Florida Union’s Dodge a Bullet

It’s finally over, the 2021 Florida Legislative Session has come to a close on Friday April 30, 2021. Union’s had been under a relentless attack during one of the worst legislative sessions in recent memory, but we were successful in our fight to stand up for our brothers and sisters, and working people throughout the state.
There were many pieces of disgusting legislation, but few that were worse than the union-busting SB 1014/HB 835. These packages changed dramatically over time, with bills moving and stalling beginning before the session during the Interim Committee process in January. In the end, anti-worker forces settled on the language of SB 1014/HB 853, which
would have extended a 50% membership requirement, a ban on automatic paycheck deductions for dues, and an onerous new recertification process for all public sector unions except those representing police officers, firefighters, and correctional officers.
On April 20, 2021, members of Teamsters Local 769 traveled to Florida’s capital to fight back against this direct assault on Union workers and, along with Union members from all over the state, they spoke out against this threat to our right to freely choose to be Union members.
During their visit, the bill was postponed, and we had to wait until yesterday to know that it would not be resurrected before the close of the legislative session. This is a time to be applauding public sector essential workers, not attacking them, and this legislation solved no problems that Floridians were facing.
Thank you to all of the Teamsters who took the time to reach out to their representatives. We need to continue to demand that our elected officials represent the values of working men and women throughout our state, and to ensure that we are free to choose to be Teamsters for life.