A group of pro-union workers, led primarily by teachers, rally at the Utah Capitol last year in opposition to HB267, a controversial law passed earlier in the year that had banned collective bargaining for most public employees. The law was repealed by lawmakers in a special legislative session in December. (Photo courtesy Utah Education Association)
In a historically right-to-work state, union activity still garners headlines in Utah. Late December saw two such stories climb to prominence — one decidedly pro-union and the other spotlighting a rejection of the collective bargaining process.
Gov. Spencer Cox called a special session of the Utah Legislature in December to consider repealing a law that the body had passed in February banning collective bargaining for the majority of public employees — most notably teachers and public safety employees. The repeal of HB267 overwhelmingly passed both houses.
The bill, Public Sector Labor Union Amendments, was sponsored by Rep. Jordan Teuscher (R-South Jordan) and Sen. Kirk Cullimore (R-Sandy) and supported by notable anti-union groups such as the Utahns for Worker Freedom and Americans for Prosperity, who argued that law created a “level playing field” for public employees who are not union members and protects taxpayer resources.
A large coalition of labor groups formed a new organization, Protect Utah Workers, to coordinate opposition and organize a signature drive to put a repeal of HB267 on the ballot. Included were the Utah Education Association (UEA) and other teacher unions like the American Federation of Teachers-Utah; firefighter unions, including the International Association of Fire Fighters and the Professional Fire Fighters of Utah; police unions, such as the Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Association; public employee unions led by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and several individual labor unions, including Teamsters Local 222, Communications Workers of America Local 7765 and United Steel Workers Local 392.
Protect Utah Workers launched a petition drive during which over 5,000 volunteers collected more than 320,000 signatures to qualify for a referendum on this year’s general election ballot that would have nullified the law.
Bill sponsor Teuscher also supported the action to repeal it in the special session. He said he believed the original legislation was good policy but was “overshadowed by misinformation and unnecessary division.”
“Repealing HB267 doesn’t mean that we’re abandoning the principles behind it,” Teuscher said. “It means that we’re choosing clarity over confusion, collaboration over conflict, and long-term stability over short-term noise.”
Following the repeal vote, UEA President Renée Pinkney said that if the repeal hadn’t been successful at the Utah Legislature, it would have had a good chance of going through at the
ballot box.
“We know that we have the people’s support behind us, and we are going to continue working forward and adhering to the work group,” Pinkney said. “We said that we would enter into talks with the Legislature and try and lower the temperature, and we will adhere to that agreement.”
“We want our students to be successful,” Pinkney continued. “We want them to thrive. We want them to reach their full potential, and we know that we can do that through collective bargaining with our employers”
The second union-related story to make Utah labor headlines in December came with a vote by employees of Smith Power Products in Salt Lake City to toss the union from their shop. Fifty-eight Smith employees voted “overwhelmingly” to decertify the Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 as their representative in a secret-ballot election administered by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The union had represented Smith employees for more than 30 years.
Smith Power Products specializes in the sale, service and rental of heavy-duty engines, power generation systems and transmissions in the mining, oil, gas, and transportation industries. The union represented primarily technicians and mechanics.
The decertification process was led by Smith Power Products employee Bryce Runia, who filed a petition with the NLRB in November. The Smith employees — 70 percent of those who voted to oust the union — received legal aid from attorneys at the National Right to Work Foundation.
“This case serves as another reminder that, in addition to the vast majority of workers who polls show are happily non-union, there are numerous other employees in Utah and across America who are currently trapped in a union against their will,” said Patrick Semmens, foundation vice president.
Utah is one of the 26 states with right-to-work laws, which make union affiliation and dues payment strictly voluntary.
The NLRB is a federal agency responsible for enforcing federal labor law. This includes administering votes to install or remove unions in workplaces.
“My understanding is there was a feeling like the union wasn’t really doing much for them anymore, not a lot of communication, not a lot of results. And so, they decided to re-evaluate the situation,” Semmens said in a statement.
The Smith Power Products action is part of a recent modest trend toward union decertification. Petitions to end union representation are up 40 percent since 2020, according to NLRB data. While overall unionization rates have hit historic lows (9.9 percent in 2024), this trend is driven by dissatisfaction with union representation, delays in bargaining first contracts and shifting sentiments in specific industries, labor analysts report. Examples include high-profile cases in the cannabis industry and among some Starbucks workers who filed for decertification after failing to reach a contract within a year.
When decertification elections are held, employees have voted to remove the union roughly 41 percent of the time, according to a Worklaw Network report. Although specifics are not available, the National Right to Work Foundation said there were other decertification votes in Utah in 2025.
Despite the rise in decertification efforts, Utah continues to see unionization efforts at companies within the state. In the past 12 months (through November), there have been 13 union elections filed in Utah and eight union elections held. In five of those elections, new union representation has been certified. There are currently four open representation cases and one more with a vote pending.