Utah
Utah Republicans take aim at teachers unions amid political clash over education
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday that experts say would establish one of the most restrictive labor laws in the country as Republicans seek to curb the political influence of unions serving teachers and other public service professionals.
The GOP proposal would ban collective bargaining across all of Utah’s public sectors — education, transit, law enforcement and more. It would bar labor unions from negotiating on behalf of workers for better wages and working conditions.
Many educators, the state’s most frequent users of collective bargaining, view the bill as way for Republicans to weaken teachers unions and clear a path for their own education agenda.
“The harm of the bill will be borne by public school educators living and working in every single legislative district,” said Sara Jones of the Utah Education Association. “It sends a message that educators don’t deserve a collective voice in their profession, don’t deserve input on their salaries or working conditions or benefits, or don’t deserve a say in the policies that impact their classrooms.”
Teachers unions are some of the most outspoken opponents of Republican policies in Utah and other states where lawmakers have sought to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, expand school choice vouchers and restrict transgender bathroom use and sports participation in schools.
The unions tend to skew liberal, which Republicans argue makes them unfit to represent teachers with conservative political views.
“We need all voices to be heard in the teaching profession, and not just those that align with the union and their political views,” said Cole Kelley, a Republican on Utah’s State Board of Education who teaches high school in American Fork.
Utah state Rep. Jordan Teuscher, a South Jordan Republican, presents his bill seeking to end public sector collective bargaining, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at the Capitol Building in Salt Lake City. Credit: AP/Hannah Schoenbaum
State Rep. Jordan Teuscher, a South Jordan Republican who is sponsoring the bill, said collective bargaining agreements often restrict workers from participating in their own contract negotiations, only allowing communication between the union representative and the employer. The bill creates a system in which employers can engage directly with all employees when addressing workplace concerns, he said.
The measure passed the GOP-led House Business, Labor and Commerce Committee in a 11-4 vote with support from some of the state’s most powerful Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Schultz.
State employees could still join unions under the bill, but the unions could not formally negotiate on their behalf.
President Donald Trump has backed policies making it harder for workers to unionize, yet his populist appeal helped Republicans make steady gains among union members in the 2024 election. Republicans have tried to bring some blue-collar workers into the fold, but largely from the private sector, said John Logan, a labor expert at San Francisco State University.
Union members in public service professions across Utah raise their hands to speak in opposition to a bill banning public sector collective bargaining, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at the Capitol Building in Salt Lake City. Credit: AP/Hannah Schoenbaum
“Republicans see teachers unions as the main obstacle to transforming public education the way they would like to,” Logan told The Associated Press. “They want the working class on their side, but public sector unions, they don’t have any use for them. Ideologically, they’re just an obstacle.”
Logan said Utah’s bill is “fairly extreme” and would place the state among the most restrictive for public sector unions, along with North Carolina and South Carolina.
Collective bargaining has been banned for decades across all public sector jobs in the Carolinas. The two states have flip-flopped between having the lowest percentage of union workers in the county for the past two decades, with South Carolina currently in lowest spot at 3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In Texas and Georgia, only police and firefighters have the right to bargain. They could not do so under the Utah bill, which also faced opposition from firefighters who worried they would not be able to advocate for proper worker safety without union support.
UTAH COUNTY, May 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Two males, ages 14 and 19, were transported to area hospitals Sunday after the side-by-side they were riding rolled down the side of a mountain.
Utah County Sheriff deputies and Santaquin police responded to the 6:07 p.m. call. Two medical helicopters were called to the scene, in the Pole Canyon area, as was a Department of Public Safety helicopter with a hoist in case it was needed, Sgt. Austin Edwards, Utah County Sheriff‘s Office, told Gephardt Daily.
“Eventually, rescue workers were able to make it to the spot on the hill where the vehicle had come to rest, and they were able to secure the victims, stabilize the victims, and get them back down the hill again to where the helicopters were waiting,” Edwards said.
“The 19-year-old male was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and the 14 year old was transported to Primary Children’s in Lehi.”
Both were said to have critical injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening, Edwards said.
“The cause of the rollover is still under investigation, so we don’t have that information available just yet.”
Photos: Utah County Sheriff
In what has a chance to be one of the most important nights in Jazz history, the Utah Jazz jumped in the NBA Lottery to the #2 spot for the upcoming NBA draft.
Here are the final results, which show all the movement.
Aside from it being a massive night for the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls, it was a devastating night for a few teams, but no one more than the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, in their trade for Ivica Zubac, had a stipulation on their pick that if the pick was top-4 they kept it. But if it fell below 4, they would give it to the Clippers which is exactly what happened. Now, the Clippers, who are without Zubac, find themselves with a #5 pick to build around.
For the Jazz this is a culmination of four years of rebuilding that ends with an extremely satisfying end. Utah will now have one of the tier-1 players from this draft: AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The player Utah drafts will be one of their cornerstone pieces and will have the chance to not only play, but be a part of a team that will be competing for the playoffs this season.
The Utah Jazz now have a Sinister Six core: Darryn Peterson (If AJ Dybantsa goes #1), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler (if he signs). It’s quite the core with a mix of youth and veterans in their prime. With this group, the Jazz will have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are going to be difficult to beat, but Utah has the mix of talent, coaching, and depth that could absolutely do the trick.
Now the Utah Jazz look forward to the NBA Draft that be on June 23rd. Let the posturing begin!!
PROVO — An organization that has been a beacon of hope for Utah children and families just got a big upgrade in Provo.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County on Friday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest facility, marking the start of a new chapter in providing support for those who need it the most.
The new Kent B. Nelson Clubhouse, 131 N. Olympic Blvd., replaces the organization’s former Provo clubhouse, which had been in operation for more than 50 years. Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County leaders said they had outgrown the aging facility and needed a larger, more modern space to support more community members.
“This new clubhouse is more than a building — it’s a central place where we can coordinate programs, support our staff, and amplify our impact across the region,” said David Bayles, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County, in a statement.
The organization’s mission was something the late former Utah County Commissioner Tom Sakievich was passionate about. His wife Marji and daughter Emily Sakievich attended Friday’s grand opening ceremony just as if he would’ve wanted to.
“He loved this project, and it meant the world to him,” Emily Sakievich told KSL. “This was actually one of the last places he went before he passed. (He) and my mom stopped by to just see how progress was going; he would be so excited to see this come together.”
The former commissioner died last December at the age of 72. Tom Sakievich resigned from the seat in September 2024 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer.
Emily Sakievich said her father was a big supporter of helping children in the Boys & Girls Clubs feel supported while he was in office.
“He would have all of them come to his office and talk about how government works and how they can be a part of it someday,” she said.
The new 20,000 square-foot facility expands on resources and programs offered at its previous site for community youth and families experiencing hardships.
The clubhouse will provide safe, engaging, and educational programs in a modernized building fit to serve more than 14,000 Utah children and teens.
A variety of programs including after-school, summer activities and STEM learning will be offered at the new facility. Other resources include internet safety programs, mental health support, nutrition initiatives, and housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness.
“We’ve been able to increase the capacity so much and add preschool and other things; we can even benefit more families — and we can benefit them for a longer period of time, from younger to older, where there are no gaps.” Provo City Council Chair Katrice MacKay told KSL. “So I’m really excited. It’s a fantastic thing for the city and for our residents.”
Leaders of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County say the new $6 million Provo clubhouse was designed as a welcoming space where children and teens can explore new interests, build life skills, and receive mentorship from caring staff.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs have been a cornerstone of youth development in Utah County for decades,” said Janet Frank, board president, in a statement “This new clubhouse strengthens that mission, allowing the organization to extend its reach and impact across the entire region.”
Friday’s event took place while children who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs were in school, so another ceremony for kids and their families is planned for the end of the month.
“The Boys & Girls Club is for every kid out there,” Bayles said. “We want to accomplish what every parent wants for their kids — we want them to have a safe place to learn and grow, to be successful in school, to build social skills and to go on and be great members of society.”
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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