SALT LAKE CITY — Unions are organizing against a bill that they say is classic "union busting" by cracking down on public employee labor organizations.
House Bill 267 would prohibit public employee unions (police officers, firefighters, teachers and other government workers) from collective bargaining and restrict their activities in public facilities.
"It’s almost a personal attack on us," said Bryan Bobo, a West Jordan firefighter who is a member of the Professional Firefighters of Utah.
Bobo said unions offer educational opportunities, ensure workplace safety and advocate for employees on Capitol Hill and elsewhere.
"It’s a horrible bill," he told FOX 13 News. "It takes a lot of our rights away as far as being able to do that collective bargaining and being able to come in and have our voice and do what’s right for the people."
The sponsor of HB267 insists he is safeguarding the public's money.
"Really what we’re trying to do is ensure that all public employees have a voice at the table when they’re negotiating contracts and that we’re protecting taxpayer resources," Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, said. "That labor unions aren’t getting access to taxpayer resources."
But unions said the bill would effectively eliminate public employee unions (private company unions are not included in the legislation, though they fear this is a start).
"I really am perplexed about the hypocrisy of this and the value we place on families, and working families, but yet we’re going to take away their ability to have collective bargaining and do what’s best for them," said Brad Asay, the president of the American Federation of Teachers Utah.
Rep. Teuscher countered that unions can still organize and advocate for their members, but the legislature is setting guardrails around it.
"Businesses have to make a profit or they go out of business. Government never goes out of business," he said. "Because of that inherent obstacle with public sector collective bargaining, it really doesn’t make sense to continue to do it in our state."
HB267 will have its first hearing on Thursday afternoon in the House Business & Labor Committee. Unions said they are organizing members and supporters to defeat the legislation.
That is not the only bill in the works on unions. Rep. Teuscher said he is planning a proposed amendment enshrining Utah's "Right to Work" law in the state constitution. If that were to pass, it would be placed on the ballot for voters to decide.
"Your employment, whether they hire you or fire you, cannot be based on whether you are or are not a member of a union. That’s been in state law for over 50 years. My constitutional amendment would bring that into the state constitution," he said.
Asay said his organization would like to see what language is ultimately placed on the ballot for voters to decide before supporting or opposing the amendment.
