An effort to overturn a controversial union bill that passed this legislative session is gaining steam in Utah.

Friday, the Protect Utah Workers coalition, which consists of 14 labor unions, announced it has collected about 130,000 signatures from voters around the state, nearing the threshold to qualify for a ballot referendum.

“But that is not enough. Not even close,” said Jessica Bruner, director of the Utah Public Employees Association. “We still have a lot of hard work to do to meet the legislature’s complex requirements and guidelines. That means we need to keep up this momentum for two more weeks and gather as many signatures as we can before mid-April.”

Bruner spoke from the steps of the Utah Capitol on Friday, alongside a coalition of teachers, electricians, firefighters, city and county workers, and police officers, all of whom have HB267 in their crosshairs.

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Sponsored by Representative Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, and Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy, HB267 prevents public unions from collective bargaining, the process where unions meet with employers to negotiate terms of employment.

That means a teachers union, for example, can no longer negotiate an employment contract with a school district. The same goes for firefighters, police officers, municipal workers and other public employees.

The bill passed both the House and Senate, despite public outcry and bipartisan opposition. February 14, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed it, though he told reporters he wasn’t happy with the finished product, wishing lawmakers and unions had been able to reach a compromise.

“Talk about unpopular bills, that was certainly one of them. I think we had 10,000 emails on that one,” Cox said during his monthly PBS news conference last week.

The sponsors say the bill is meant to protect taxpayer dollars while giving all public employees a voice, not just union members — but it was met with staunch criticism from labor advocates.

Now, those same opponents are trying to gather enough signatures to trigger a referendum, where voters could decide whether to overturn the bill on the November 2026 ballot.

That’s a monumental challenge. Of the 26 states that allow ballot referendums, Utah’s process is one of the most restrictive, requiring signatures from at least 8 percent of the state’s voters in 30 days. In addition, the law requires signatures from 8 percent of voters in at least 15 of the state’s 29 Senate districts.

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The lieutenant governor’s office will then verify the signatures and, assuming the coalition has complied with state code, ballot language will be crafted for the next general election, where the fate of HB267 is up to voters.

“I love the referendum process. I love that we have it. I think it’s really important. I think it’s one of those checks on the legislative process,” Cox said during the news conference. “When it does happen, it sends a really important message.”

The governor said at the time he thinks the coalition “has a chance” to meet the signature threshold.

The 8 percent statewide threshold means advocates need slightly more than 140,000 signatures — at nearly 130,000 so far, the coalition is getting close. But there will inevitably be errors, so the coalition is shooting to go well beyond the minimum requirement.

“We need to double that number before our deadline on April 15,” said Bruner. “We know that we have well-meaning people signing this petition who may not be registered to vote, or put down an incorrect address. They might fill out the form incorrectly, or their signature or handwriting may be illegible. … Although we have nearly 130,000 signatures and overwhelming support, we must keep this momentum going.”

The coalition received an assist this week, with the state’s largest police and firefighter unions throwing their support behind the referendum effort.

“House bill 267 has stripped the voice of our heroes to advocate for their needs,” said Kevin Murray, president of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, which represents more than 5,200 law enforcement officers across the state. “Without a voice, we are unable to advocate for safe working conditions or competitive wages and benefits to attract qualified candidates to protect our communities.”

“We tried to not let it get to this point, but this is where we’re at,” said Jack Tidrow, president of the Professional Firefighters Association of Utah. “We need the public’s help to get us across the finish line.”

Volunteers around Utah who have helped gather signatures say they see little to no opposition, with people from all walks of life signing the packets.

“Everyone is signing. I’ve had maybe two people say no to me,” said Greg Burrow, interim executive director of the Utah School Employees Association. “Politics is not a part of this at all. People are upset with the Legislature. I don’t think it’s just this issue, I think they believe the Legislature has overstepped on multiple issues and this is a way to make sure their voices are heard.”

Meanwhile, the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity kicked off its “Decline to Sign” campaign last week. The group, which spoke in support of HB267, says the labor coalition has been spreading misinformation related to HB267 and is urging Utahns not to throw their signatures behind the effort.

“The messaging that they need these collective bargaining rights when so many are already not using it, is just fundamentally wrong,” said Americans for Prosperity-Utah state director Kevin Greene last week, pointing to other school districts, fire and police departments, and municipalities that don’t collectively bargain and haven’t seen stagnant wages or unsafe work environments.