Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- A Daybreak woman hosted a petition signing party to repeal anti-collective bargaining bill.
- The bill, HB267, prevents public sector unions from negotiating contracts with employers.
- Organizer Rachel Jepperson and others oppose the bill, citing harm to public workers.
SOUTH JORDAN — A Daybreak woman held a petition signing party Sunday in an effort to repeal an anti-collective bargaining bill set to become law.
HB267, which was signed by Gov. Spencer Cox, prevents public sector unions from negotiating contracts with employers.
Firefighters, teachers, police officers and other public sector workers have voiced opposition to the legislation at the Capitol.
Homeowner and signing party organizer Rachel Jepperson said she's against the bill, HB267, because she believes it will harm public workers, especially teachers.
"Me and my neighbors, both on the left and the right, feel very much like this is really a stab in the back to teachers, to firefighters, police officers and those that really protect us and help us every day," Jepperson said.
She said about 130 people lined up at her home Sunday to sign their name in an effort to repeal an anti-collective bargaining bill.
"We've had a lot of commotion here in Daybreak," Jepperson said. "Our representative, Jordan Teuscher, is the one who sponsored this bill."
She said he lives in her neighborhood. Teuscher did not respond to KSL's request for comment Sunday.
Earlier this year, he told fellow lawmakers the unions who come to the negotiating table don't always represent every member.
"This is the best option to ensure that all voices are heard throughout our government employees," he said.
Another neighbor, Ashley Pack, said she came to sign the petition because the teachers she knows feel vulnerable.
"This bill doesn't protect teachers' rights as far as working conditions go, as far as helping them increase their pay raises collectively all together," Pack said.
Caprene Curtis signed the petition. She said a lot of her family members work in public service.
"Pay does matter because I know we've all heard it, but I know how much my aunts have contributed to their classrooms, the supplies," Curtis said.
Jepperson said she thinks teachers are underpaid, and the bill won't help that.
"We want to make sure that we're getting the best of the best, and if you take away that ability to collectively bargain, it's going to really limit who wants to be a firefighter in Utah, who wants to be a police officer here in Utah, a teacher, a nurse," Jepperson said.
There are 141,000 signatures required by April 16 to get this issue on the ballot. Many in line at Jepperson's house said they're optimistic about getting enough signatures.
"It's doable," Jepperson said.
She attended a training on the referendum process hosted by the Utah Education Association Saturday.
Jepperson said, each person who signed their name was able to get a receipt, so if they were to change their mind, they can retract their name from this petition.
