By james art 
The House of Utah’s Representatives on Monday are refining a bill that will ban the collective negotiation of the state sector unions, representing teachers, firefighters and police officers.
But HB267which have passed after a long debate and 42-32 votes can be twisted while moving through the legislature.
The sponsor, reporter Jordan Teusher, R-South Jordan, admitted that most of the employment organizations he met were against the bill and he works on “potential compromises” so that groups such as the Association of School Employees in Utah, Professional Firefighters of Utah and Brotherly Order of Police take a more neutral position.
The bill prohibits collective negotiation in the public sector, the process in which a school district, city, district or other entity, which deals with public officials, meets a union to negotiate a contract for these employees. Salt Lake City police and the firefighters and several school areas in the state are the only Utah formations that are actually involved in collective negotiation, Teusher said.
The “main problem” with this, argued Teusher on the floor of the house on Monday, is that the only recognized voice is the Union and its members.
“This voice is made up of many of the employment base throughout the board, so there are literally thousands of votes in our country, which are simply not heard as part of this negotiating process,” he said.
Trade unions can still meet the school districts, but the bill will “open the table for any other group or an individual teacher who chooses to be part of this process because it affects them directly.”
The bill, as Tesher mentioned, caused the pouring of opposition from the labor groups of the state, both public and private. As the legislators spent nearly 40 minutes debate on the floor of the house on Monday, most reported that they had received many emails from teachers, firefighters and other public officials who tell them to vote “No”.
In a news message, the Utah Education Association, which represents about 18,000 teachers and other schools at school, said she had collected 13,000 signatures opposed to legislation in a week. The group accused the Republicans who voted in favor of the bill to ignore “these votes in favor of consolidating power and the attack of public unions.”
“I have received thousands of emails in the last 72 hours, opposing this bill, and talked to many voters who are also dealing with this bill,” said reporter Hoang Nguyen, D-Salt Lake City. “My anxiety is in our civil servants who believe that this bill will take away their ability to work collectively as a body for negotiation of better working conditions and pay for their group.”
Was to remove collective negotiation for a teacher, firefighter and police unions move forward
The Republicans who spoke against the bill achieved a similar tone. Reporter Ray Ward, Rountiful, said the Union’s ability to market offers teachers, firefighters, police officers and other civil servants, an alternative to the legislature for representation. And reporter Douglas Welton, R-Payson, who is one of the few active legislative teachers, has asked whether the bill would actually lead to more teachers, as Teusher claims.
“I understand that the Union does not represent all teachers. I understand their care and their concerns. Considering, I’m worried that this will further remove their voice, “Welton said. “My phone is overwhelmed by people who talk against it.”
But other Republican supporters claim that much of the opposition comes from people who have not actually read the bill.
“Like everyone here, I have received many emails for what they like or what they don’t like, and most of them have opposed,” said reporter Walt Brooks, RSSSssssssssssssss-S-St. George. “I sent them the bill and each of them realized that their perception of what they were told was not what the bill actually did.”
And, according to supporters of the bill, he will give a voice to all public officials, not just members of the Union.
“This bill is actually related to consistency and justice, and when we use taxpayer dollars, it is important to be consistent and fair,” Repa said. Candice Pierchi, R-Herr. “There is nothing stopping unions from still association and still gathering and coming to use their voice.”
Although the bill adopted, 18 Republicans joined the 14th Democrats of the Chamber to vote “No”.
Although the removal of collective bargaining is the most reflective part, the bill offers several other changes in public sector employees and alliances.
This would limit certain government resources to focus on Union’s activities – which includes guaranteeing taxpayers’ funds will not pay a public officer for the work they are doing for an union. And unions would not receive special exceptions to the use of public resources, such as property (if other groups or people had to pay to use a public room or space and the Union).
People who are employed by an alliance but are not actually employed by the formation that the union represents – for example, someone who works for a full -time teacher union but is not actually hired by the school neighborhood – will no longer have access to the system of retirement of Utah.
And the bill will offer professional liability insurance for teachers, which in most cases is currently offered through an alliance, says Teusher. This would offer teachers “extra protection” about things like employment disputes, he said.
With the bill that is now moving to a Senate committee, then the full senate for consideration, legislators say there may be changes to the bill. Without being refined, Senate President Stewart Adams, R-Layton, told reporters on Monday that they were “listening to changes. It will be interesting to see how it comes to us. “
The Utah Education Association called the bill “Brunt Power of Power aimed at dismantling public unions and silencement of the collective voice of teachers who are tirelessly for students and public schools in Utah.”
“We believe that HB 267 is a dangerous precedent that undermines the principles of democracy and the rights of public officials to organize and advocate for their professions. He attacks public teachers who devote their lives to teaching the children to Utah, ultimately threaten the quality of public education throughout the country, “the group said.
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