SALT LAKE CITY – Once again, the will of the Republican super-majority in the Utah Legislature has been thwarted – at least temporarily – by a public petition drive.
House Bill 267 (Public Sector Labor Union Amendments) was passed by the Legislature during its 2025 General Session to prohibit collective bargaining by public sector unions in Utah.
On June 23, Gov. Spencer Cox acknowledged that a coalition of 19 labor unions, led by the Utah Education Association, had gathered enough voter signatures to send the law to the ballot in the 2026 general election.
Until Utah voters decide on that referendum, the Legislature’s attempt to stifle public union activity is on hold.
H.B. 267 was controversial from the word “go.” The sweeping change to the status quo in Utah faced significant opposition and debate in the Legislature.
Supporters contended that the law would give all public employees a voice in any future labor negotiations.
As the obvious target of the proposed legislation, the UEA argued furiously the H.B. 267 would weaken unions by restricting their ability to advocate for higher pay, better working conditions and student needs.
After the bill passed the Legislature, union officials urged Cox to veto it. When those pleas fell on deaf ears, they began an effort to gather voter signatures to put on the law on hold and potentially repeal it through a ballot referendum.
The referendum application was submitted to the Office of Lieut. Gov. Deidre Henderson on Mar. 7 and was certified as exceeding the required number of voter signatures on June 21.
Despite those developments, the bill’s author — Rep. Jordan Teuscher (R-South Jordan) — still defends H.B. 267 as promoting democratic principles and individual freedoms for public employees.
His position is supported by Utah Parents United, which has officially praised the law for benefitting parents, educators and students.
Opponents of the law argue that H.B. 267 not only targets teachers, but also firefighters, police officers, nurses and others by undermining their right to collectively bargain and advocate for fair working conditions.
The new law would also require that public sector unions file extensive financial reports, creating unnecessary costs and confusion without increasing actual transparency.
H.B. 267 also unfairly targets UEA employees, they argue, by banning them from the Utah Retirement System while allowing employees of other non-governmental organizations to remain.