Denver City Employees Organizing After Layoffs
Denver city workers are turning frustration into action following the city a sweeping layoffs. Now, as the fallout from these layoffs continues, workers are coming together to help those affected and make sure it cannot happen again.
Work started at an online webinar hosted by AFSCME Colorado alongside allies in the city council and union representatives. The webinar drew hundred of city employees facing uncertainty about their future employment. Union leaders and legal experts walked participants through the city’s layoff process, worker rights under civil service rules, and resources available to them as they face economic uncertainty.
Now, workers are focused on organizing ahead of collective bargaining rights going into effect in 2026. With a voice at the table, they are looking to hold the city accountable, rebuild trust among city workers, and improve the city services that are already suffering after layoffs were implemented.
Stephen Karlowski, an Administrative Support Assistant with the city said worker morale is low right now. "The layoffs did not trim any fat, they amputated limbs," he put it. "Work loads have grown substantially due to a variety of sources, and the administration‘s response has been a master class in tone-deafness."
He continued by saying that the experience has only underscored how important it is to have a voice with the city. "If there was ever a moment in the history of Denver for city workers and city voters as a whole to stand in unity with their brothers and sisters, it is now," he said. "I truly cannot fathom a greater power than people power to make real change."
Workers are calling on all city employees to stay engaged in the weeks ahead as workers at build momentum and ensure Denver workers have a voice in shaping the future of the city’s workforce.