United for a New Economy

Background Statement

For over a decade - 15 years - FRESC has been a strong and consistent voice on issues affecting low wage workers and their families. Focused on creating good jobs and strong communities for all people in metro-Denver, FRESC quickly established itself as an invaluable resource for public policy elevating working families, by advocating for living wage jobs, paid sick days and affordable housing.

During the last three years, FRESC started investing in organizing and we found, that people power was the missing powerful ingredient that we needed to win. We started to engage the community in ways we hadn't done before - not only did we knock on doors and ask people to get involved but also started asking them what they wanted rather than assuming the kind of change they wanted. This spurred us to change our organizational model to put community members at the helm.

Currently, in Colorado we have what seems to be a booming economy. We see our skyline decorated with cranes that indicate growth and ever increasing population. However for many of our neighbors, those cranes indicate ever rising rents, getting pushed out of their homes/communities and wages that haven't kept up with the cost of living.

We see our neighbors getting deported and many have experienced police brutality. We see racial profiling killing our black and brown brothers, sisters and siblings and our faith communities harassed.

Despite these setbacks, we see our neighbors still envisioning strong, vibrant and thriving communities. They even commit to late night organizing meetings to fight for their vision. We see our neighbors sharing their stories and holding big corporations, elected officials and decision makers accountable. We see our neighbors who have everything to lose and still take the streets to rally for unity and dignity, because we see that our destinies are intertwined.

In a time when so many families struggle just to make ends meet and face open racial discrimination, the movement needs to focus more on organizing and developing leaders to build grassroots people power we need to build a new economy that works for everyone. We need to be truly United for a New Economy - UNE.

Where We're Going

United for a New Economy Action (UNE Action) is a grassroots organization of everyday people working together to advance our values of respect, equity, human rights, people power and democracy as we advocate for local, state and national laws and policies that builds a new economy that works for everyone. Organizing families, youth, workers, seniors, unions, immigrants, communities of color, refugees and faith leaders, UNE Action will build power in their communities in a way that not only delivers important wins but transforms the entire future.

All of us at UNE Action are energized by our new direction and renewed commitment to building a member-led. If you share our vision, please join us and become a member to build the people power we need to build a new economy.

2022:

Coloradans Demand Rent Stabilization.

UNE believes that no matter where we come from, what we look like or how much we earn, we all need a safe, stable home where we can raise our families, make connections with our neighbors and get involved in our communities.

UNE needs your help and support to to change state law so cities can pass local ordinances to stabilize rents – to hold landlords accountable for charging reasonable rents and to build the diverse communities we all want.

2021:

UNE is grateful for all their members who testified at the Capitol and shared their stories to getting this bill HB22 -1314 Towing Bill of Rights passing and will be in going into effect August 09, 2022.

UNE members testified at the Capitol and our Canvassers made thousands of calls and sent, emails and texts to legislators to protect Coloradans from predatory towing companies, The Towing Bill of Rights passed!

Now the Public Utilities Commission will be able to rein in towing companies’ abuse of car owners by making it illegal to tow a car for expired tags, requiring towing companies get permission from property owners like apartment complexes – and tow the car within 24 hours of getting permission – and holding companies responsible for damage to cars by requiring them to take photos before and after the tow, and more.

2020:

UNE conducts door-to-door canvasses focused on listening to community members' stories regarding their most pressing issues. Due to the pandemic, UNE's outreach is currently being conducted online.

In direct response to UNE member's experience of the COVID crisis, UNE shifted all of its advocacy work to focus on the immediate needs for policies that create eviction protections for renters impacted by the crisis and the expansion of paid family medical leave for COVID.

UNE members were featured in the media and participated in online press conferences, in-person car rallies and other digital forms of action to demand that the governor take executive action to address COVID's impact on housing.

Our increased base mobilized during COVID to support the larger efforts of having the Governor announce and Eviction Moratorium. UNE's advocacy efforts helped bolster the efforts to eliminate discrimination by landlords using immigration status and source of income bills passed in the modified legislature too.

2019:

UNE conducted a canvass in Aurora this Spring which resulted in 500 new contacts, 90 new supporters, and 20 new members.

UNE worked to develop the bill language and policy substance of the "Warranty of Habitability" legislation that was passed this session. The bill strengthens renters rights and protections in Colorado and was supported by a broad coalition of organizations including UNE.

UNE provided testimony, policy analysis and coalition to support to the Work Here, Thrive Here coalition that won the right for local municipalities to raise the minimum wage higher than the state minimum wage.

2018:

UNE members won the establishment a publicly funded legal aid clinic for tenants in Adams County, Colorado. They partnered with local county commissioners and city council members to recruit a total of 8 localities to contribute funding to the clinic.

During the 2018 election cycle, UNE canvassed 10,000 doors in Adams county and collected 953 signatures in support of the paid family leave policy currently under consideration by the Colorado Legislature. Of those that signed the petition, nearly 400 were not registered to vote. Through a text outreach program to those respondents, UNE succeeding in getting 10% of them to click on a link to the voter registration web-site. This canvass also resulted in a 25% increase in our dues-paying base. Collecting the signatures has also granted UNE additional influence with Adams county legislators at the state capitol.

2017:

UNE knocked 5,645 doors and conducted over 700 surveys in southern Adams County. Residents were asked questions about housing, education, transportation, immigration, and jobs and job training. UNE used this data to create a publication with analysis of the housing crisis in Westminster that was used by members to advocate for city council to create an affordable housing trust fund, a legal aid clinic and to increase the number of housing inspectors in the 2018 budget.Those policies were later won in 2018.

In September, UNE organizers and community leaders partnered with 9-5 Colorado organized a 150 person action on the National Renters Day of Action to declare a housing state of emergency and to put our stake in the ground for rent control.