Utah Legislature bans collective bargaining for teachers unions and other public sector jobs

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Labor unions that serve teachers, firefighters, police and other public employees in Utah will no longer be able to negotiate on behalf of their workers under a bill that received final legislative approval Thursday.

The Republican policy banning collective bargaining for all public sector professions passed the Senate in a 16-13 vote after its sponsors abandoned a proposed compromise that would have removed the outright ban. After days of negotiations, some unions still disapproved, leading lawmakers to move forward with the more restrictive original version that had already passed the House.

“If there’s not going to be consensus, then let’s just run it on its face,” said Sen. Kirk Cullimore, the bill’s Senate sponsor.

Labor experts say the proposal, which is headed to the governor’s desk, would establish one of the most restrictive labor laws in the country as Republicans seek to curb the political influence of teachers unions.

The move in Utah comes as President Donald Trump is preparing to gut the U.S. Education Department to the greatest extent of his power by slashing spending and pressuring employees to quit.

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Public educators are the state’s most frequent users of collective bargaining and view the policy as a direct attack on their organizing power. Teachers unions have been outspoken opponents of Republican policies in Utah and other states where lawmakers have sought to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, expand school choice vouchers and restrict transgender bathroom use and sports participation in schools.

State employees could still join unions under the bill. But the unions could not formally negotiate on their behalf for better wages and working conditions.

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox has not indicated whether he will sign or veto the measure. Spokesperson Robert Carroll said Thursday that the governor has been following the discussion and will take a closer look now that it has passed.

The Utah Education Association, the state’s largest public education employees’ union, has called on Cox to prove his support for teachers by issuing a swift veto.

The bill did not pass with veto-proof margins, meaning that if Cox were to reject it, Republicans would need to pull in more support to override his veto. All Senate Democrats and seven Republicans opposed the bill Thursday.

Cullimore and his House co-sponsor, Rep. Jordan Teuscher of South Jordan, said collective bargaining agreements often restrict workers from participating in their own contract negotiations, only allowing communication between the union representative and the employer.

Some conservative teachers who testified before the Legislature said left-leaning teachers unions should not have all the negotiating power. Teuscher said the bill removes the middleman and lets employers engage directly with all employees when addressing workplace concerns.

The proposal, Cullimore argued, is not anti-union or anti-teacher.

“We here have passed bills to directly support teacher pay when it wasn’t getting done at the local level, when it wasn’t getting done by the union,” he said. “We’ve taken it upon ourselves to ensure that they feel respected.”

If Cox signs the bill, Utah would be among the most restrictive states for public sector unions, along with North Carolina and South Carolina.

“This bill turns a civil servant into an indentured servant,” Sen. Kathleen Riebe, a teacher and Salt Lake City Democrat, said just before the vote. “The people that protect you, the people that care for you and the people that make this city run are asking you not to pass this bill.”

Firefighter Jack Tidrow, who has shown up at the Legislature nearly every day for two weeks to voice his opposition, said unions play a crucial role in keeping firefighters safe on the job. Utah is less safe now, he told reporters after the Senate approved the measure.