Utah’s Republican Governor has enacted a new law described by experts as one of the most extreme anti-labor measures in the country despite strong protests from union members, the Associated Press reports.
Starting July 1, unions representing Utah – where a ‘trad wife’ ditched home for Ireland – teachers, firefighters, police officers, transit workers, and other public employees will no longer be allowed to negotiate better wages and working conditions on their behalf.
Gov. Spencer Cox made his decision public on Friday evening after a week of demonstrations outside his office, with thousands of unionists from both public and private sectors beseeching him to reject the bill.
The Republican-led legislature had barely passed the legislation last week, having scrapped a potential compromise that would have avoided a complete ban.
Cox expressed his disapproval of the outcome, stating: “I’m disappointed that, in this case, the process did not ultimately deliver the compromise that at one point was on the table and that some stakeholders had accepted,” when he revealed that he had signed the bill into law.
The bill was not passed with a veto-proof majority, meaning that if Cox had vetoed it, Republican advocates would have needed additional backing to override his action.
Utah now ranks alongside North Carolina and South Carolina as the states with the harshest constraints on public sector unions, according to labor expert John Logan from San Francisco State University.
Educators, who frequently engage in collective bargaining in the state, see the new legislation as a Republican tactic to diminish the political clout of teachers’ unions and pave the way for their own educational policies.
The law’s GOP proponents claim it is necessary to enable employers to communicate directly with all employees rather than through union representatives.
UEA (Utah Education Association), the state’s largest union for public education workers, has condemned Governor Spencer Cox for disregarding the numerous workers who called on him to veto the law.
The association is considering a ballot referendum to challenge the law, despite the significant costs involved.
“Despite overwhelming opposition, Governor Spencer Cox and the Legislature ignored the voices of thousands,” the union declared.
“This is a blatant attack on public employees and our right to advocate for the success of our profession and students.”
Cox’s approval coincides with President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Education Department by cutting funding and encouraging staff resignations.