At the start of session we laid out a bold agenda containing the critical areas that legislators need to focus on to ensure every student gets the world-class education they deserve.
Unfortunately, rather than focusing on the needs of Florida’s students and educators this session has legislators have focused on what they can take away.
From SB 86 which would revamp the Bright Futures scholarship program to SB 84 which would undermine your retirement security to SB 48 which would drain money from last year’s teacher salary allocation by giving a share of that funding to unaccountable private and religious schools, it feels like this year has been an all-out assault on students, educators and public education.
Legislators have already taken away so much this year, they can’t be allowed to also take away your voice!
Enter your street address below to tell your senator to vote no on SB 1014 (Enter your street address, then click the magnifying glass icon or press “enter” to proceed.)
Talking Points
- Educators have gone above and beyond to ensure their students’ needs are met this year. It is shameful that in return for their dedication they are facing divisive attacks from lawmakers.
- It’s time for legislators to listen to educators and give them the support they need instead of continuing to offer solutions to problems that simply don’t exist.
- SB 1014 limits your freedom to join with your fellow educators to advocate for your working conditions and for the needs of your students.
- Educators currently have the right to have payments for many items such as health insurance, life insurance, gym membership, union dues and much more deducted directly from their paychecks. In some counties, there are more than 500 options educators have for payroll deductions and these bills attack just one of them–the right to pay union dues in the manner of the educator’s choosing.
- Public employees have had the right to dues deduction in Florida since 1975. To remove a right that has been enshrined in state law for almost 50 years requires a compelling reason, and there is simply no reason to remove this right from public employees.
- A non-partisan analysis of HB 835 (which is identical to SB 1014) shows the bill will cost taxpayers almost $400,000 because additional staff will be need to be hired to deal with increased paperwork and workload at the Public Employee Relations Commission. An amendment to this bill which would include all public workers except for police, firefighters and corrections officers will likely make that cost significantly more.
What the bill does
SB 1014 (full text) does not add or strengthen any rights. Instead it seeks to impose government interference in your currently existing right to join a union.
Specifically, it requires the following:
- Your local union to include “Right to Work” propaganda on membership. applications in bold face, 14-point font
- Members must rejoin their union every year creating unnecessary paperwork and potential breaks in your membership even when you want to remain a member.
- Any support higher education union must be over 50% or automatically decertified. This is currently in place for K-12 instructional units and only applies to education unions – no other unions.
- Your local union to turn over members’ names and information to the Public Employee Relations Commission if requested. Some members currently pay cash in order to avoid their administrator or others from knowing they are a member; this bill could remove the option to keep union membership anonymous.
