SALT LAKE CITY — It was a stunning shift on a House bill dealing with unions.
On Friday, public safety unions refused a lawmaker-offered carve-out on HB 285, a bill restricting union activities on public property and blocking automatic deductions from paychecks.
It was a sign of solidarity with the teachers' unions. Currently, the Utah Education Association (UEA) is the largest with more than 18,000 members.
"My members, we don't stand behind our teachers, maintenance workers and everybody else, we stand beside them," said Jack Tidrow,
The room and two overflow rooms were in full in the House Business and Labor Committee Friday afternoon at the Utah State Capitol.
Dozens and dozens of union members, from public employees, electricians and even contractors let their voices be heard about the bill during the three-hour-long meeting.
"We feel like it is unnecessary, there is no reason to even be wasting our time on a bill like this," said Jeff Worthington, President of the Utah AFL-CIO.
Worthington says union membership overall is growing in Utah.
The second substitute of the bill, sponsored by Representative Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, would require public employee labor organizations to conduct a recertification election every five years.
The bill was also aiming to prohibit a public employer from deducting union dues from a public employee's wages, except in certain circumstances.
"This is not an anti-union bill, I have seen a number of flyers, or emails from people saying this is anti-union, this is union busting," said Rep. Teuscher.
Under this bill, certain labor organizations would have to provide the number of members in the organization to a public employer upon request.
The bill ultimately passed out of committee with and eight to four vote and will now move to the full house.
