Lawmakers dropped a promised rewrite Friday of HB267, which initially aimed to eliminate collective bargaining for Utah’s public sector employees, about an hour and a half before senators were expected to discuss the revised bill.
At about 9:30 a.m., a group of public union representatives waiting outside the Senate chamber looked at it for the first time.
“We can’t tell you what is even good or bad about it, because we don’t even have the time to review it to be able to get [an] analysis,” said Brad Asay, president of the American Federation of Teachers Utah, early Friday. The organization, among others, has been working with lawmakers to change the bill.
Asay said they’re hoping Utah senators agree to circle it — or temporarily postpone any action — so union representatives have more adequate time to review it.
As the bill’s Senate co-sponsor, Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Cottonwood Heights, assured Thursday, the substitute seems to no longer prohibit collective bargaining for public employees, but it would still require a “recertification election every five years.”
That means that to engage in collective bargaining, all of a public agency’s employees, whether they are part of a union or not, would need to vote to “certify the collective bargaining representative.” At least 50% plus one would need to vote in favor.
Asay expressed concern that nonvoters could be counted as “no” votes instead of only tallying the votes of those who participate.
He added that was a point that union representatives have been pushing to change during negotiations, but lawmakers “wouldn’t budge.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Firefighters look on as the Senate votes on HB267, a bill aimed at banning collective bargaining for public labor unions in Utah, at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.
HB267 has sparked dramatic public backlash from many, who argued that nullifying public sector employee unions’ collective bargaining rights would hurt workers and compromise essential public services.
Despite the thousands of calls and emails lawmakers have received in opposition to the bill, legislators have continued to advance the measure.
Several Republican senators on Thursday said they cast “aye” votes with the caveat that their support was subject to change, depending on what, if any, significant substitutions may look like by the time the Senate expects to revisit the bill.
Senate floor time was set to begin at 11 a.m. Friday. Before doors opened, dozens of people stood together outside the Senate gallery, collectively singing “Solidarity Forever.”
— This is a developing story. Check back for updates.