Utah’s Republican-led legislature voted this month to strip state and local public employees of the right to bargain collectively. HB 267 passed the state senate 16-13 and the state house 42-32 and was signed into law Feb. 14 by Governor Spencer Cox.
It prohibits public employers from entering into collective bargaining agreements or recognizing labor organizations as bargaining agents for public employees. State employees could still join unions, but the unions could not formally negotiate on their behalf for better wages and working conditions. The new law also bars public employee union staff from participating in Utah’s public employee retirement program.
Utah Education Association, which represents about 18,000 teachers and other school employees, said it gathered 13,000 signatures in one week opposing the legislation. Hundreds of teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public employees spoke in opposition and packed the Capitol halls for the votes. In the end all Democratic lawmakers voted against HB 267, plus 18 Republicans in the House and seven in the Senate. But Republican supporters of the bill still had the votes to pass it. It will take effect July 1.
