Posts tagged Utah
Union contracts should not protect drunken teachers
March 6, 2025 // The Bay City union contract spelled out the process: A teacher’s first offense resulted in a written reprimand and the teacher was required to go through counseling. The second offense resulted in a three-day suspension without pay and mandatory counseling. Third offense: a five-day suspension without pay and mandatory counseling. Fourth offense: a 10-day suspension without pay and mandatory counseling. Only upon the fifth offense could the district fire the teacher. It gets worse. A teacher using illegal drugs at school got three strikes before she could be fired. Even teachers caught selling drugs could not be fired until their second offense.
UTAH, Opinion: Republicans Need to Learn Government Unions Can’t Be Trusted
March 3, 2025 // On Feb. 14, Gov. Spencer Cox signed a law I sponsored banning public-sector collective bargaining. This makes Utah the best state in the nation for protecting taxpayers and ensuring that government employees can negotiate their own employment terms. But this victory came only after fruitless attempts to work with government unions—efforts that exposed their pattern of saying one thing while doing another. In early 2024, I introduced a bill that would have required public-sector unions to hold regular recertification elections. As I argued at the time, unions representing teachers, firefighters and police should have to prove continuously that they represent a majority of workers. Taxpayers, too, have a stake: If a union doesn’t speak for most employees, why should the rest of the state be on the hook for its demands?
UTAH: Unions consider strikes, referendums on bill banning public employee collective bargaining
February 25, 2025 // "This is a statewide issue," he told FOX 13 News in an interview on Monday. "And if the Salt Lake Education Association is the only organization that walks out? It’s not going to be effective." Meanwhile, other labor unions are exploring a referendum on House Bill 267, which bans collective bargaining among public employee unions.
Opinion: Utah is leading the nation by prioritizing worker freedom
February 21, 2025 // Despite the rhetoric, government unions will still exist in Utah and public employees can still choose to join them. Workers who agree with union spending can support their unions wholeheartedly, while those who do not are free to decline membership and can negotiate their job requirements directly with their employer. The difference now is that these unions will no longer have a monopoly in representing public employees, including Utah public employees who did not want the representation in the first place.
Thousands of Denver-area King Soopers grocery store workers go on strike
February 6, 2025 // UFCW Local 7 members voted by 96% last week to authorize the unfair labor practices strike. King Soopers, a chain owned by Kroger, with 121 stores in Colorado and Wyoming, has been negotiating a new contract since October. The current contract expired in January.
Utah House approves banning collective bargaining for public sector unions
January 31, 2025 // “This bill does nothing to take away the ability for unions to advocate for their members,” Teuscher said. HB267 now awaits introduction in the Senate. During a media availability Monday afternoon, Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy – who is sponsoring the bill in the Senate – defended the proposal. “This is not a union-busting bill,” Cullimore said. “It’s looking at collective bargaining.”
Colorado ski unions emboldened after ski patroller strike in Utah
January 29, 2025 // Arapahoe Basin patrollers also have voted to unionize, while Keystone patrollers are working through their own contract negotiations right now. Breckenridge patroller contracts are up for negotiation this April, Dineen said. While not explicitly in connection with this CBS New Colorado story, Keystone's vice president provided a statement during their contract negotiations with patrollers.
Unions organize against bill cracking down on public employee collective bargaining
January 24, 2025 // Rep. Teuscher said he is planning a proposed amendment enshrining Utah's "Right to Work" law in the state constitution. If that were to pass, it would be placed on the ballot for voters to decide. "Your employment, whether they hire you or fire you, cannot be based on whether you are or are not a member of a union. That’s been in state law for over 50 years. My constitutional amendment would bring that into the state constitution," he said.
Independent Contracting in 2025
January 8, 2025 // Independent contractors forgo workplace benefits that employees receive. Portable benefits are a way to give them access to benefits untethered from employment with one employer.
Park City ski patrol union officially on strike after Vail Resorts ‘refused to counteroffer’
December 30, 2024 // “Don’t buy day tickets, don’t purchase food from the lodges, don’t use Vail-owned tune and rental shops, don’t stay at Vail-owned lodging,” said Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association business manager Quinn Graves. “We are asking our community to help us tell Vail Resorts to bargain in good faith. While the union strives for better wages and benefits, please support us and our amazing community by shopping at local businesses instead.” The union also created a fundraiser* to help its patrollers pay bills while on strike, with a cumulative goal of $100,000. 1 / 7 Park City ski patrollers picket on Friday, Dec. 27 after the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association went on strike, saying Vail Resorts bargained in "bad faith" and refused to give a counteroffer on wages or benefits. (Emma Benson, KSL TV) This is a developing story. It may be updated. Contributing: Shelby Lofton and Emma Benson, KSL TV, and Alexandrea Bonilla, KSLNewsRadio *KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.