Public labor unions target key Utah counties in final signature push
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Labor unions aiming to repeal Utah's collective bargaining ban for public employees are focusing their final signature-gathering efforts in Utah and Davis counties.
Why it matters: Protect Utah Workers, a coalition of 19 labor partners, is working against an April 15 deadline to gather 141,000 verified signatures to trigger a referendum vote in 2026 to revoke House Bill 267.
How it works: Placing a referendum on the ballot requires sponsors to obtain signatures from 8% of voters statewide, including in at least 15 of the 29 Senate districts, within 30 days of a petition's launch, per the lieutenant governor's office.
What they're saying: "We recognize Utah has one of the most demanding referendum processes in the nation, and we're committed to working tirelessly to meet the required thresholds," Hailey Higgins, a Protect Utah Workers spokesperson, told Axios when asked if the coalition believed it could reach the goal.
The latest: As of Wednesday, the coalition had not yet gathered the required signatures, Higgins said, but it had met its goal in six Senate districts.
- One challenge organizers have encountered is that some referendum supporters are not registered to vote in Utah or their information or address doesn't match voter registration records. That results in signatures not qualifying.
Catch up quick: The coalition announced in March that it had gathered nearly 130,000 signatures to force the issue to the ballot box.
Yes, but: Union organizers said at the time that they sought to double that number in case those signatures couldn't be verified and were thrown out.
The other side: Opposition groups like Americans for Prosperity Utah are urging people not to join the referendum campaign, stating on its website that "tax dollars should serve the public — not union interests."
What's next: Protect Utah Workers anticipates "strong interest" in the referendum effort at a Bernie Sanders rally on Sunday at the 15,000-seat Jon M. Huntsman Center.