Workers for Opportunity, a Mackinac Center initiative, racked up two recent wins as leaders in Tennessee and Utah enacted state laws incorporating our pro-market ideas. We’re also fighting for worker freedom in Iowa, in the face of intense opposition from unions and some public employers.
In Utah, WFO partnered with Rep. Jordan Teuscher and Sen. Kirk Cullimore to pass HB267. This landmark law ends collective bargaining for public sector unions, prohibits taxpayer-funded “release time” and institutes transparency requirements for union spending. The new law, signed by Gov. Spencer Cox and backed by Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz, empowers workers to negotiate directly with their employers and make informed decisions about union membership.
Predictably, national unions are spending millions trying to undo this progress through a ballot referendum. The NEA alone is spending $3 million. Unions have secured enough signatures to force a referendum, so the law is on hold. Our team remains engaged with our partners in Utah to determine the most effective way forward.
In Tennessee, lawmakers protected taxpayers by restricting the scope of community benefits agreements. These agreements, which piggyback on state economic subsidies, have become a tool of politically motivated groups to divert money and influence to their own causes — often liberal ones. The new law, sponsored by Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, prohibits these agreements from imposing unrelated mandates — such as hiring quotas or union demands — on job creators. With Gov. Bill Lee’s recent signature, the law reaffirms Tennessee’s commitment to economic freedom and taxpayer accountability. In the last few years, Tennessee has enshrined right-to-work in its state constitution and enacted paycheck protection for teachers. It also required a secret ballot vote on any unionization effort involving companies that receive economic development funds from state taxpayers.
In Iowa, WFO is fighting to protect the integrity of union recertification elections, which are required under a 2017 law. Currently, public sector unions must win majority support every contract cycle to remain certified. Yet some public employers sabotage the process by refusing to provide employee lists to the Iowa Employment Appeal Board. This blocks the elections altogether. WFO is advocating for legislative fixes that would require timely submission of employee lists, penalize noncompliance and allow courts to intervene swiftly. Unfortunately, conflicts within the Republican caucus caused the bill to die on the last day of session. We are evaluating our next steps and remain committed to strengthening this important policy.
