Opponents of public labor union law score enough signatures to put issue on ballot
Jun 21, 2025, 11:48 AM
Firefighter union members raise their hands to show they oppose HB267 at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Jan. 23. Opponents of the law gathered enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Opponents of a new law that bans public sector collective bargaining scored a win on Saturday as Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson confirmed they gathered enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot.
The coalition of labor unions needed to get at least 140,748 active voters’ signatures — 8% of the state’s total active voters. The signatures needed to include at least 8% of voters in at least 15 of 29 Senate districts, Henderson’s office noted.
“County clerks have processed the submitted signatures and removal forms; the Office of the Lieutenant Governor has reviewed and certified the final count. The HB267 referendum fulfilled the requirements described above and will be submitted to the voters of Utah for their approval or rejection,” Henderson’s office said in a statement.
The statement did not disclose the total number of verified signatures gathered.
County clerks in late April verified more than 145,000 signatures, after which organizers opposed to the referendum were given time to convince signees of the petition to remove their names. Henderson’s announcement Saturday means the count is final and the decision will be put to Utah voters in November’s general election.
HB267, which bans public sector collective bargaining, was signed into law by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in February. Collective bargaining occurs when an employer and a union come together to negotiate a contract for employees, but HB267 applies only to public sector labor unions.
The back-and-forth over HB267 dominated the recent legislative as labor groups argued it diminishes the ability for some teachers, police officers and firefighters to petition for better wages and working conditions.
Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz has defended the bill, saying it is “trying to balance” public employees’ interests with those of the taxpayers. Others have said collective bargaining can exclude nonunion public workers.
