by the chapter chair. Prepare reports on area of responsibility when assigned.
• Actively participate in fundraising activities and be responsible for reviewing fiscal policy.
• Participate in Board planning retreat and set goals and timelines for organization’s programs and activities.
• Be as visible as possible. Help build the organization by actively recruiting new members and training new leadership.
• Agree to abide by the Code of Ethics.

Code of Ethics For Chapter Members:

• Each Member is equally important. All opinions are welcome.
• Disagreement is healthy. We agree to express concerns or anger directly with each other and are willing to accept the feedback. We seek to do this in a caring, non-destructive way, avoiding generalizations, accusations, and abusive language. If necessary, the Co-Chairwomen of the Board and/or other Board Members may facilitate the discussion.
• We seek to create an atmosphere where everyone can contribute, where quiet members are encouraged and involved by others, where opinions and feelings are shared openly, and where no one person dominates the meeting.

9to5 Annual Leadership Conference a Success!

by Helen Bushnell, 9to5 member and activist

From April 24-27, I had the great opportunity to travel with the 9to5 Colorado Chapter to Washington, D.C. for the 9to5 Annual Leadership Conference and the Making it Work Conference, sponsored by the Family Values at Work Consortium and the National Partnership for Women and Families. The Making it Work Conference brought together activists from around the country, all working to pass workplace flexibility policies, like paid sick days, in their individual states and at the federal level.

All the events at both conferences were engaging, especially the small group activities at the 9to5 Annual Leadership Conference on Sunday. I met people from all over the country. Some of them are facing some of the same difficulties that I am. Avis Williams, a member from California, retired early a few years ago. Like me, she is now trying to get back into the US workforce after having been away from it for a while. Like me, she is not finding it easy.

Other people have different challenges. Christina DeHaro, a member from California, is a single mother who struggles with a climate that is hostile to children. She know helps single mothers speak to California’s legislators about the support that they and their children need.

Probably the most empowering part of the conference came at the end on Tuesday when all of Colorado’s members were filling the conference room in Senator Bennet’s office to talk with a staff member about work-family balance and passing legislation that helps working families. Through the Making It Work Conference, we were joined by other organizations from the Paid Sick Days Colorado Coalition. Both Bridget Kaminetsky, 9to5 staff member, and LaTerrell Bradford, 9to5 board member, talked about their personal experiences. They compared the benefits of having paid sick days with the fear that comes from being sick and not having them.

One of the participants at Monday’s Making It Work Conference mentioned that the biggest benefit to having paid sick days is not having to worry about losing her job.

I am grateful for having had the opportunity to meet people from all over the country and hear their stories, and I look forward to continued work with the 9to5 Colorado Chapter to pass paid sick days for all workers!

Closing the wage gap

Today, April 20, people across Colorado, and the nation, will observe Equal Pay Day 2010 - representing the point when women's wages finally catch up to men's wages from last year.

According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics, women who work in full-time, year-round jobs earn, on average, 77 cents to every $1 earned by men working in full-time, year-round jobs.

For women of color, the wage gap is even wider. In 2008, the earnings for African American women were 67.9 percent of men's earnings and Latinas" earnings were 58 percent of men's.

In Colorado, women's earnings generally exceed the national average by a penny or so. But this is no great cause for celebration - especially in these tough times when every penny counts. As those lost pennies add up, women and their families are being shortchanged thousands of dollars a year and hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.

Reaching pay equity means more now than ever before.

According to the Center for American Progress report, "A Woman's Nation Changes Everything," women are now the breadwinner or co-breadwinner in two-thirds of all American families. With more women in the workforce, and more families reliant upon women's paychecks to make ends meet, it's clear to see how all of us - women and men - have such a huge stake in eliminating the wage gap.

The good news is that there are pending state and federal actions that would positively impact the pay gap now.

In Colorado, we're working to establish a permanent state Pay Equity Commission. Nationally, we are hopeful for the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The statewide effort grows from the nonpartisan Colorado Pay Equity Commission, created in 2007. That Commission brought a diverse group of stakeholders together to analyze the pay gap and identify solutions. One of the key recommendations was to create a permanent Pay Equity Commission to further focus on the problem, monitor pay equity progress and work toward solutions in the state. It's anticipated that a proposal to do so will be introduced this year.

Nationally, women were earning a mere 59 cents for every $1 a man earned when the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963. Enforcement of the Equal Pay Act, and other civil rights laws, has helped narrow the wage gap, but huge disparities remained. In 2009, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act was signed into law, helping ensure that victims of discrimination have fair access to the courts. But we're not there yet.

Additional steps are needed.

One such step, the Paycheck Fairness Act, would close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, enhance remedies, prohibit retaliation against workers who share wage information, and provide the government with new tools to monitor and address pay inequities. Passage is critical -- particularly in these economically perilous times when the self-sufficiency of women and their families is so at risk.

LaTerrell Bradford - a Denver woman who testified about pay inequity before the Colorado Legislature - calls equal pay a "non-negotiable." She was working as part of an all-female support team when a man was hired in the same job classification. Her supervisor - a woman - discovered that he was to earn much more than any of the women were presently earning. She went to human resources and the company agreed to pay everyone at that higher rate. "It would not have been fair," Bradford says, "nor legal, to sit next to him, do the exact same work and have him be paid more."

Are women workers really worth less than men? Any American of good conscience would say "no." We must ensure that our laws and workplace practices say "no" as well by ensuring family-flexible workplace policies, basic labor standards like paid sick days and, yes, an end to the wage gap.

Women and their families just cannot afford to wait any longer. We must tighten wage disparity laws now to ensure equity for every worker.

Linda A. Meric is National Director of 9to5, National Association of Working Women.

Paid Sick Days Podcast

Check out this great podcast about the paid sick days effort in Colorado!

9to5 Colorado Board Member Rev. Dawn Riley Duval and 9to5 Colorado Organizer Erin Bennett talk about the need for paid sick days in Colorado and how guaranteeing paid sick days for all workers will ensure healthy communities, healthy families and healthy workplaces.

Why is the U.S. so far behind?

by Erin Bennett, Colorado Organizer for 9to5

Today, on International Women’s Day, I’ve thought a lot about the issues we work on at 9to5, especially compared to how the rest of the developed world operates. Two particular stories come to mind…

In February of 2009, 9to5 Colorado was fortunate enough to have three visitors from a women’s organization in Osaka, Japan. They were so interested to hear about all of our work, especially around paid leave. They informed us that in Japan, women can take 3 PAID days off a month for menstruation, if they wish – so they were obviously shocked that we don’t even have a standard of paid sick days for all. They told us that not many women take advantage of this opportunity, but it is there if needed.

Paid sick days are very much the same in our own country. On average, workers who do have access to paid sick days use only a couple days a year – much less than the amount they accrue. So, why accrue so many days? Just in case, like a rainy day fund. You never know when you might get sick and need to be in the hospital, or when you might get H1N1 flu and be out of work for two weeks, or when your kids get sick and you have to stay home with them.

At the very beginning of 2010, we started a Facebook group called “Support Paid Sick Days Colorado.” A man from Germany, Karl Mund, joined our group and posted his story on our wall:

As a shop-steward for most of my work-life in Germany (East and West), I never had to argue about questions like sick leave. My father's generation already succeeded in that fight, when West Germany got a law securing fully paid sick leave for 6 weeks per year with job security.

In this respect, I consider it a shame for the State of Colorado (and similarly other US-states) if such an ultra-modest demand as yours is not met with immediate approval.

Anyway, a healthy workforce is in the own interest of employers. Were they really smart, they would put pressure on State legislature even more than you folks do in order to get a decent legislation for healthy workers in healthy workplaces!

Keep up your fight, and be sure, you have my solidarity!

As the 2010 Legislative session began, this support from someone half-way around the world was much-needed motivation! An issue that Paid Sick Days is a no-brainer for the women from Osaka and for Karl. Why can’t it be for businesses and legislators in Colorado?

Why is the U.S. the only country in the developed world without Paid Sick Days? On International Women’s Day this year, we need to look to other countries and examine why we are so behind and what we can do to catch up.

I Rallied for Tax Fairness

by Helen Bushnell, 9to5 member and volunteer

It was cold but sunny as I hurried to the State Capital. I was worried about being on time for the rally. I did not have to worry. I arrived just as the organizers were gathering people on the Capital steps. The level of organization was impressive. Someone told us where to stand. Someone made sure that everyone had a sign that wanted one. And, of course, someone organized a group of expressive speakers.

We were gathering to support a fair budget - one that spreads the difficulties of the current economic crisis fairly.

A woman with children at Whittier Elementary in Denver spoke about the challenges facing a school with many low income children, including many who are homeless. Right now Whittier is seeing a lot of success stories - but what happens if their already super-efficient budget is cut even more?

A senior activist spoke about the cuts that have already been made to senior services in his area.

A woman with a mentally disabled son spoke. Right now her son is successful, but what happens if the services that he depends upon are cut?

Finally, a scholarship student spoke. She is currently attending Metro State, and would not be able to afford the tuition on her own.

Some businesses got tax exemptions when the economy was flush. Now, we need them to pay their fair share. People came from all over the state, from our cities, our mountains, and our plains to ask all Coloradans to ask the state legislature to close tax loop holes in addition to the services to our most vulnerable citizens that have already been cut.

I was happy to support efforts to make the budget process more fair and our tax system simpler and more equitable.

(This rally was held on at noon on February 11. It was organized by the Save Our State Coalition.)

Using Our Voices to Win Paid Sick Days

by Helen Bushnell, 9to5 Colorado member

Last month, I stood in the Rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol building – surrounded by fellow members of 9to5 National Association of Working Women and Paid Sick Days Colorado Coalition partners.

We were there to lobby our legislators about the paid sick days movement. It was an intimidating and scary moment. I had never lobbied before. But now, I know that I will lobby again.

Here is what I learned:
Surprise, surprise … Legislators aren’t always sitting in their offices waiting for their constituents to show up. They are really busy. They all have committees and issues. But it’s not that hard to get a hold of them.

You can pull legislators out of committee meetings. You write your name and the name of the person you want to contact on a slip of paper and give it to a person in a green coat, who then takes it into the meeting. It can take as much as twenty minutes for the legislator to come out. Sometimes that cannot leave their meeting. So be patient. I almost missed talking to a Representative because I didn’t wait long enough.

Legislators do want to talk to you. After all, they work for us and they want to know what their constituents are thinking. What I’m thinking about is paid sick days. I spoke with Rep. Sarah Gagliardi, and what I told her about was my experience in working as a child care provider. I told her about one of my students who got whooping cough. The whooping cough incident closed the whole center – and it impacted a lot of families.

What happened to those families? Did they stay home with their children because the child care center had to close? Did they lose their pay for that day? Did some of them lose their jobs because of the lack of paid sick days? I don’t know what happened in every single case. But I know what happens when workers don’t have paid sick days. They have to make tough choices between caring for their families and keeping their jobs; choices no worker should have to make.

Let me tell you, people will always get sick. Child care workers, especially, get sick. Without paid sick days, they go to work, they spread contagions, and other people get sick. Think about restaurant workers. Restaurant workers get sick. If they don’t have paid sick days (and 90 percent of them don’t), they go to work. They are afraid of losing their pay or losing their jobs. They spread contagions. We all lose because of the lack of paid sick days.

On lobby day, when I told Gagliardi the stories, I also handed her 9to5 postcards filled out by her constituents. There were about 25 or 30 cards. It made a difference.

Lobbying makes a difference. Especially when it’s lobbying by a “real person” like me.

Our voices matter.

If you ever have the opportunity to lobby with 9to5 or to collect postcards, I would urge you to do so. We can influence legislation, but only if we work together.

Helen Bushnell is a member and volunteer of 9to5 Colorado

Show Your Love: Support Paid Sick Days

On Valentine's Day, many of us ate a meal out with a loved one -- whether it was at a family burger place or a higher-end restaurant. In this recession, restaurants are thriving. But many restaurant workers are not. They are literally starving for better working conditions.

A new report from the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC), a nonprofit advocating for better wages and work conditions, revealed that 90 percent of those who work in the restaurant industry lack paid sick days. In addition, the report revealed that 67 percent go to work sick, endangering the public health.

So, to keep the Valentine's Day spirit alive, show some love for servers, cooks, busers and other workers in the restaurant industry. Pick up a restaurant comment card, or write a note on your bill, supporting paid sick days for every worker in the restaurant industry. Let restaurant managers and owners know that paid sick days are not only good for workers but good for the public health, too.

Leave a note. Spread the love.

January 10-16 is National Influenza Vaccination Week

Next week, January 10-16 is National Influenza Vaccination Week!

Do you have Paid Sick Days? Does everyone you see everyday have Paid Sick Days?

If not, be sure to get the flu and H1N1 vaccines!

Only about half of workers have access to Paid Sick Days. Without them, people are forced to choose between going to work sick or losing a day's pay (or possibly a job!). Without paid sick days to care for your children or other relatives, people are forced to choose between their jobs and their families - a choice no one should have to make!

Without paid sick days, many people have to go to work sick so that they don't lose a day's pay. This means that thousands of people each day could be at work sick - people working at the restaurant where you eat lunch, people at your office, people at the bus stop.

In order to protect yourself and your family, and in order to ensure that you don't lose a day's pay because of the flu, get vaccinated!

Getting vaccinated is only one step. We must pass Paid Sick Days in Colorado to ensure that NO ONE ever has to make the impossible choice between family and their job - for every illness, not just the flu!

If you are interested in getting involved in the campaign to pass Paid Sick Days in Colorado, please call 303-628-0925 or email erin [at] 9to5.org

Paid Sick Days Colorado Kick-Off!

Join us as we celebrate our efforts to pass Paid Sick Days in Colorado in 2010.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Hope Community Church
1801 S. Logan St, Denver

Hear from Legislators who are sponsoring our Colorado bill, and also hear from 9to5 Colorado members who have Paid Sick Days stories to tell.

For more information, please contact Erin 303-628-0925, erin@9to5.org

Tahirah Foster Needs Paid Sick Days!

My name is Tahirah Foster. I live in Denver and I'm the mother of a precocious 4-year-old named Sa’mari, who lives with asthma.

I was forced to leave my dream job as a crew leader at a fast food restaurant because I had no access to paid sick days and my employer refused to allow me the time to be away from work when my daughter had an asthma episode.

The breaking point for me came the day when Sa’mari experienced a brutal asthmatic episode and the child care director called my job with a message that my daughter needed to be picked be right away. But the restaurant was particularly busy that day and the manager choose not to pass along the message until the end of my shift.

These days, I works as a part-time political canvasser, a job where I receive pro-rated paid sick days based on my hours, and it also offers me the opportunity to manage both my care-giving duties and my paid work duties.

I want to see my legislators pass Paid Sick Days in Colorado, so parents like me won't be punished for doing the right thing for our children.

Watch Tahirah talk about the importance of Paid Sick Days here

9to5 Colorado Helps Defeat Dangerous Ballot Initiative in Denver!

We have all accidentally left the house without our wallet or purse. Fortunately, this fall, 9to5 Colorado worked to defeat Initiative 300, the Vehicle Impound Initiative.

This initiative would have unnecessarily impounded the cars of anyone caught driving without their drivers license and/or registration, even if they just left their wallet at home, and they would've had to pay upwards of $2700 to get their car back. This Initiative was dangerous and had huge consequences for everyone! No one should have to pay $2700 for a simple mistake like leaving their license at home.

9to5 made over 16,000 contacts with Denver voters this year, and nearly 80% of all voters we talked with committed to vote No on the initiative! On November 3rd, 2009, we saw a HUGE victory as Initiative 300 was defeated by Denver voters -- 70% to 30%! Because of the extensive field and media efforts by 9to5 and all the other organizations who worked to defeat 300, Denver residents understood the far-reaching consequences and voted to ensure that no one had to lose their car or pay $2700 for a simple mistake.

Courtney Coffman, one of 9to5's canvassers, talks about her experience working with 9to5 this year:

While working with 9to5 to defeat Initiative 300, I discovered that the experience of being a canvasser was completely unlike anything I had ever done. The sheer density of human interactions, both positive and negative, packed into such a limited period of time was both exhilarating and exhausting. I came to understand how invaluable civic engagement work truly is: the fact that, yes, I am coming to your home and your private life and asking for your time, but if you do give me your time, we can work together to defeat this dangerous initiative. Of course, not everyone was willing to talk with me. At times, feeling particularly defeated by an unwelcome reaction, the only thing that kept me going was the thought that that individual would be exponentially more disturbed if their car was unfairly impounded, than by me at their door. However,countless individuals recognized the very real and devastating consequences that the initiative would have on their lives if it were to pass, and thanked me for being there.

One common response from people at the door was: “I don’t have time to talk about this - I have kids to take care of.” While I understand that taking care of a family is time-consuming and the top priority, initiatives like I300 and others that threaten our families' rights and financial stability are one of the most compelling reasons to vote.

I know that all too often we have to fight for our rights, but we must stand up to those who seek to deny basic rights to Coloradans. I am proud to have been part of the fight to defeat Initiative 300 through 9to5 and to have protected the financial resources of Denver residents.

9to5 Colorado Receives 2009 NEWSED Civil Rights Award

The Colorado Chapter of 9to5, National Association of Working Women was honored November 11 when the 2009 NEWSED Civil Rights Awards were presented during a gala ceremony in the Seawell Grand Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

In its 18th year, the NEWSED Civil Rights Award recognized individuals and organizations for making a “significant difference through activism, sacrifice and dedication to an ever-changing Civil Rights movement.” The NEWSED Board of Directors and its Honorary Committee, along with Honorary Co-Chairs Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., Mayor John Hickenlooper and former Mayor Wellington E. Webb, cited 9to5’s work in impacting the issues women face in the workplace, including pay inequity, sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

“We were humbled to be among such a stellar group of award recipients,” said 9to5 Colorado Board Co-Chair LaTerrell Bradford. “And, we were humbled that our work in strengthening the ability of low-wage women to win economic justice was honored in this way. If anything, this encourages us to accelerate our fight to win rights, raises and respect for women in the workplace.”

The Civil Rights Award for 9to5 Colorado was presented by Nita Gonzales, Director of Escuela Tlatelolco in Denver, the daughter of the legendary Chicano leader Corky Gonzales. LaTerrell Bradford eloquently accepted the award on behalf of 9to5 Colorado. In her acceptance remarks, she cited 9to5 Colorado's work in leading the coalition that defeated Amendment 46, the anti-equal opportunity initiative, the first time that such an initiative had ever been defeated in any state. She talked about other important chapter victories in campaigns involving reproductive rights, the minimum wage, TANF and the chapter's work in advocating for the establishment of the Governor’s Pay Equity Commission.

9to5 Colorado joined a prestigious lineup of fellow Civil Rights Award recipients, including New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, community activist Margaret Atencio, performing artist Cleo Parker Robinson, the labor advocacy group Jobs with Justice, and Gete Mekonnen, co-founder of the Northeast Denver Housing Center, Inc.

Others attending the ceremony included Beth Wolter, Colorado Chapter Board Member; Lorena Garcia, Colorado Chapter Director; Linda Meric, National Director; U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Elbra Wedgeworth, former Denver City Councilperson and president of the 2008 Democratic National Convention Host Committee.

Tell KCFR News that we need Paid Sick Days!

KCFR News wants to hear YOUR input about H1N1 flu and what you are doing to prepare. Go to the link provided to share your thoughts, and be sure to include that WE ALL NEED paid sick days in order to adequately prepare!

Only 57% of Coloradans have access to even one paid sick day and even less can take a paid sick day to care for a sick child or family member. Low-wage workers are the least likely to have access to paid sick days, meaning they are forced to make impossible choices between caring for their health or losing pay or possibly a job. In order to keep our community healthy, we must guarantee access to paid sick days for all Colorado workers.

www.publicradio.org/applications/formbuilder/user/form_display.php

Paid Sick Days letter printed in Denver Post

Printed on Sept. 25th in the Denver Post in response to "1 in 6 uninsured in Colorado" (9/22)

We hear so much these days about the lack of health care and the need for health care reform. But it is heartbreaking to see how that plays out in communities right here in Colorado. All Americans need and deserve access to care.

We also need and deserve the time to care.

While one in six Coloradans lack health insurance, [one in two] Colorado workers lack a paid sick day to care for themselves or their children in times of illness. It’s heartbreaking to think of children who must stay at home alone or must go to school ill because there is no one able to care for them.

Just as we need health insurance, we also need guaranteed paid sick days for every Colorado worker so that, in these tough times, no one will have to choose between caring for themselves or a loved one and keeping a job.

Erin Bennett, Denver