Without strong public institutions, corporations will continue to suppress wages, crush competition, and rig the system in their favor

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, Solidarity Warriors, Indivisible Nation, Indivisible Colorado, 50501, and Common Ground People’s Collective are hosting a “Hands Off Rally” from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the West Steps of the State Capitol. This event aims to send a message to the Trump Administration that we reject the destruction of our government and economy for the benefit of President Trump and his billionaire allies. 

The fight is urgent for Colorado. Unchecked corporate power and government cuts mean rising costs and fewer protections for working families.

The Problem: Corporate Greed and Government Rollbacks Hurt Coloradans

Under President Donald Trump, corporate giants have gained even more power, while federal agencies like the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that protect workers and consumers are being gutted. 

• Federal layoffs weaken worker protections. President Trump’s unprecedented and illegal firings of NLRB, FTC, and CFPB leaders undermine oversight, making it easier for corporations to exploit workers. We must resist these attacks while strengthening protections at the state level.
• The Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cuts hurt public goods we all rely on, and fail to address systemic issues. Cutting corners isn’t the answer; we need strong enforcement of labor and consumer protections to ensure a future where everyone thrives.

Government shouldn’t “run like a business”—it should serve the people, using taxpayer dollars effectively. Colorado’s rigid tax system, the Tax Payer Bill of Rights (TABOR), needlessly limits our ability to tax wealth, invest in public services, and enforcement the worker and consumer protections we already have on the books, making it harder to protect affordability. To counteract corporate consolidation and harmful budget cuts, we must organize across race, gender, ability, and immigration status, following models like Minnesota’s shared power approach.

Government Cuts and Tech Exploitation Put Billionaires Over Colorado’s Working Families

1. Federal jobs are a backbone of Colorado’s economy—yet they are under attack.

With 60,567 federal workers in Colorado (2.4% of the workforce), President Trump’s cuts disproportionately impact:

• Veterans (30%)
• Workers with disabilities (9%)
• People of color and union members (Black workers hold 8% of federal jobs but only 3.5% of all jobs in Colorado)

These attacks weaken unions, which protect wages and benefits. Over 50% of federal workers are unionized, compared to just 11% of the private sector. Mass federal layoffs also increase reliance on unemployment benefits, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP)—just as these programs face major cuts.

2. Cutting Funding and Reducing Federal Oversight Puts Colorado Consumers and Workers at Risk

The FTC and CFPB protect Coloradans from corporate exploitation, yet their authority is being dismantled. Without them, corporations go unchecked, extracting wealth from communities least able to afford it, amplifying structural inequities.

• Surveillance pricing lets corporations like Amazon and Uber use personal data to raise costs when people need essentials most. Marginalized communities are hit hardest; for example, rideshare fares are higher for customers in non-white neighborhoods.
• Algorithmic wage discrimination allows companies to spy on workers and pay them as little as they’re willing to accept. In Japan, this strategy is even used to suppress wages for union organizers, infringing on basic workplace rights.

Corporations use these tools to spike prices, suppress wages, crush competition, and rig the system in their favor. Creating guardrails is to ensure that small businesses can compete, even if they don’t have the capacity or interest in collecting and processing trillions of gigabytes of our personal data.

3. Colorado Must Step Up as Federal Protections Disappear

Recently fired FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya warned that dismantling consumer protections takes money from working people and shields corporations from accountability. We’ve seen this firsthand—the FTC and Colorado’s attorney general helped block the Kroger-Albertsons merger, which would have raised grocery prices. The FTC’s groundbreaking report exposed the harms of surveillance pricing to consumers, but new federal leadership remains hostile to consumer protections. If we don’t act, corporate giants will continue to drive up costs for everyday Coloradans.

4. Unions Are a Strong Defense Against Inequality

Equal Pay Day on March 25 reminded us that the gender wage gap just grew nationally for the first time in 20 years. In Colorado, women still earn just 85 cents per $1 paid to men, despite the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. 

Stronger unions could shrink the racial and gender wage gap by 13-30%, yet Trump is dismantling the NLRB, which protects workers’ rights to organize. His revocation of Executive Order 11246 strips federal contract workers of pay discrimination protections.

What We Must Do in Colorado

Federal rollbacks create a scarcity mindset as tech billionaires cash in while Coloradan families struggle. But we don’t have to fight for scraps. We must build collective power to protect affordability and reform TABOR.

1. Strengthen Worker Power and Labor Standards

To counter growing corporate influence, we must organize for a worker-driven agenda; unions unite workers across race and class to challenge corporate power. 

• Pass the Worker Protection Act to remove barriers to unionization.
• Support HB-1001 to strengthen enforcement against wage theft.

2. Invest in Workers and Reform TABOR

Colorado faces a budget crisis due to a structural deficit, unstable federal funding, and looming trade risks. We have an opportunity NOW to chip away at the most restrictive tax and budget limitation in the country. It’s time to push for TABOR reform—Colorado cannot afford to keep starving public services.

• Challenge the constitutionality of TABOR- support HJR25-103.

3. Protect Consumers from BiG Tech Exploitation

• Tell your legislator to pass HB 25-1264, to ban surveillance price and wage discrimination.
• Defend the AI Bill (SB 24-205) to safeguard consumers, workers, and businesses from exploitative algorithms.

Take Action Today

Call or email your legislator

Tell Governor Jared Polis to pass the Worker Protection Act.

Join the “Hands Off” Rally on April 5t to support federal workers: RSVP and post using the coalition toolkit!

We don’t have to accept a system that prioritizes corporate profits over working people. Colorado must lead the fight to defend worker power, protect public services, and fight back against the corporate takeover of our democracy. Let’s get to work.