Public service has been modeled to me my whole life. A lifelong Utahn, I was raised by a police officer and a school social worker who worked to keep our state safe and prosperous. I was educated in the Utah public school system, being influenced by teachers and becoming a public school educator myself. Public service is in my blood.
House Bill 267, Public Sector Labor Union Amendments, run by Representative Jordan Teuscher, makes it more difficult for public employees to access safe working conditions, livable wages, and benefits by stripping public labor associations the right to collectively bargain. Instead, this bill forces workers to rely on the goodwill of employers to provide these benefits. If passed, it will make it extremely difficult for Utah’s Public Employees, like me and my parents, to provide for our families.
Representative Teuscher claims HB267 will ensure “all voices are heard,” and thus Utah public employees will somehow be better off without unions collectively bargaining for them. What about all the voices against this bill? What about the thousands of emails against the bill from Utahns our representatives acknowledged receiving on the house floor in the General Session January 27th? What about the Utah Education Association’s petition, which has garnered over 13,000 Utah signatures against this bill? What about the four packed rooms of Utahns who showed up for public comment during the House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee last week? Thousands of Utahns have let their voices sound in opposition to the bill. Yet, for some reason, these voices are being ignored by a majority of the Utah House, as the bill passed the house 42-32. “All voices are heard,” you say?
When asked in the House General Session on January 27th which unions and associations support this bill, Mr. Teuscher admitted “currently, these groups on principle are opposed to the bill.” If no labor union supports this bill, and no public employer has asked for this bill, whose voice is really being listened to?
HB267 is unnecessary because Utah is already a right-to-work state that emphasizes local control. Any government entity can opt out of collective bargaining at any time. No one is being forced to negotiate with these unions. Employees already have a voice when choosing to join or not join a union. Even those who choose not to join fully benefit from negotiations each year.
Utah’s public employees can already contact and meet with their Utah legislators, school board members, bosses, community councils, and mayors, to speak their voice. HB267 does not improve people’s ability to be heard in any way. Unions do not take away people’s ability to speak their voice. Instead, this bill takes the power of collective bargaining away.
While unions will still be able to advocate for its members at the state and local levels, HB267 takes the power away from Utahns and gives it to public employers and lawmaking groups. By making collective bargaining illegal, this bill takes the power of choice away from Utah’s public employees on whether to join a union. This bill takes the power away from Utah’s police officers, custodians, teachers, and firefighters to fight for safe working conditions, pay to provide for their families, and benefits to keep their families healthy. It takes our power.
Do not be mistaken: stripping unions of their right to negotiate for everyday Utahn’s will harm Utah’s families. With the rising cost of food, housing, medical care, and gasoline, the public employees of Utah–those who make this state a great place to raise a family–will be unable to fight for their right to provide for their own families. I urge all Utahns to contact their state senators and the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee to vote no on HB267 and stand up for the public employees who serve our state.
Charlotte Gatrell is a teacher in the Jordan School District. She has a Masters of Education from Southern Utah University, Teaching Endorsements in K-6 Elementary Mathematics Teaching and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is a proud member of the Utah Education Association. Her opinions are her own.
