New Organizing and Union Elections in Florida | January 2025
Catch up on new organizing in Florida, feat. the revival of decertified public sector unions, a new train union, organizing Starbucks workers near Mar-a-Lago, and more.
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Florida, like other states in the South, is regularly dismissed as a “non-union” state, where decades of anti-union policies, and deep-rooted corporate and political resistance to unions have stunted and degraded the labor movement’s power.
Only about 6% of workers in Florida even have union representation, and just 5% are dues-paying union members — below the national average. But new organizing does happen here in the Sunshine State, maybe more often than you’d think.
In order to file a petition for a union election, at least 30% of workers need to sign what are known as showing-of-interest cards demonstrating their support for unionization (generally, organizers shoot for a higher percentage, in case the employer tries to water down support for the union ahead of the election). Unions can also seek certification through a voluntary recognition/card-check process, which requires showing that a majority (more than 50%) of workers support unionization.
In our first round-up of the new year, here’s a rundown of new organizing drives that launched this month and union election results:
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, election results, and labor updates across the U.S. South.
ORGANIZING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR
10 electricians, mechanics, operators, and generator technicians at the University of South Florida, employed by the Southeast Service Corporation (a subsidiary of the Compass Group that contracts with USF) in Tampa have filed a petition to unionize with the International Union of Operating Engineers.
Going deeper: This proposed bargaining unit represents just a portion of the blue-collar workforce at USF that saw their jobs privatized last fall following the decertification of their public sector union, then affiliated with AFSCME. A labor organizer confirmed to me that these workers, now organizing with the IUOE, are former AFSCME members.
22 baristas and shift supervisors for Starbucks in Palm Beach Gardens have filed a petition to unionize with Starbucks Workers United. If the union prevails, this would become the 12th corporate-owned Starbucks location in Florida to unionize.
29 truck drivers, maintenance and warehouse workers and others employed by building materials supplier Boise Cascade in Pompano Beach and West Palm Beach have filed a petition to unionize with the Teamsters Local 769.
5 custodians at the Lee County Federal Courthouse, employed by contractor King & George LLC, have filed a petition to unionize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 177.
ELECTION RESULTS
Onboard attendants employed by the Brightline passenger railroad, stretching from Orlando to Miami, voted 30 to 17 to unionize with the Transport Workers Union, out of 87 eligible voters. The election was conducted through the National Mediation Board, which oversees labor relations in the rail and airline industries.
Going deeper: This is the first Brightline union formed in Florida, and the largest newly organized group of railroad workers nationwide in over 20 years, according to the TWU. Brightline fought the unionization effort hard, and even filed a lawsuit in an effort to delay the election from moving forward.
Cooks for the Palm Garden of Port St. Lucie nursing facility in Port St. Lucie voted 3 to 0 in favor of unionizing with 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, out of three eligible voters. Records show the union already represents certified nursing assistants (CNAs), dietary aides, maintenance workers, and others at the facility.
Direct support professionals and cooks for the Care Centers of Nassau in Fernandina Beach and Yulee voted 70 to 6 against decertifying their union, thereby retaining the Teamsters Local 947 as their certified bargaining representative. There were 112 employees eligible to vote.
Drivers employed by Titan Concrete in Palm Beach, Dade, and Broward Counties voted in favor of unionizing with the Teamsters Local 769 in South Florida, according to the union. Election results haven’t yet been posted publicly by the National Labor Relations Board. There were 120 employees eligible to vote across nine locations.
ORGANIZING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR
Firefighters, driver engineers, and fire lieutenants employed by the city of Flagler Beach are seeking voluntary recognition of their union, affiliated with the Flagler Beach Professional Firefighters, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. It’s unclear to me how many firefighters are actually in the bargaining unit due to the petitioner’s messy handwriting (sorry, not sorry). However, the union notes that at least 50% of employees in the bargaining unit have demonstrated support for unionization.
Interestingly enough, the union first registered with the state in 2020. But this is the first time they have filed a petition to represent Flagler Beach firefighters, as far as I can tell from state records. According to documents attached the union’s petition, city commissioners unanimously voted to approve a motion to recognize the union in June.
Employees of the city of Miami Beach are also seeking voluntary recognition of their union, affiliated with the Communications Workers of America, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. According to the petition filed, the employer has received a sufficient number of showing-of-interest cards from workers, and workers are now seeking voluntary acknowledgement of their union.
Going deeper: State records show a bargaining unit of blue- and white-collar Miami Beach employees, previously represented by the CWA, was decertified by the state Public Employees Relations Commission in November. Less than 60% of the employees represented by the union were dues-paying members, according to PERC, and the union failed to file a petition for recertification. I reached out to CWA contacts listed on the petition to clarify whether this bargaining unit they’re currently organizing is the same one that was decertified — but I did not receive a response ahead of publication.
Airport maintenance, operations, and utility specialists for the Melbourne Orlando International Airport in Melbourne filed a petition to unionize with the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 630, according to a petition I obtained through a public records request. Out of 13 eligible employees, 10 signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Going deeper: It appears, however, that this petition may be moot. About three weeks after filing, PERC issued an order dismissing the petition, arguing the showing of interest statements/cards provided to PERC by the union were invalid and deficient. “In this case, the Union filed with its petition several copies of emails from various individuals sent to recipients identified as “Support Local 630; Donna Pappy” with the subject line “[Local630] You’ve got a new subscriber!” the dismissal reads. “Notwithstanding the unusual nature of the showing of interest statements, they neither specifically identify the Union’s name nor expressly state that the employee authorizes the Union to represent them for purposes of collective bargaining.”
A group of largely blue-collar workers employed by the city of Homestead — including police dispatchers, utility and wastewater workers, code compliance officers and others — have also filed a petition to unionize with LiUNA Local 630, according to a petition I obtained through a public records request. Out of 178 eligible employees, 141 have signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Going deeper: It appears that some of these workers, including the police dispatchers, were previously members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 359. That is, they were — until their union was decertified last year.
Wastewater and utility workers for the city of Lake Worth Beach have filed a petition to unionize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 728, according to a petition I obtained through a public records request. Out of 82 eligible employees, 69 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Going deeper: Just as a personal note, I have been waiting to see this petition for almost a year. This same group of workers saw their union decertified last year, as part of the SB 256-related purge of public sector unions with low membership density. One of the workers, a 40-year IBEW member, called me last spring after seeing some of my reporting on the decertifications to tell me what had happened with his union. He’s called me every few months or so since to keep me posted on their efforts to re-organize. It’s been a long, somewhat complicated process, in part because they’re organizing with a different IBEW local that has historically only represented workers in the private sector. This petition is the culmination of almost a full year of organizing and navigating other administrative and logistical hurdles.
Utility workers employed by the city of Jacksonville Beach’s Beaches Energy Services have filed a petition to unionize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 177, according to a petition I obtained through a public records request. Out of 56 eligible employees, 46 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Deputies, corporals, and sergeants employed by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office have filed a petition to unionize with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, according to a petition I obtained through a public records request. Out of 101 eligible employees, 52 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Police lieutenants for the Palm Beach County School District have filed a petition to unionize with the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. Out of 11 eligible employees, 8 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
And, they’re in good company: police captains for the Palm Beach County School District also filed a petition to unionize with the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. Out of 5 eligible employees, all 5 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Lieutenants for the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office have similarly filed a petition to unionize with the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. Out of 15 eligible employees, 8 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Sworn majors for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department have filed a petition to join an existing bargaining unit of police captains and lieutenants represented by the Fort Lauderdale Police Lodge 31, affiliated with the Fraternal Order of Police. Out of 7 eligible employees, all 7 have signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Inspectors for the Florida Department of Management Services and Florida Department of Law Enforcement have filed a petition to unionize with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. Out of 40 eligible employees, 31 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Detectives and inspectors for the Florida Department of Corrections and Office of the Inspector General have also filed a petition to unionize with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. Out of 105 eligible employees, 46 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Police officers and sergeants for the Arcadia Police Department have filed a petition to unionize with the Florida Police Benevolent Association, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. Out of 14 eligible employees, 9 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Police sergeants for the University of West Florida Police Department have filed a petition to unionize with the Florida Police Benevolent Association, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. Out of 6 eligible employees, 4 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Emergency communications supervisors for the city of St. Petersburg have filed a petition to unionize with the Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. Out of 9 eligible employees, all 9 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Police officers and sergeants employed by the St. Augustine Beach Police Department have filed a petition to unionize with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, according to a petition I obtained through a records request. Out of 16 eligible employees, 11 have already signed cards in support of unionization, per the union.
Going deeper: This unionization drive comes after the Coastal Florida Police Benevolent Association disclaimed interest in continuing to represent police officers (back in 2013) and police sergeants (just last June), state records show.
ELECTION RESULTS
Note: I will own this — I underestimated the state Public Employees Relations Commission’s speed, and didn’t realize how regularly they are now posting their election results publicly online. Last year, I checked their election results page regularly and saw zero updates for months. That has obviously changed, so we have an unusually-long list of election results this month.
Maintenance, wastewater, utility, automotive and grounds workers for the city of Defuniak Springs voted unanimously in a 30 to 0 vote to re-establish their union with AFSCME Council 79, according to the union. There were 43 workers eligible to vote.
Going deeper: This same bargaining unit was decertified last year, as part of the first major purge of public sector unions tied to changes made under Florida’s 2023 anti-union law, S.B. 256. The vote last month reforms the union, so to speak, and is nearly one year in the making. State records show that workers first petitioned the state for an election to re-establish their union last March, but due to the state Public Employee Relations Commission’s immense backlog, only got the chance to vote last month. This is the third union to rebuild itself since S.B. 256 took effect — the first was a bargaining unit of Jacksonville city employees, also affiliated with AFSCME. I wrote about that here.
Fire lieutenants, community paramedics, and public education officers for the Coral Springs Fire Department voted 8 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Metro Broward Fire Fighters union, out of 36 eligible voters. They join a bargaining unit of firefighters, fire inspectors, and EMTs who are already unionized with the same union.
Police officers and detectives for the Clewiston Police Department voted 7 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, out of 10 eligible voters.
Deputy sheriffs for the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office voted 75 to 14 in favor of unionizing with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, out of 124 eligible voters.
Non-instructional workers for St. Lucie public schools voted 43 to 4 in favor of *recertifying the Education Association of St. Lucie as their union, out of 191 eligible voters
Non-instructional workers for Putnam County Public Schools voted 169 to 2 in favor of recertifying the Putnam Federation of Teachers/United as their union, out of 631 eligible voters
A group of blue- and white-collar workers for Hendry County public schools voted 92 to 2 in favor of recertifying the Hendry Educational Support Personnel Association as their union, out of 309 eligible voters.
Teachers, counselors, librarians and other employees of Holmes County public schools voted 81 to 7 in favor of recertifying the Holmes County Teachers Association as their union, out of 227 eligible voters.
Teachers, counselors, media specialists and other employees of Bradford County public schools voted 47 to 5 in favor of recertifying the Bradford Education Association as their union, out of 207 eligible voters.
A group of blue-collar and white-collar workers for Bradford County pubic schools meanwhile voted 26 to 11 in favor of recertifying the Bradford Education Association as their union, out of 221 eligible voters.
A group of blue- and white-collar workers for the city of Venice voted 96 to 1 in favor of recertifying AFSCME Council 79 as their union, out of 165 eligible voters.
Teachers and school counselors for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine voted 75 to 2 in favor of recertifying the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Education Association as their union, out of 112 eligible voters.
Education specialists for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine also voted 32 to 1 in favor of recertifying the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Education Association as their union, out of 47 eligible voters.
Non-instructional employees for Franklin County public schools voted 26 to 2 in favor of recertifying the Franklin Educational Staff Professional Association as their union, out of 93 eligible voters.
A supervisory group of employees for the city of Fort Lauderdale, including payroll managers and wastewater operations supervisors, voted 38 to 2 in favor of recertifying the Federation of Public Employees as their union, out of 107 eligible voters.
White-collar workers for the Miami-Dade School Board voted 111 to 3 in favor of recertifying the Dade County School Administrator’s Association as their union, out of 339 eligible voters.
White-collar workers for the city of Pembroke Pines, including administrative coordinators and recreation specialists, voted 54 to 3 in favor of unionizing with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, out of 160 eligible voters.
Going deeper: This group of workers was previously represented by the Police Benevolent Association. However, according to state records, the PBA disclaimed interest in representing these folks in April.
A wall-to-wall bargaining unit of employees for the Village of North Palm Beach voted 12 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Federation of Public Employees as their union, out of 34 eligible voters.
Employees of the Port Everglades Authority in Broward County voted 10 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Federation of Public Employees as their union, out of 54 eligible voters.
Maintenance, utility, and wastewater employees for the city of Neptune Beach voted 13 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Laborers International Union of North America Local 630 as their union, out of 15 eligible voters.
Classroom teachers, counselors, media specialists and other staff for Dixie County Public Schools voted 40 to 1 in favor of recertifying the Dixie County Education Association as their union, out of 111 eligible voters.
Classroom teachers, psychologists, librarians, and other staff for Wakulla County Public Schools voted 52 to 5 in favor of recertifying the Wakulla County Education Association as their union, out of 320 eligible voters.
Administrative and blue-collar staff for Levy County Public Schools voted 86 to 14 in favor of recertifying the Levy County Education Association, AFT Local 4077, as their union, out of 380 eligible voters.
Full-time faculty for Broward College in Weston voted 170 to 3 in favor of recertifying United Faculty of Florida as their union, out of 362 eligible voters.
Police officers and sergeants for the city of Miami Gardens Police Department voted 91 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, out of 184 eligible voters.
Going deeper: The Fraternal Order of Police initially filed a petition to displace the Dade County Police Benevolent Association as the cops’ union (i.e. raid their bargaining unit), but after the FOP filed a petition for a union election, the Dade County PBA decided to file its own petition to disclaim interest in representing the cops. So, the election with the FOP moved forward with little scuffle — publicly, at least.
Lieutenants for Broward County Sheriff’s Office voted in favor of unionizing with the International Union of Police Associations, thereby rejecting their former affiliation with the Fraternal Order of Police. The Police Benevolent Association also filed a petition to represent the police lieutenants, but lost in the three-way election, according to PERC. Records show 29 lieutenants voted to join the IUPA, 9 lieutenants voted to join the Broward County PBA, and just 4 lieutenants voted to retain the Fraternal Order of Police as their union. There were 57 eligible voters, all in all.
Public utility and parks and recreation workers employed by the city of Boca Raton voted 182 to 12 in favor of recertifying the SEIU-Florida Public Sector Union (FPSU) as their union, out of 427 eligible voters.
Full-time blue-collar and white-collar employees of the city of Port Orange voted 111 to 16 in favor of recertifying the National Association of Government Employees as their union, out of 237 eligible voters.
Blue-collar utility and wastewater workers for the city of Palm Bay voted 149 to 2 in favor of recertifying the National Association of Government Employees as their union, out of 206 eligible voters.
Fire rescue captains employed by Wakulla County voted 7 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Tallahassee Professional Firefighters Local 2339, out of 9 eligible voters. According to state records, this is the first and only group of fire department workers in Wakulla County to unionize.
Police officers and sergeants in the town of Ocean Ridge voted 10 to 3 in favor of retaining the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association as their union, rejecting an effort by the Florida State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police to raid/displace them. Out of 14 eligible voters, 10 voted in favor of keeping the PBA as their union while just 3 voted in favor of unionizing with the FOP. Records show they first unionized with the PBA in 2010.
Police captains for the Delray Beach Police Department also voted 3 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, out of 3 eligible voters.
Police lieutenants for the Naples Police Department unanimously voted 5 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Collier County Lodge #38 of the Fraternal Order of Police, joining a supervisory bargaining unit of police sergeants already represented by the union.
Shift captains for the Temple Terrace Fire Department voted 3 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Temple Terrace Professional Firefighters Local 2160, joining an existing bargaining unit of fire captains and paramedics already represented by the union.
Supervisory fire suppression personnel for the Bayshore Fire Protection and Rescue Service District in North Fort Myers voted 3 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Southwest Florida Professional Firefighters & Paramedics, out of 3 eligible voters.
Non-instructional staff for the Okeechobee County school district — such as bus drivers, receptionists, and maintenance workers — voted 71 to 3 in favor of recertifying the Okeechobee County Education Association as their union, out of 332 eligible voters.
Blue- and white-collar workers employed by the Village of Palm Springs voted 36 to 3 in favor of recertifying SEIU-FPSU as their union, out of 110 eligible voters.
All full-time “professional” employees employed by the city of St. Petersburg — from librarians to housing development specialists, urban design and social service specialists — voted 182 to 17 in favor of recertifying SEIU-FPSU as their union, out of 424 eligible voters.
Non-instructional staff for the Baker County school district voted 90 to 2 in favor of recertifiying the Baker County Educational Support Professionals as their union, out of 251 eligible voters.
A range of blue- and white-collar workers employed by the city of Holly Hill — including animal control specialists, wastewater operators, rental housing inspectors, and others — voted 17 to 3 in favor of recertifying the National Association of Government Employees as their union, out of 48 eligible voters.
This post has been updated to clarify that the St. Petersburg bargaining unit that voted to recertify their union specifically represents “professional” employees; a separate bargaining unit of white-collar workers are awaiting their own recertification election. It might take a minute.
*Note on recertification: Under a controversial state law enacted in 2023 (S.B. 256), public sector unions are forced to petition for a recertification election if they report less than 60% membership to the state. Under the new law, unions must maintain a dues-paying membership of at least 60% of employees eligible for union representation. If they do not, they must petition for recertification within 30 days of submitting annual registration renewal paperwork to the state. If they do not file such a petition, the bargaining unit is decertified.