Utah labor leaders in final push to repeal controversial collective bargaining ban

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Labor leaders are racing against the clock as they now have less than a week to get enough signatures to place a referendum on the ballot to overturn one of this year’s most controversial bills – H.B. 267.

This bill bans government workers, such as teachers and firefighters, from collective bargaining, which would allow unions to negotiate pay, benefits, and work conditions.

“I’m feeling very optimistic,” Brad Asay, president of American Federation-Teachers of Utah, said as he faces a looming deadline. He spent the last 25 days out with his wife to gather signatures, and he said that he’s seen immense support, adding that “they came from both sides of the aisle.”

He also said that there have been an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 volunteers who came to help with the cause.

The coalition of groups gathering is called “Protect Utah Workers,” which began on March 15. From then, supporters had 30 days to gather signatures from 8% of registered voters in 15 of Utah’s 29 senate districts – a threshold that amounts to 140,748 signatures.

The group initially announced that they gathered 130,000 unverified signatures on March 28, and did not want to provide a specific number update Thursday. However, the UEA says they’ve met their targets in six Senate districts, but still have nine more to go. They also said they’re currently focusing on Utah and Davis Counties.

The UEA says April 15 is the final day for signature petitions to be turned in to them. The official deadline for packets to be submitted to the county clerks is the next day, April 16. Should this referendum be successful, the question of whether to repeal H.B. 267 would be placed on the November 2026 ballot.

Groups looking to block signatures

According to the Lt. Governor’s website, the UEA has not turned in any signatures yet to be verified.

It could be because once they do, the names are required by law to be posted publicly, and efforts for a recision campaign are mounting.

Utah Parents United and Americans for Prosperity Utah, are two conservative groups among those spearheading a “decline to sign” campaign. Utah Parents United says they’re running ads, paying for billboards, pushing on social media, and running direct-to-digital advertising to “put kids before unions.”

UPU President Corrinne Johnson argues that the UEA, and by extension the National Education Association, has a “hidden political agenda” and is “being propped up by taxpayer dollars.”

“Union bosses who are not currently teaching and are not public employees are receiving union benefits and pensions, they’re receiving paid time off, they are part of the URS pension system,” Johnson alleged.

URS is Utah’s Retirement System, providing retirement and insurance benefits exclusively for Utah public employees.

“You could almost call it a fraudulent use or a corrupt use of taxpayer dollars to prop a private organization,” Johnson said.

She also took issue with the UEA opposing and filing a lawsuit against the Utah Fits All scholarship, their opposition to keeping schools open during the Covid pandemic, their alleged support for abortion, and support of Democratic candidates.

“We have our taxpayer dollars supporting union bosses who are promoting these politics into our schools in Utah, and then they’re sending their dues up to the NEA, which is then sending a million dollars into our state to then try and keep that system intact here in Utah of union power.”

The UEA, however, said its association is funded “solely by the dues of educator members who see the value of our union and choose to belong to the association.”

“House Bill 267 unfairly targets UEA by requiring our association to withdraw future employees from participation in the Utah Retirement Systems (URS) and bear the full cost of this forced withdrawal,” a spokesperson said. “Multiple non-public employer organizations, such as the Utah Association of Counties and the Utah League of Cities and Towns, participate in URS, yet this legislation specifically targets only labor unions.”