Denver Democrats Overwhelmingly Endorse “No” Position on Initiated Ordinance 309, Denver’s Misguided Slaughterhouse Ban on the Ballot This November

Denver Democrats Overwhelmingly Endorse “No” Position on Initiated Ordinance 309, Denver’s Misguided Slaughterhouse Ban on the Ballot This November

Denver Democrats Central Committee votes 207 to 12 to endorse a “no” vote on an initiative that targets one worker-owned business for closure

Editors Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine

Denver, CO – September 21, 2024 – Today, the Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Denver endorsed a “no” position on Denver Initiated Ordinance 309 (slaughterhouse ban) with an overwhelming majority vote of 207 to 12. Workers’ rights leaders in attendance applauded the vote. “It’s important that Democrats stand with workers,” said Wendy Howell, State Director of the Colorado Working Families Party. “Workers are the backbone of our economy, and the slaughterhouse being targeted by this unfair ban provides good wages and benefits to its worker-owners. I am glad that Denver Democrats recognize the importance of protecting these jobs by endorsing a ‘no’ vote today.”

Labors organizations opposing Ordinance 309 include the United Food and Commercial Workers Local (UFCW) 7, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 105, Denver Area Labor Federation (DALF), Denver Pipefitters Local #208, the Teamsters Union, and the Working Families Party.

Initiated Ordinance 309, which will appear on Denver ballots this November, targets a 70-year-old employee-owned business that provides jobs to a workforce that is made up of over 90% people of color. If passed, the ban would force the closure of the facility, eliminating 160 jobs and threatening thousands more, according to a study by researchers at Colorado State University.

During the meeting, Denver City Council Member at-large Sarah Parady spoke in opposition to the ban: “Our fellow Democrats across rural Colorado will be paying close attention to our position on this measure, and will greatly influence whether they feel listened to and respected by our city’s Democratic Party. This conversation impacts them too, and like the workers at Superior Farms whose jobs are on the line, they had no role in shaping it, but their lives will be deeply impacted by the outcome.”

Initiated Ordinance 309 would have devastating consequences for Denver’s local economy as well as Colorado’s entire agriculture sector and food system, impacting jobs in other local sectors such as restaurants, trucking, and ranching. Advocates for the ban point to misleading ballot language that states that workers should be “prioritized” in Denver employment programs if the ban forces Denver’s only slaughterhouse to close. But Councilwoman Parady pushed back on this assertion during the meeting: “Make no mistake–this ban doesn’t provide a cent of compensation or replacement jobs to the workers or anyone else impacted.”

To learn more about the campaign opposing Initiated Ordinance 309, visit https://NoOn309.com/.