Statement from Utah Public Employees on HB 241

West Valley City — Jerry Philpot, an electrician and president of AFSCME Local 1004, released the following statement on HB 241, recently introduced by Rep. Jordan Teuscher:

“There are dozens of charitable and professional voluntary deductions that workers can make through their paychecks. Singling out union dues for exclusion reveals the hostility of this legislation towards unions. Additionally, limiting the freedom of workers to enforce their legal contract is clearly meant to move us back to the days when careers were made through favoritism instead of professionalism.

“It is against our Utahn values to make public employees second-class citizens to advance a radical political view. If the Boy Scouts can hold meetings in public buildings, so too should a hardworking plumber. If you can have the time and space to hold a bake sale to support an organization, a compliance enforcement officer should have the same freedom. And a sanitation worker should have the freedom to deduct money from their paycheck to whomever they wish. 

“We never quit when it comes to serving our community and we will never quit standing up for our freedoms and rights on the job.”

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American Federation of State Council and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1004 was formed in Salt Lake City in 1976. Today we are the hardworking men and women who make Utah happen every day and the only public employee union in Utah. We are strong, local, and growing. We are AFSCME 1004.