The Utah Legislature is putting a stop to tax dollars being used to grow government through labor union activity. They are doing this through House Bill 267 (HB 267) from Representative Jordan Teuscher.
Public labor unions have long used the financial systems of public employers to facilitate dues collection and grow membership. Instead, unions must rely on voluntary payments from members rather than using the payroll system as a financial pipeline. This is true free association.
Further, HB 267 eliminates the use of taxpayer money for union activity. Many public unions have advocated for extra time off for union members to lobby the legislature. This bill eliminates that practice. Public labor unions often advocate for higher government spending forcing taxpayers to subsidize polices they may oppose.
Finally, Rep. Teuscher’s bill eliminates the ability of public labor unions from collective bargaining. This makes Utah a true right to work state. This lack of collective bargaining frees workers to self negotiate better contracts and services for themselves. It promotes a meritocracy, where individual pay is based on performance rather than how long they have worked in a department.
The bottom line, HB 267 reduces government departments from interfering in the legislative process and growing the size of government. It eliminates costly collective bargaining, restores individual worker freedom, and stops taxpayer funded union activity.
