Posts tagged Utah
Podcast: Championing Worker Freedom Across The States: Alan Jernigan and Vincent Vernuccio on ALEC TV
August 23, 2025 // As debates over worker rights ripple across the country, one message continues to echo from state to state: workers deserve the freedom to choose the work arrangements that fit their lives best. But how should lawmakers turn that principle into policy?
Empowering Flexible Work in Alabama: Shipt to Launch First Portable Benefits Program In Our Home State
August 20, 2025 // Now, eligible Alabama shoppers earning with Shipt can qualify to receive contributions from Shipt equivalent to 4% of their pre-tip earnings. They can then use these tax-deductible contributions to purchase benefits that matter most to them, without jeopardizing their ability to earn on their own terms.3 “We hear it from shoppers and drivers all the time: nothing beats a flexible work schedule,” said Mindy Reher, vice president of experiential operations at Shipt. “As a people-centric company, we take pride in finding innovative solutions to offer workers on our platform greater access, choice, and security in how they work. Alabama shoppers can now further build toward their financial goals without compromising on the flexibility they get from earning on the Shipt platform.”
Now Park City Mountain’s bike and trail workers want to form a union
August 5, 2025 // After seeing the success of the ski patrol union in last winter’s strike, the resort’s summer employees are trying to follow suit.
Portable Benefits Are (Finally) Having a Moment
July 31, 2025 // I’ve been fortunate to contribute to this conversation from the beginning — by publishing research and policy guides that examine outdated assumptions about work and benefits. I’ve shared these findings with Sen. Cassidy’s and Rep. Kiley’s team, as well as with every congressional or state lawmaker who showed interest — and have testified more than a dozen times before Congress and in state legislative hearings.
Federal and State Leaders Take Aim at Empowering America’s Flexible Workforce
July 16, 2025 // However, while federal leaders build support for national reforms to help workers all across America, states are not sitting idle. They know that not only do self-employed workers support greater access to portable benefits, but their residents in general think this warrants policy reforms as well. Instead, many are forging ahead with legal pathways for flexible, portable benefits, maximizing what they can do at the state level in ways that will be further enhanced by federal reforms when they occur. Many states introduced legislation this year to legalize voluntary benefits, but several pioneering states now have laws enacted.
Utah Governor Cox Ensures Labor Union Bill H.B. 267 Goes to Public Vote in 2026 Election
June 24, 2025 // According to the Utah Governor's Office, Cox signed an executive order on June 23, ensuring that the referendum on H.B. 267, known as the Public Sector Labor Union Amendments, will appear on the November 3, 2026, ballot. This move is not merely a gubernatorial whim but a statutory requirement triggered by Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson's confirmation on June 21 that opponents of the bill had collected enough signatures to push the legislation to a public vote.
ALEC Releases Landmark State Labor Policy Rankings: States That Work
June 12, 2025 // ALEC’s new report also profiles states like Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee that have taken bold steps to protect private sector workers’ right to cast secret ballots in union elections. Meanwhile, states like Nebraska, Florida, and Louisiana also receive recognition for passing Universal Recognition laws that ensure licensed workers can continue their professions without red tape after relocating.
Op-ed: Virginia Must Clarify Its Labor Laws
June 9, 2025 // The ideal outcome for Virginia would be to repeal the Democrats’ 2020 law and return Virginia to being one of the few states that outright prohibit collective bargaining in the public sector. North and South Carolina have for decades, and Utah joined them with a new law signed by Governor Spencer Cox (R.) this year. But with Democrats currently in control of the Virginia General Assembly, a repeal effort would go nowhere. In the meantime, the proposed regulations are needed to make sure local government unions are following the law. Virginia is a right-to-work state with many strong protections for employees in unionized workplaces. Public employees deserve those protections just as much as private employees do.
5.9% of Washington Workers Are Union Members, 6th Most in the U.S.
June 9, 2025 // Union membership in the United States has declined to its lowest point in decades. In 1979, unions represented 24.1% of the American workforce. By 2024, that share had fallen to just 9.9%, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and UnionStats. In absolute terms, this represents a drop of roughly 6.7 million members—from a peak of 20.9 million in 1979 to around 14.2 million in 2024.
Over 1,000 dairy worker Teamsters vote to authorize strike in Colorado, California, other states
June 4, 2025 // The union says just one or two of these strikes could cause supply chain issues. "We know how much money DFA makes, and we know what we deserve," said Peter Rosales, a Local 630 shop steward at Alta Dena Dairy in California. "This company is only successful because of us, and we take pride in our work. All we're asking for is our fair share."