New Organizing and Union Election Victories in Florida | June 2024
A monthly round-up of new organizing and union election results in Florida, feat. H&M workers organizing, Wells Fargo union election victories, and more.
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Florida is regularly described as a “nonunion” state, like others in the South, where decades of anti-union policies have degraded union power. Only about six percent of Florida’s workforce has union representation, and less than five are dues-paying members.
But new organizing does happen here in the Sunshine State, maybe more often than you think, based on the media coverage some of these organizing drives (doesn’t) receive.
This roundup is inspired by Jonah Furman’s retired Who Gets the Bird? newsletter (RIP) and The Valley Labor Report’s similar roundup of new organizing and election results across the U.S. South.
New organizing in June 2024
Organizing in the private sector
*Pulled from the National Labor Relations Board website
Retail workers at an H&M store in Lakeland, Florida have filed a petition to unionize with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1625. While the workers’ petition doesn’t note the specific union involved yet, a separate petition filed by their employer does. (Note: This would be the second H&M store in Florida to unionize, after a first (in Melbourne) unionized with the UFCW last month.)
Employees of Florida Public Utilities Company in Winter Haven, Florida filed a petition to unionize with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1625. (Note: It appears their election date was June 18, but the election results haven’t been posted publicly yet.)
SIXT Rent A Car LLC filed a petition for a union election after a majority of the 33 rental sales agents at a Rent-A-Car location, in Miami, Florida asked their employer to recognize their decision to unionize with the Teamsters Local 769. (Note: A RM petition was filed in this case, meaning workers asked their employer for voluntary union recognition, and instead of complying, the employer filed for a union election instead).
Baristas and shift supervisors at a Starbucks in Pinecrest, Florida filed a petition to unionize with Starbucks Workers United.
Election victories
Drivers for Imperial Dade in Orlando, Florida voted 34-8 to unionize with the Teamsters Local 385. *This election victory was actually at the end of May, but wasn’t reported anywhere, so I wanted to include that here. I couldn’t get in touch with the local when I emailed asking for more information. Looks like the union has already filed an unfair labor practice charge against the employer for allegedly violating Section 8(a)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act, concerning “Discharge (including layoff and refusing to hire)”.
Five Wells Fargo bank workers at a branch in Fort Myers, Florida voted unanimously to unionize with Wells Fargo Workers United, affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
Wells Fargo workers at a branch in Spring Hill, Florida also voted 9-1 this month to unionize with Wells Fargo Workers United, affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). (Note: Spring Hill is a rural, Republican-heavy area represented by the same state Senator who championed last year's anti-union legislation.)
Four staking engineers and trainees for Glades Electrical Cooperative Inc. in Moore Haven, Florida voted unanimously to unionize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1933.
Regular part-time freelance broadcast technicians for MikeyCo d.b.a ‘A Crew for You’, a concrete and design company in Boynton Beach, Florida voted 74-45 to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States (IATSE)
Election losses:
None this month
*Note: ‘Losses’ here does not include withdrawn petitions.
New organizing in the public sector
Pulled from the ancient vaults of the Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) website:
Employees at the Jacksonville Housing Authority have filed a petition to organize with the Independent Association of Public and Private Employees (IAPPE), a fledgling union launched by former American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) organizers who were fired last year when the international reportedly placed AFSCME Council 79 under administratorship.
Note: because the Commission is super backlogged and slow to post this stuff online, this may not fully capture all June organizing/election victories.
Election results
Note: Recertification elections for unions that were forced under Florida’s new anti-union law to hold another union election are not included here. Should I add next month? Let me know!
Medical staff in Osceola County’s Corrections department voted unanimously, 7-0, to organize with the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Notably, a smaller bargaining unit of medical staff in Corrections narrowly voted 3-2 against unionizing that same day.
Police captains for the Riviera Beach Police Department voted 3-1 to join the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which already represents sworn police officers in the department. The latter voted to unionize with the PBA in 2013. (Note: From the petition, it looks like another union (the International Union of Police Associations) tried to intervene, but police captains evidently weren’t having it, and opted to join the PBA instead.)
That’s it for this month. Do you like this round-up? Have thoughts or feedback? Drop a comment below!