The Protect Utah Workers coalition announced Wednesday it will not support any replacement bill for HB 267, the controversial law that stripped public workers of their ability to advocate for themselves and collaborate with local elected officials. The Legislature is expected to discuss the issue during a special session in September.
The Protect Utah Workers coalition is ready for voters to decide HB 267’s future at the ballot box in November 2026. If the bill is taken up before then, the coalition urges lawmakers to fully repeal it and return decision-making power to local communities.
“Our position is clear: Every public worker in Utah deserves the right to be heard and represented,” said airport employee and AFSCME Local 1004 President Jerry Philpot. “The right to negotiate safe working conditions and better resources for our communities is nonnegotiable.”
HB 267 is on hold because of the coalition’s record-breaking ballot referendum, the most successful in Utah history. In just 30 days, more than 320,000 Utahns signed to overturn the law, far surpassing the legal threshold in 23 of 29 Senate districts.
“If lawmakers doubt where Utah stands, they should read the numbers,” Philpot said. “The public is on the side of educators, firefighters, police officers, nurses, airport workers, state chemists, librarians, plow drivers, public health workers, custodial staff, transit workers and every public worker who keeps our state running.”
The Protect Utah Workers coalition believes Utah is stronger when public workers have a protected voice in the workplace. The September special session offers lawmakers the chance to restore those rights by repealing HB 267. If no action is taken, the coalition remains committed to defeating the law at the ballot box in November 2026.
Protect Utah Workers Coalition
- AFL-CIO
- AFSCME Local 1004
- AFT Utah
- Amalgamated Transit Union Local 382
- American Federation of Government Employees
- Communications Workers of America Local 7765
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 354
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 3
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
- Operating Engineers Local 3
- Professional Firefighters of Utah
- Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Association
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 312
- Teamsters Local 222
- United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 99
- United Mine Workers
- United Mountain Workers
- Utah Education Association
- Utah Public Employees Association
- Utah School Employees Association
- Utah State Fraternal Order of Police
The Utah Legislature took away the rights of public workers—teachers, firefighters, nurses, police and others—to collectively bargain for fair wages, benefits, and working conditions. The HB267 referendum challenges the unfair law and allows voters to decide what’s best for Utah. Go to protectutahworkers.com to learn more.
