Gov. Jared Polis was surprised that Democratic lawmakers and labor groups are seeking to revive a union-backed legislation less than a year after he vetoed the bill due to concerns about its impact on businesses and mandatory dues.

Elected officials and labor unions gathered at the Capitol on Thursday to announce the return of a measure they are calling the “Worker Protection Act,” which proposes eliminating the state’s decades-old Labor Peace Act.

Under the Labor Peace Act, a simple majority of workers must vote in favor of union formation. What sets the 80-year-old law apart from other states, though, is the requirement for a second election in order to permit the establishment of a union security agreement at a unionized workplace. Under such an agreement, all the workers will pay unio dues, whether they are union members or not.

That election requires a higher threshold of 75% to pass. The labor-backed legislation would repeal that second election requirement.

Unions have claimed that the second election imposes an unnecessary barrier to unionization. Business groups countered that labor’s proposal has nothing to do with organizing a union, which is governed by federal laws. Instead, the business groups said, the issue centers around compelling non-union members to pay union dues.

A spokesperson for Polis pushed back on the renewed effort.

“The Governor is frustrated and surprised that the same piece of legislation could come forward, recognizing last year’s outcome and that nothing has changed,” his office said. “He urges labor and business to come together to work on a solution together that is right for Colorado.”

Last year’s version of the labor-backed bill, Senate Bill 005, passed both chambers of the legislature on party-line votes but was vetoed by Polis. In his veto message, the governor emphasized concerns about mandatory dues deductions and the lack of compromise between labor and business interests.

“At its core, this is about who has a say in whether union dues are deducted from employee paychecks,” Polis said at the time. “Mandatory dues deduction should require a high bar of both participation and support, particularly at a time when hardworking Coloradans are concerned about the cost of groceries, the economy, and their job security.”

Throughout the 2025 legislative session, Polis urged business and labor to reach a compromise. His office pushed its own deal, but negotiations collapsed in the final week of the session, and the bill that reached the governor’s desk was virtually unchanged from its introduction.

Business groups and Republican lawmakers echoed Polis’ worries, arguing the bill would impose fees on workers despite choosing not to join a union. Bill sponsors and labor leaders countered that unions are legally required to represent all workers at a unionized workplace and any victories at the bargaining table would accrue to everybody, regardless of membership, thereby making the dues fair.

Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the renewed push reflects growing frustration among workers facing high costs of living and stagnant wages.

“When working families are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table because billionaire-backed corporations keep wages low and their own profits high, it’s time to stand up for workers and unions,” Mabrey said.

Other sponsors include Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, and Sens. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, and Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora. They were joined at Thursday’s rally by several hundred union members and Democratic officials, including Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who is running for attorney general.

Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, who sponsored last year’s bill, said he will not be involved in the 2026 version due to other obligations during his final year in office.

At the press conference, Kylie Anderson, a barista at Starbucks, said the company pushed back when she asked to change her schedule to attend college classes, as agreed when she was hired. She said she and her coworkers also faced retaliation for trying to form a union.

“We need the legislature to pass the Worker Protection Act now so workers aren’t punished for standing up for the ability to afford rent, go to school, and build a stable life,” Anderson said.

Meanwhile, Republicans and other critics of the Democratic majority have long argued that Democratic policies have made the state more and unaffordable, notably via the thickening layers of regulations they have adopted and imposed on businesses over the years.

While the proposal was being debated earlier this year, critics said the state risks upending a system that has served it well at a critical time for Colorado businesses.

Jamie Chavez of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce said the current law has provided Colorado workers and employers a “balanced solution” to labor-employer relations for nearly a century.

“It represents an effective and reasonable compromise that has protected workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain, while simultaneously presenting Colorado as a favorable and attractive state to start, build, grow, or relocate businesses,” she said.