Florida Republicans file new anti-union legislation targeting local and state government unions
The legislation would build on a 2023 law that has already caused tens of thousands of workers in Florida to lose their union representation and union contracts.
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Florida Sen. Randy Fine (R-Brevard) and Rep. Dean Black (R-Nassau) have filed legislation for consideration during the 2025 regular legislative session that aims to further undercut labor unions representing thousands of state and local government employees in Florida, ranging from classroom teachers to public utility workers, traffic light technicians, 911 dispatchers and school counselors.
In short: the legislation (HB 1217/SB 1328) would make it more difficult for these workers to form a union, and make it tougher for unions they already have to remain certified.
Specifically, the legislation would get rid of statutory language allowing public employers to voluntarily recognize unions (allowing workers to avoid the process of costly union elections) and require a majority of workers in a bargaining unit to vote in favor of unionization to either form a union or recertify the union they already have.
Under Florida’s anti-union 2023 law (SB 256), public sector unions with a dues-paying membership of less than 60% are required to petition the state annually for a recertification election. Otherwise, they are decertified, and any collective bargaining agreements they had in place — offering things like guaranteed raises, grievance and arbitration procedures, and workplace safety protections — are rendered null and void.
Dozens of unions have been successfully recertified through recertification elections so far. But in many cases, overall voter turnout is low. This new legislative proposal could decimate many of the public sector unions that are still left. It would also prevent workers in decertified bargaining units from filing a petition to re-organize for at least 12 months after the decertification of their former unit — as we’ve seen in certain cases already.
Mind you, this isn’t the only anti-worker legislation that’s been filed so far.
Republicans have also filed proposals to further weaken child labor protections for older teenagers in the workforce, and to allow employers to legally pay interns, apprentices, and pre-apprenctices less than minimum wage, if they’re already guaranteed that under law.
Wonder if there’s a connection between those two?
Florida’s 60-day legislative session begins next Tues., March 4, and lasts through May 2. In order for the bills to pass, the legislation would need to get through at least two to three legislative committees, and receive a majority vote of approval from both the Florida House and Senate. A signature from the Governor would make it law.
Read my story for Orlando Weekly on the new bills to learn more about where this legislation likely came from and the stakes of it if it goes through.
thank you or reporting on this!! <3