The future of teachers’ unions in Florida is in jeopardy, thanks to a new law signed recently by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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Senate Bill 1296 is the latest law to create more regulations on public sector unions, although it exempts police and fire unions. DeSantis says some teachers’ unions were holding back state-mandated pay raises for teachers and that this law will fix that situation. It also creates barriers that could lead to unions being decertified.
From now on, at least 50% of all the teachers in a school district must vote in favor of having a union.
“This is absolutely an attempt to kill us off,” said Antonio White, president of the United Teachers of Dade.
“It’s just reckless and deplorable,” added the president of the Broward Teachers Union, Anna Fusco.
Supporters of the law say in some counties, less than 20% of teachers voted for a union.
“These numbers do not represent representation, so that is why this bill is necessary,” said Anastasios Kamoutsis, Florida’s Education Commissioner.
“The ballot comes in an envelope that actually looks like junk mail. We want to make sure people don’t discard that,” White said, pointing at one of the ballots.
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White explained that the state started mailing the ballots Thursday to Miami-Dade County Public Schools teachers and others represented by his union.
“So our main thing is to make sure that people understand that even though we’re going out on vacation, as educators we can’t go on vacation because this election takes place between now and July 7th,” White said.
The law also mandates that unless at least 60% of those who are eligible join the union, the elections to have a union must happen every year. The Florida Education Association, a statewide teachers’ union, is suing to overturn the new law, saying it’s unconstitutional.
“We’re living in a state now that considers itself the free state of Florida, but when you look at the way they actually legislate, they’re taking all the power from the people,” White said. “We have to recognize that this is no longer business as usual, the deck has been stacked to the point that we must respond.”
“Yes, we are going to survive this new law,” Fusco replied when I asked her if the law would force BTU out of existence.
She said the state has not yet notified her when it will send the ballots to Broward’s teachers.
“We’re gonna comply with what the rules are, I don’t agree with them, I think they’re unconstitutional, I think they’re illegal,” Fusco said. “All they have is an agenda to destroy. Why would people want that?”
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