Moving Past Divisiveness: A Unified Vision for Pinnacol and Colorado's Workforce

 JUNE 2026

Colorado’s economy thrives on a simple reality: when employers build, wire, manufacture, and invest, the infrastructure supporting them must be rock-solid. That means a workers’ compensation system that is predictable, and a talent pipeline that prepares Coloradans for high-demand, sustainable careers. 

For months, it looked like Colorado was headed toward a polarizing, expensive ballot battle over the future of Pinnacol Assurance, the state's largest workers' compensation carrier. Divergent strategies threatened to divide business and labor. But the final weeks of the 2026 legislative session yielded something far better than an electoral arms race: a historic breakthrough rooted in shared interests. 

Rather than pursuing a divisive ballot measure, our organizations have united behind a singular framework to guide policymakers toward a collaborative and timely legislative solution. 

This agreement wasn't reached by ignoring our differences, but by recognizing how our priorities fit together. 

For the Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council and IBEW 111, the primary mandate has always been protecting the workers who put their lives on the line daily. The Trades stepped up to ensure that any path forward preserves Pinnacol’s state affiliation, including transparency and accountability, protects employee retirement under PERA, and permanently guarantees Pinnacol’s role as the state’s provider of last resort. For higher-risk industries like construction—which represents roughly 40 percent of Pinnacol’s membership base—this absolute certainty of a public safety net is non-negotiable. 

But a permanent safety net also requires a vibrant, growing workforce to sustain it. That is where Colorado Succeeds’ vision comes in. To maintain Colorado’s long-term economic competitiveness, the business community requires durable talent pipelines. Our framework anchors on a shared commitment to scale registered apprenticeships, robust career pathways, and workforce readiness programs that graduate individuals with no debt and a connection to high-road employment opportunities. By connecting more Coloradans to high-wage, essential careers, we drive economic mobility and actively supply the economy with the talent required to keep our state moving forward. Investing in this kind of robust preparation is a win-win for employers and workers across all industries; a highly trained workforce naturally sees fewer workplace injuries, which inherently lowers costs for businesses, reduces claims, and keeps workers' compensation premiums low and stable for everyone while expanding the entire system. 

Finally, for Pinnacol to support this expanded workforce and fund a 21st-century safety net, it must have the tools to compete. Today’s employers and workers are crossing state lines at historic rates. By granting Pinnacol the structural and legal flexibility to provide seamless out-of- state coverage and diversify risk, we ensure that our state’s safety net can keep up with modern June 2026 

times. Modernizing Pinnacol’s business capabilities isn’t just good for employers; it strengthens the engine that protects injured workers. 

By choosing the path of partnership over a ballot fight, we are proving that Colorado’s business leaders and labor unions that rely on Pinnacol the most can construct solutions together. 

Though there is still significant work ahead, we are committed to a transparent, structured dialogue with representatives across both business and labor over the coming months. Pinnacol is undeniably woven into the very fabric of Colorado's workforce, and by aligning to modernize its structure, we aren't just updating an insurance system - we are securing the future of the people who build our state. The pillars are set. We look forward to delivering a modernized, predictable, and stable workers’ compensation system that protects workers and keeps Colorado competitive for the next century. 

Jason Wardrip, Colorado Building & Construction Trades Council 

Jeremy Ross, IBEW 111 

John O’Donnell, Pinnacol Assurance 

Scott Laband, Colorado Succeeds