Gov. John Hickenlooper on Thursday ripped an initiative that, if approved by Denver voters in November, would require employers in the city to give workers paid sick leave.

Hickenlooper, a Democrat and the city’s former mayor, made his comments to the Economic Club of Colorado, a group of the state’s top business executives.

Initiative 300 would allow employees of companies with 10 or more workers to earn up to nine paid sick days a year. Firms with fewer than 10 workers would have to provide up to five days, although the requirement would be prorated to fewer days for part- time employees.

Business groups, especially restaurants, overwhelmingly oppose the measure.

Hickenlooper, a former brewpub owner, was asked by business officials at Thursday’s luncheon what he thought of the initiative.

“You could not pick a worse initiative at the present time,” Hickenlooper said, adding that the requirement would create new red tape for businesses and the city during a period of economic fragility. “If anything, it’s going to cost jobs.”

Hickenlooper said he was speaking only “as a citizen of Denver” and not as the governor, but his words still came as a heavy blow to organizers.

“We are clearly disappointed that the governor doesn’t think that now is the right time for paid sick days,” said Linda Meric, director of 9to5, National Association of Working Women. “In fact, bad economic times are the worst time to lose pay or a job because you or a family member are sick.”

Meric said two-thirds of Denver voters support the measure and that citizens will be safer when their food isn’t handled by sick workers or their children aren’t watched by ill caregivers.

The latest campaign-finance reports with the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s office show that the Campaign for a Healthy Denver, the group supporting the measure, had raised $75,300 in contributions, not counting $130,897 in in-kind contributions. The group’s largest single contribution was a $75,000 donation from Family Values at Work, a Wisconsin-based national coalition of groups working for paid sick leave in 15 states.

Meric said the $75,000 contribution ultimately came from the Rockefeller Family Fund, a New York-based foundation.

Meanwhile, the Keep Denver Competitive campaign, which opposes the initiative, recorded having raised $282,450 in contributions, including a $100,000 contribution from the National Restaurant Association.

Opponents of the measure also include the Hospitality Issues PAC, which reported having raised $42,490.

Fundraising scoreboard

$75,300

Raised by supporting group Campaign for Healthy Denver, not counting $130,897 in in-kind contributions; the group’s largest single contribution was a $75,000 donation from Family Values at Work

$282,450

Raised by opponent Keep Denver Competitive, including $100,000 from the National Restaurant Association; another opponent, Hospitality Issues PAC, raised $42,490