Tens of thousands of workers in Florida have just lost their labor unions. More coming

[teach1st]

Cross-posted to the Florida group, but I think this is a travesty and should have more exposure. The entire article is a must-read, in my opinion:

Tens of thousands of workers in Florida have just lost their labor unions. More coming
WLRN (Miami and South Florida), 2/15/2024

In St. Johns County, on the Atlantic shore of Northeast Florida, more than 55% of public school teachers paid their union dues this last year. Despite that, nearly 3,500 teachers are facing the threat of having their union representation revoked. At the same time, in Southwest Florida, only 16% of law enforcement officers of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office paid union dues last year. Their union is under absolutely no threat of being decertified.

A year after Governor DeSantis signed into law a sweeping anti-union bill requiring most public sector unions to boost the rate of members paying dues or be disbanded, the full effects of the new union rules are coming into clear view — double standards and all.

Law enforcement, firefighter and correctional officer unions are exempt from the new law, no matter how few members pay union dues.

...

A labor economist warned the law could prove to be more effective in destroying labor power in Florida than the landmark Act 10 proved to be in Wisconsin, a law broadly considered as one of the strongest anti-union laws ever passed by a state government.

https://www.wlrn.org/wlrn-investigations/2024-02-15/florida-labor-union-membership-teachers-public-sb-256

[MichMan]

1. Why aren't the teachers paying?

[teach1st]

2. I've been retired for a few years

But when I was in the teacher trenches, it mostly had to do with economics and not understanding how important to conditions the union has been.

[mercuryblues]

3. A better question would be...

Why male dominated professions are paying at a lower rate than a female dominated profession, but they are exempt from the law?

[caraher]

4. That's not really the point

The point is that DeSatan is targeting just the unions he has a political beef with. In the example they started with a majority of teacher in that one union DO pay but it could be decertified, while the vast majority of officers represented by a police union do not pay yet are not subject to this new law.

[MichMan]

5. It is a problem when over 40% of union members won't pay their dues.

They control their own destiny. How much a month are they? Can't be that much

[teach1st]

7. My former district's union dues are currently $690 annually for teachers

About $70 per month over a 10 month period (teachers are paid for ten months).

[caraher]

9. I agree that it should be much closer to 100%

But the issue is that DeSatan is trying to use dues pay rates to decertify. And it's plain that they are carving out exceptions for public sector unions less likely to oppose his "anti-woke" agenda

[Maine-i-ac]

6. "right to Work" laws (Misnomer) - in "R" states

Means you can join a union shop without paying union dues.

Intended to weaken the power of unions (and sadly effective).

[pfitz59]

10. I was a shop steward

and negotiated a great contract for my workplace. Yet, a half dozen co-workers refused to pay dues due to the 'right-to-work' clause. They benefited from my work, and the lawyer the union hired, but felt entitled to our hard-won benefits without paying even a fraction of the cost. I wound up quitting that job after the office rat continually squealed to management.

[DemocraticPatriot]

8. I think the rest of the Union should do to Florida and Texas

what General Sherman did NOT do to them at the time.....


Give them an 'attitude adjustment'