As many of you saw in the press, the Denver Metro Chamber sent a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request to the Denver City Council this past month.  

We engaged in this action because some of you expressed concern that members of the council were making public accusations and sending letters alleging unlawful labor practices to companies doing business in Colorado. We were surprised when we heard this from you and knew we needed to get more information.   

The Chamber is often on the front line questioning elected officials about process and policy—this was no different.  

In this case, we found a pattern of behavior that was disturbing. It was clear that that the disrespectful treatment of a business, that was before the Denver City Council for approval of a proposed contract, was part of a union strategy to put public pressure on that company so the union (SEIU, Service Employees International Union) could organize the workers.  (You can see the interactions in this meeting by clicking here.)

We also found examples where two other members of the Denver City Council took entire letters drafted by SEIU or specific paragraphs drafted by SEIU and then put that language on their own letterhead as an official communication from their offices.   

It’s important to highlight that this issue is really confined to a few members of city council. As a matter of fact, one council member described the situation as: “SEIU was putting a gun to [the head of the company] to obtain something”. 

Another member of council stated that the labor status of a company “wasn’t in the purview of municipal government”.

We agree with both of their analyses. By the way, the workers at one of these companies have now held their first election to be represented by SEIU and won, so soon the company and the union will enter negotiations.  

Of the 139 documents we reviewed, only a couple of them spoke positively about the companies involved—and it was only AFTER the vote was taken to unionize the workforce that the company was praised for their handling of the issue.

Even more interesting to us than what we found in the documents were the other companies that contacted us after the first reports of the CORA surfaced in the newspaper. Stories were shared about companies being pressured to unionize their workers or to require their sub-contractors to unionize or to ensure the union was NOT de-authorized in their organization. And, one of the companies who received this pressure is a non-profit organization.  

Please know this: the Chamber has members whose workforce has unionized and we have members whose workforce has not. We don’t tell our companies what the most competitive strategy is for their success—we know they will figure it out with their workers.

We took this action to better understand what was prompting such harsh treatment of some businesses in Colorado and to communicate our belief that a fair and balanced approach should be taken by Colorado’s elected officials in such situations.

Our request to those Denver City Council members who engaged in these activities is simple:  

1. We know you can do better than what we saw here. The success of our region requires all of us working together.

2. Serve as role models for how you expect people to be treated when there is disagreement.  

These few rules should ensure that nobody seeking to work with Denver would have to endure what we saw earlier this year.

Since Colorado voters decided in November 2012 to legalize recreational use and personal possession of marijuana by adults 21 and older, some unforeseen challenges and a lot of questions about the new law’s implementation and regulations have been cropping up.

Governor Hickenlooper convened a task force in January to examine the issue, and that group released its list of recommendations in March. Those recommendations, covered in detail in a 166-page report, include parameters for everything from taxation and business licensure to consumer safety and proper cultivation practices. The Colorado Department of Revenue, the same agency that oversees the sale of alcohol, will be the licensing authority for marijuana sales. That department has issued a short list of frequently asked questions regarding Amendment 64, the ballot issue passed by voters in November.

This past week, the Colorado General Assembly has been grappling with three bills concerning the taxation and regulation of personal-use marijuana. The debate and votes on those bills have received much attention in the press, and this Colorado Statesman article sums up the process quite nicely. One bill, HB-1114, which would have set a limit for driving after using marijuana, died in committee last Monday. A driving-limit amendment was then added to HB-1317, which also covers a whole host of regulation issues, and that bill passed the House with some amendments on Monday.

Finally, HB-1318 covers the taxation of marijuana, including a 15 percent excise tax that would pay for school construction as called for in the original ballot question, as well as a 15 percent sales tax. Yes, to many voters’ great surprise, the original ballot issue didn’t authorize the collection of a tax as required by TABOR, so voters must vote to approve collection of a tax on marijuana before that can occur. Of course, as people realized the tax couldn’t be collected, talk began about legislation that would repeal the legalization of marijuana if a tax measure does not pass. HB-1318 was approved by the House in its initial round of voting on the measure, although the sales tax was reduced to 10 percent. It will now go on to a final House vote and then the Senate – all before the session ends next week.

For us at the Chamber, a critical issue was ensuring the right of employers to maintain a zero tolerance policy for marijuana use – trust me, there a lot of jobs where the safety of the worker and the public depend on zero tolerance. The current draft regulations maintain this provision for employers and, late last week, a Colorado court ruled that an employer is within its rights to terminate an employee for off-duty marijuana use.

It is clear that when a substance is illegal at the federal level, it’s really hard to navigate a different standard in a state. We will do our very best and work hard to ensure this decision by Colorado voters is implemented in a manner that continues to ensure Colorado’s competitive position in the country and world.

How some cities are luring business with the help of a fit and healthy workforce. Bill Moller reports:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL-uojHYuQE

Post Editor Greg Moore speaks from his Denver office with president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Kelly Brough about Colorado’s business landscape:

http://photos.denverpost.com/2013/04/25/from-the-editors-desk-greg-moore-interviews-kelly-brough/?repeat=w3tc

Sometimes we can focus more on bad news than the good news, so here’s some good news for you to focus on this week:

~ Colorado’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.1 percent – the lowest it’s been since January 2009

~ In 2003, Colorado ranked 43rd in terms of job creation and today ranks fourth (In one decade, we’ve moved ahead of 39 other states

~ RTD’s West Rail Line – the W Line – opens for business April 26 (You can ride the entire system for free on Saturday as well as take part in the opening celebration)

~ Colorado is the second best state for entrepreneurship and innovation

~ Forbes ranks Colorado as the No. 1 best state for labor supply

Moving Colorado to being a top-performing state means we have to pay attention to many factors, including:

~ Policies that can impact job growth and the overall business climate

~ An environment that creates a competitive and fair playing field

~ Investment in infrastructure that supports the needs of a thriving economy

~ Approaches that show new companies why they should consider Colorado their new home

~ A community that shows value for business and works hard to keep Colorado employers here

The more effective we are in each of these areas and at creating a predictable and stable environment, the more positive the economic impact companies and their employees will have on Colorado.

You saw from the statistics that we have created and branded Colorado as a strong entrepreneurial state. We are now home to more than 550,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses. As a matter of fact, 90 percent of small businesses in Colorado have fewer than 20 employees, and these companies employ almost 50 percent of the private-sector workforce in Colorado. These companies and their employees depend on the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce to help ensure their success in Colorado.

This Friday, at our annual Business Awards luncheon, we get to highlight some of those great companies by sharing 18 stories of companies that are helping Colorado’s economy be the strongest in the nation. These 18 companies have a unique perspective and story to tell of how they’ve found success. You can hear more about their strategies and approach by following the conversation by following @DenChamber and using the hashtag #ChamberBizAwards on Twitter.

We are very impressed with this year’s finalists – you have made it very difficult for the judges to pick one winner in each category. Congratulations to all the finalists:

Small Business of the Year Finalists
Core Contractors
NIMBL
Sprocket Communications

Emerging Business of the Year Finalists
I-Kota Inc.
SolidFire
YOUnique Counseling

Minority/Woman-owned Business of the Year Finalists
GlobaLinks Learning Abroad
O’Brien Advertising
Sky Blue Builders LLC

Small Nonprofit Organization of the Year
The Carson J. Spencer Foundation
eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepreneurship
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1- John S. Stewart VFW Post 1 

Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year
ACE Scholarships Denver
Mental Health Center of Denver
Mercy Housing

Green Business of the Year
Alpine Waste & Recycling
Green House Data
SLATERPAULL Architects Inc.

Join us on Friday. Not only will you find out who the winners are, but you also are supporting all those businesses in Colorado who are helping make us No. 1.

I know each of us has taken many pauses in the past few days to think about those whose lives were taken or were injured in Boston. I don’t have any better words to describe my primary emotion—than I am sad. Sad that people are grieving those who died, including a young son, and all the lives will be forever changed because of their experience in such a horrific tragedy.

Two years ago, our foundation took us to Boston as part of that year’s Leadership Exchange Trip.

Our community continues to benefit from the people met there and what we learned. I also can’t overlook the many people whose first actions were to rush to the aid of others. We send our thoughts and support to everyone impacted by this tragic event.

Last week, the 29th National Space Symposium was held in Colorado Springs. Yes – you read that correctly – 29 years. While the title says national, the event brought international exposure to Colorado as well. Many companies and organizations from abroad attended, including both the Japanese and German space agencies, and the International Astronautical Federation and International Space University, both based in France.

Why is this symposium important? Because it shines a light on an industry cluster that has grown by 19 percent in Colorado during the past decade, supports employment for close to 167,000 workers and accounts for a payroll of $3 billion annually.

The Colorado Space Coalition, an affiliate of our Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, was in full force at the symposium, exhibiting and meeting with companies to promote the industry and grow our space economy.

The industry is changing and an important trend is toward commercialization. Our aerospace companies are helping keep Colorado at the forefront of this trend with human space exploration projects, such as Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser project, a system to transport crew and cargo to and from low-Earth orbit, ultimately transporting NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. This project is one of three finalists competing for the NASA Commercial Crew Program.

Colorado is the nation’s second-largest aerospace economy. It is home to eight top aerospace contractors (Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., The Boeing Company, ITT Exelis, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Sierra Nevada Corporation and United Launch Alliance), incredible research universities and several federal labs, as well as many entrepreneurial ventures. These incredibly collaborative, public and private enterprises are what make an industry cluster. They drive innovation and keep us at the front of pack. All told, more than 400 Colorado companies work to develop manned and unmanned spacecraft, instrumentation, navigation and other space-related products and services.

When you see the breadth and depth of this industry, you really appreciate how strong it is; but you don’t have to just take our word for it. A 2013 study from the Brookings Institution reported that “Colorado possesses one of the most diversified, multidimensional and high-potential space economies in the nation.”

The state is also gaining international attention for its Spaceport Colorado efforts. This undertaking secured a FAA grant for $200,000 and funding commitments totaling more than $660,000 from strategic partners in Colorado to conduct a feasibility study, which is the first step toward designating Front Range Airport as a commercial spaceport.

Some say that a spaceport isn’t that important because the average person won’t be able to fly into space. This effort is really about driving the next generation of how we travel and transport goods around the world; and, in the 1950s, nobody thought the average public would be traveling by plane to the degree we are today. Regular access to sub-orbital flights also generates a myriad of opportunities for scientific research. We are committed to helping keep Colorado on the front of the aviation and aerospace industries, so we strongly support these efforts.

Even with all the challenges of sequestration – and that was discussed at the symposium – everybody left with a sense of what an exciting time this is for the aerospace industry in Colorado. Twenty-nine years of being the host state for the National Space Symposium is a great way to highlight our commitment and bring the nation (and more of the world) to Colorado.

Why business cares about the overall health of Coloradans isn’t hard to figure out. Our workforce is the most critical element to the success of each of our companies. Their overall health can lower our insurance costs, reduce absenteeism and increase productivity – health and wellness matter.

So, here are some interesting stats: Colorado is THE leanest state in the nation (20.9 percent of our adults are considered obese) and our adults are the most active in the country (84.5 percent of us participated in physical activity in the past month).

I hope each one of you reading this letter paused when you read the notes in the parentheses.  HOLY SMOKES – it’s a success to say that only one out of five of our adults is obese and about nine out of 10 of us did something physical in the past month? Those really are a reflection of the competition ­– I like that we’re beating other states in these two areas, but we typically like to shoot a little higher. Well, there are a few folks in Colorado who are asking the right question to ensure we do just that:

What would it take for Colorado to become THE healthiest state in the country?

The Colorado Health Foundation asked that key question as part of its Health Report Card. Based on the report, there’s real money to be saved if we could become No. 1 in the country in a few areas. Here are some examples of the magnitude of the health care cost savings associated with these areas:

• If Colorado’s obesity rates returned to the levels we saw in      1997 (when we were half of today’s obesity rate), Colorado employers and      employees would save nearly $229 million every      single year.
• If Colorado were number one in the country with the lowest      rates of depression, we would save $121 million each and      every year. 
• If we used the least tobacco in the country, we would save $82.5      million annually.

Savings of more than $400 million, and that’s in just health care costs. It doesn’t count the productivity impacts or reduction in absenteeism. Now you can see one of the big reasons why business cares about the health of Coloradans.

We also know that companies considering moving their operations to Colorado look at our investments in infrastructure, our tax policy, our airport and our workforce. Part of that analysis is workers’ level of education and the other part is their overall health. Look no further than DaVita, a Fortune 500 company that is a perfect example of a company who really delved into the quality of Colorado’s workforce when making their decision to locate here. DaVita CEO Kent Thiry and I dive deeper into this subject on a National Public Radio story, “Companies on the Move Look for Healthy Workers” that aired today.

Not only does health and wellness matter in terms of the overall success of our companies, but it is also great industry for Colorado. Employment in the metro Denver region’s health and wellness industry increased 22.1 percent between 2007 and 2012, compared to a 9.5 percent increase nationwide. In 2012 alone, the region’s industry recorded 3.1 percent job growth, outpacing the country’s growth of 1.8 percent. In the metro area, this industry employs more than 175,000 employees in more than 18,000 different companies with a combined annual payroll of $7.5 billion.

A great example of a newcomer to Colorado’s health care world that is helping drive these jobs numbers for us is TriZetto Corporation, which just opened its world headquarters last week in Douglas County. It is the nation’s largest provider of software to health insurance companies.

Colorado was one of the first states to take steps toward providing our own health care exchange – now called Connect for Health Colorado. The exchange will be a new, online marketplace where Coloradans and small businesses can shop and buy health insurance based on quality and price (think what Expedia or Travelocity did for travel). The exchange will be open for business as early as October 2013 and, if you are a small business, you may enroll for health insurance coverage effective January 1, 2014. Here’s their website where you can get more details: http://www.getcoveredco.org.

Currently, more than 60 percent of adults and children in Colorado get their health insurance coverage through an employer. We also know from our members and their employees that there is no bigger concern than the escalating cost of this health insurance. Our work to help support the exchange for Colorado was to address this issue directly by providing more choice and help slow the escalation of costs to our employers and employees. It is the same reason we are interested in finding ways we can improve the overall health and wellness of all Coloradans: It will save our employers and their employees money – money that I know we can put to good use.

As we consider the direction that health care will take us in the future, one thing is certain: New innovations and technology will continue to play a prominent role in the way we provide quality care and access for health care consumers now and for future generations. I encourage you to be a part of this conversation at the Chamber’s 2013 Health Care Breakfast: “Technology + Innovation = Empowered Health Care,” sponsored by Exempla Healthcare, this Friday morning. iTriage CEO and co-founder Peter Hudson will present the keynote address and we have a great expert panel lined up to discuss the emerging trends in health care IT.

Colorado has a reputation for being a healthy place. And that’s good for business. But the Colorado Health Report Card shows there’s room for improvement.

Kelly Brough’s interview with Ryan Warner, Colorado Matters on the Colorado Health Insitute’s annual Health Grades and why the data matters to business: http://www.cpr.org/#load_article|Colorados_Health_Grades