Utah legislature repeals anti-bargaining legislation after backlash from workers and communities

Last night, the Utah state legislature repealed H.B. 267 during a special legislative session – officially ending a 10-month battle between the state’s workers and lawmakers over collective bargaining rights.  

Utah lawmakers passed the Public Sector Labor Union Amendments in February. The controversial legislation stripped all Utah public employees of their right to engage in collective bargaining.  

While the Professional Fire Fighters of Utah (PFFU) and other unions attempted to reason with the bill’s proponents, talks broke down after Utah Senate leadership moved the bill to the floor for a vote. Governor Spencer Cox (R) later signed the bill into law on Feb. 14. 

“Collective bargaining gives workers a voice to keep their communities safe,” General President Edward Kelly said. “This legislation failed Utah’s communities and it failed Utah’s fire fighters.” 

“Without the hard work of the PFFU and their brothers and sisters in labor, H.B. 267 would still be on the books. Together, they showed what’s possible when you refuse to take no for an answer.” 

Despite the enactment of H.B. 267, Utah workers refused to back down.  

The PFFU, alongside 18 other labor groups, formed Protect Utah Workers – a new organization dedicated to securing a ballot measure to repeal the law during the 2026 elections.  

The group collected more than 320,000 valid signatures in support of putting a repeal of H.B. 267 before the voters – far exceeding the 140,000-signature requirement. 

Given the unified opposition from Utah’s workers, the public outrage, and the looming referendum vote on the bill, Cox called a special session of the legislature to address H.B. 267. 

In a post on social media, Cox expressed support for ending H.B. 267 – signaling he’ll sign the repeal following overwhelming bipartisan votes to do so in both chambers