SALT LAKE CITY — The House of Representatives passed a bill that critics have attacked as "union busting."
House Bill 267 prohibits collective bargaining by public employee unions and restricts their activities in public facilities. The bill also expands liability insurance offered to public employees.
Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, acknowledged that so far police, firefighters and education employee unions all oppose his bill. But he argued during a Monday debate that his legislation was designed to safeguard taxpayer dollars while ensuring all have a voice.
"I care about our firefighters, I care about our police officers, I care about our teachers and all of our public employees," he said. "I would not run this bill if I didn’t strongly believe that it is in the best interests of all the public employees we have across the state."
The bill passed on a narrow 42-32 vote with some Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition. The bill has faced pushback from union members who argue it is about silencing their voices.
"This legislation directly contradicts Utah's commitment to supporting our education professionals, public safety officers, and public service employees. By eliminating unions' ability to negotiate fair compensation, the bill threatens the livelihoods of thousands of working families," House Democrats said in a statement following the vote.
The Utah Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, blasted the bill as "a blatant power grab aimed at dismantling public unions and silencing the collective voice of educators."
"We believe HB 267 represents a dangerous precedent that undermines the principles of democracy and the rights of public employees to organize and advocate for their professions. It attacks public educators who dedicate their lives to teaching Utah’s children, ultimately threatening the quality of public education across the state," the union said in a statement following the vote.
HB267 now goes to the Senate for consideration. Union representatives have told FOX 13 News they are looking to see if the bill can still be negotiated, something Rep. Teuscher has said he is willing to continue meeting with them on.
