WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Labor unions across the state are celebrating the legislature's expected repeal of a law that banned public employee unions from collective bargaining.
On Monday, union members who formed the "Protect Utah Workers Coalition" gathered to celebrate the repeal and speak about the effort. Republican legislative leaders added a repeal of House Bill 267 to the agenda for a special session of the Utah State Legislature on Tuesday.
Union leaders believe it was a massive signature-gathering effort for a citizen referendum that forced the issue on the November 2026 ballot — and forced lawmakers to take notice.
"This win is because of the voters and the volunteers who showed up and helped us get all the signatures, over 321,000 signatures," said Renée Pinkney, the president of the Utah Education Association, the state's largest teachers union. "They believed in us and the public really came through."
Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, who sponsored the original bill and is now sponsoring the repeal, told FOX 13 News on Monday that through negotiations with labor unions, the legislature viewed it as a "good chance for a reset," and an opportunity to find consensus.
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Lawmakers and labor unions have been quietly crafting a truce on Utah's Capitol Hill in recent weeks. At a Labor Day picnic, union leaders confirmed to FOX 13 News they were in discussions with lawmakers but at that time, nothing had been decided.
Rep. Teuscher said he believed there were some areas of common ground on more non-controversial aspects of the bill, like liability insurance for teachers and where public moneys can be spent separate from union activities. While he is not planning any labor bills in the upcoming general session of the legislature that starts in January, Rep. Teuscher said they would keep meeting to find agreement.
"We’re going to have a working group moving forward to try and come up with something that’s got Utah labor and the legislature so we can move forward," said Jessica Stauffer, a nurse with CWA Local 7765. "It’s a working relationship."
Asked if lawmakers were concerned with midterm elections where House members would be up on the ballot alongside the referendum and redistricting-related issues, Rep. Teuscher told FOX 13 News:
"I don’t know that it was the midterms per se, but I think what we were staring down essentially was millions of dollars that was going to be poured in by outside groups on the labor union sides, and millions of dollars to support the efforts that Utah was trying to do and us fighting this bloody battle and who really wins in that?" he said. "Well, campaign consultants win. Maybe news media wins, they can sell more ads. But it doesn’t help Utah. It doesn’t bring us closer together. So we thought if we have this path, why not try to take that path?"
Pinkney acknowledged there may be some who will be upset that the referendum won't appear on the November ballot. She thanked the public for showing up to support teachers, firefighters, police officers and other laborers.
"I'm a social studies teacher so I would have liked to have seen it on the ballot," she chuckled. "But I recognize this is a win. This is a win for everyone who got involved. Without the people engaging at such high levels, I don’t know if it would be happening right now."
Scott Stephenson, the executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he believes Utahns are now more appreciative of workers.
"Our economy is on the backs of labor. You have entrepreneurs that create businesses, but to move that message and that product? You’ve got to have labor. So it’s important there’s a balance between labor and the businesses they work for," he said.
While unions are no longer preparing for a full-throated campaign for a referendum, they are still encouraging people to vote.
"Now that it’s going to be repealed, we’re afraid the numbers might not be as big as they would be had this been on the ballot in November," Stephenson said. "I encourage everybody, exercise your civic duty and vote. I don’t care what party you belong to, get out and vote."
