SALT LAKE CITY — On Thursday, Utah lawmakers moved forward with a controversial bill that could create one of the most stringent labor laws in the nation. This initiative, introduced by Republican legislators, aims to limit the political power of unions, particularly those representing educators and other public sector workers.
The proposed legislation would prohibit collective bargaining across all public sectors in Utah, which includes education, transportation, law enforcement, and more. This means that labor unions would be unable to negotiate on behalf of employees for improved wages and working conditions.
Many teachers, who frequently utilize collective bargaining, perceive this bill as a tactic by Republicans to undermine teachers’ unions and facilitate the implementation of their educational policies. Sara Jones, a representative from the Utah Education Association, highlighted the detrimental effects the bill would have on public school educators throughout the state. She remarked that the legislation implies educators are unworthy of a unified voice in their profession, lacking influence over their salaries, working conditions, and overall policies that directly affect their classrooms.
Teachers’ unions frequently oppose Republican policies in Utah and elsewhere, particularly those aimed at diminishing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, broadening school choice options, and imposing restrictions on transgender students concerning bathroom access and athletic participation. These unions typically hold liberal viewpoints, which Republicans argue compromise their ability to adequately represent teachers who hold more conservative beliefs.
Cole Kelley, a Republican educator serving on Utah’s State Board of Education, emphasized the need for diverse perspectives within the teaching profession, suggesting that voices outside of union-associated political views should also be considered.
House Representative Jordan Teuscher, a Republican from South Jordan and the bill’s sponsor, clarified that collective bargaining agreements often prevent workers from directly engaging in their own contract discussions. Instead, these agreements typically limit discussions to exchanges between union representatives and employers. Teuscher believes the bill would allow employers to communicate directly with all employees regarding workplace issues, fostering greater involvement from the workforce.
The bill gained traction in the GOP-dominated House Business, Labor and Commerce Committee, which voted 11-4 in favor, with backing from influential Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Schultz. While the legislation would still permit state employees to join unions, those unions would lose the authority to negotiate on their behalf.
Former President Donald Trump has advocated for measures that make union organization more challenging; however, he successfully resonated with union members during the 2024 election. According to labor expert John Logan from San Francisco State University, while Republicans aspire to engage blue-collar workers, their focus has mostly been on those in the private sector.
Logan noted that the GOP views teachers’ unions as significant barriers to the transformation of public education, suggesting that their ideological stance makes them resistant to public sector unions.
He described Utah’s proposed legislation as “fairly extreme,” indicating it could position the state alongside North Carolina and South Carolina as one of the most restrictive for public sector unions.
In fact, collective bargaining has been prohibited for decades in public sector jobs across the Carolinas. These states consistently fluctuate between having the lowest rates of union participation in the country, with South Carolina currently at just 3% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In Texas and Georgia, only specific groups, such as police and firefighters, have the right to bargain collectively, which would not apply under the new Utah bill. Firefighters have also voiced concerns regarding the implications of the bill, fearing that they would struggle to ensure adequate worker safety without support from their unions.
