Utah’s ban on public sector collective bargaining will not go into effect as scheduled.
The 2025 law was set to go into effect July 1. But with labor groups likely to succeed in their effort to get a referendum on the ballot to repeal the law, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson issued a temporary stay until all referendum signatures are processed. Henderson is required to do that by state code if “an adequate number of signatures are certified to comply with the signature requirement.”
This pause will remain in effect until either the governor issues a proclamation announcing the referendum successfully made it onto the ballot or the lieutenant governor announces that the referendum signatures were insufficient.
If the referendum goes to the ballot, the law would be put on hold until it’s voted on.
Henderson’s May 6 proclamation noted that county clerks have certified more than enough signatures to put the referendum on the 2026 ballot.
🚨 H.B. 267 update. pic.twitter.com/3wTkNkTt0g
— Lt. Gov. Deidre M. Henderson (@LGHendersonUtah) May 6, 2025
While signers still have the option to remove their name from the petition, it would take a massive number changing their minds for the referendum not to make it on the ballot at this point.
This effort is backed by 19 labor groups, collectively called Protect Utah Workers. They had to gather 140,748 valid signatures from active voters to get the repeal vote on the ballot. The signatures need to represent at least 8% of voters in 15 of the state’s 29 Senate districts.
The groups turned in more than double the amount of signatures that they needed on April 16.
As of May 6, 245,513 signatures have been certified, according to the Lt. Governor’s Office website. Additionally, the referendum threshold has been met in 23 of the 29 Senate Districts. In some districts, backers have a very comfortable cushion with more than double or triple the required number of signatures.
Protect Utah Workers celebrated Henderson’s stay on the law. The coalition said in a statement, “We are one step closer to letting voters, not politicians, decide the future of collective bargaining in Utah.”
“Union members across Utah stood shoulder to shoulder to accomplish what many thought was impossible,” the statement continued. “We could not have come this far without thousands of volunteers and voters who made their voices heard. This is proof that when workers unite, we win.”
Groups opposed to repealing the ban said they are not working to get people to rescind their names from the petition. Instead, they assume the referendum will be on the ballot and are focused on educating voters to support the law.
If Gov. Spencer Cox announces the referendum has made it to the ballot, as expected, the pause on the law would continue until the election. Unless Cox calls for a special election, that vote would happen in 2026.
