Republicans in Utah attack teachers’ unions in a political dispute over education

Salt Lake City, Utah – As Republicans look to limit the political power of unions representing teachers and other public service workers, Utah lawmakers adopted a bill Thursday that experts believe will create one of the nation’s most restrictive labor laws.

The GOP plan would outlaw collective bargaining in Utah’s public sectors, including law enforcement, transportation, and education. It would prevent labor unions from bargaining for improved pay and working conditions on behalf of employees.

Republicans see the law as a means of undermining teachers unions and paving the way for their own educational agenda, according to many educators, who are the state’s most frequent users of collective bargaining.

According to Sara Jones of the Utah Education Association, “public school educators who live and work in every single legislative district will bear the harm of the bill.” “It sends a message that educators don’t deserve a collective voice in their profession, they don’t deserve a say in policies that affect their classrooms, and they don’t deserve input on their salaries, working conditions, or benefits.”

Teachers’ unions are among the most vocal opponents of Republican policies in Utah and other places where lawmakers have attempted to restrict transgender bathroom usage and school sports participation, increase school choice vouchers, and remove diversity, equality, and inclusion programs.

Republicans contend that the unions’ liberal leanings render them unsuitable for representing conservative teachers.

Cole Kelley, a Republican on Utah’s State Board of Education and a high school teacher in American Fork, stated, “We need all voices to be heard in the teaching profession, and not just those that align with the union and their political views.”

According to South Jordan Republican state representative Jordan Teuscher, who is supporting the bill, collective bargaining agreements frequently prevent employees from taking part in their own contract negotiations and only permit communication between the company and the union agent. According to him, the measure establishes a framework that allows companies to speak with each employee directly about workplace issues.

With the backing of some of the most influential Republicans in the state, including House Speaker Mike Schultz, the legislation passed the GOP-led House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee by an 11–4 vote.

The bill allowed state employees to become members of unions, but it prohibited the unions from engaging in official negotiations on their behalf.

In 2024, Republicans made strong gains among union members thanks to President Donald Trump’s populist appeal, despite his support for policies that make it more difficult for workers to form unions. According to John Logan, a labor researcher at San Francisco State University, Republicans have attempted to include some blue-collar workers in their agenda, but mostly from the private sector.

Logan told The Associated Press, “Teachers unions are the biggest barrier to changing public education the way Republicans want to.” “They want the working class to support them, but they don’t need public sector unions.” They are merely a barrier in terms of ideology.

Utah’s law, according to Logan, is “fairly extreme” and would rank the state alongside North Carolina and South Carolina as one of the most restrictive for public sector unions.

For many years, collective bargaining has been prohibited in the Carolinas for all public sector positions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the two states have alternated between having the lowest percentage of union workers in the county for the last 20 years, with South Carolina now holding the lowest position at 3%.

Only law enforcement and firefighters are allowed to bargain in Georgia and Texas. The Utah bill prohibited them from doing so, and firefighters opposed it as well, fearing they would be unable to promote appropriate worker safety without union backing.