Three bills vetoed by Gov. Jared Polis last Friday prompted progressive Democrats and union allies to hold a boisterous rally on the west steps of the state Capitol on Thursday.

The three bills are House Bill 1008, a wage theft bill tied to the construction industry; House Bill 1260, a bill prohibiting employers from forcing employees to participate in workplace meetings on religious or political issues; and House Bill 1307, a bill on HVAC improvements for public schools.

The crowd of 500 people shouted at the governor, whose office is just feet away from the west steps. However, a Polis spokesperson said the governor was not at the Capitol Thursday.

The rally was led by AFL-CIO’s Dennis Dougherty and House Majority Leader Monica Duran of Wheat Ridge, who sponsored HB 1008 and HB 1260. She promised to continue talking to stakeholders and the governor for the next legislative session.

In a statement Wednesday, Duran said the bills she sponsored “would have protected some of our most vulnerable people from having their hard-earned money stolen by unscrupulous contractors and would have prohibited retaliation against workers who don’t want to participate in required anti-union, political, or religious meetings.

“These bills were top priorities for labor advocates and would have made a real difference for many workers in Colorado, predominantly people of color. But the fight does not end here. I will continue advocating for working families and return to the table in the next session to achieve these goals.”

She was joined on the Capitol steps by about 18 fellow Democratic lawmakers from the House and Senate. Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib and State Treasurer Dave Young also attended. About 20 union groups, including the Colorado Education Association and trade union groups, and representatives of Democratic Socialists of America were also present.

Dougherty told the crowd that these vetoes were issued under a cloak of darkness. He added that “Jared Polis is a relic of Colorado’s corporate-controlled past” and accused the governor of siding with special interest lobbyists and Republicans.

Workers also spoke of the problems the bills were intended to address. One woman who worked in a school said her boss frequently spoke against unionization at the facility. A man who came up from Texas to do construction work said he and two friends were never paid for their work despite filing a claim with the state Department of Labor and Employment.

Many wore T-shirts or carried signs that said, “Polis failed workers,” along with a banner that said, “Governor Polis turned his back on us.” Some of the chants included profanity.

A semi-truck bearing the logo from the Teamsters drove around the Capitol during the rally.

Those who advocated for the veto included the Colorado Chamber of Commerce and its president, Loren Furman.

“HB 1008 was extremely problematic for the business community and would have set a damaging precedent. It would have shifted responsibility and put general contractors on the hook for the illegal actions of other business entities, which actually could have incentivized the very thing it was trying to prevent. Punishing good actors is not a solution to wage theft. We’re grateful that Gov. Polis stood with the business community in vetoing HB 1008 to preserve jobs and protect Colorado’s economic climate.”

In a statement, the governor said he has been fighting for Colorado workers. 

“Governor Polis is committed to fighting for hardworking Coloradans. The reality is, Governor Polis has expanded collective bargaining rights for tens of thousands of workers, including bargaining rights for state employees and local government workers,” the governor’s office said. “Gov. Polis reviews every bill, and was clear in his vetoes that, while each of the bills had good aspects, their final form were not in the best interest of the state, and our requests to the legislators to improve the bills were rejected. He remains open to working on each of these policies ahead of the next session to craft laws that support the objectives of the sponsors and organizations.”