Organizing Florida March 2025: Union Organizing and Union Election Results
Catch up on new organizing in Florida, feat. the revival of a union at the University of South Florida (with a twist) and hundreds of public employees voting to keep their unions alive.
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Housekeeping note: Trying out a new title for this round-up. Let me know what you think.
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.
Here’s a rundown of new organizing drives that launched last 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
51 production associates, composite technicians, and maintenance workers employed by the Goodrich Corporation in Jacksonville, FL filed a petition to unionize with the International Union of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
4 road service supervisors and dispatchers employed by MTM Transit in Stuart, FL filed a petition to unionize with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1577.
ELECTION RESULTS
Gathered from the National Labor Relations Board:
Starbucks workers at a cafe in Palm Beach Gardens, FL voted 5 to 6 against unionizing with Starbucks Workers United, out of 11 eligible voters.
Going deeper: The union has filed objections to the election results, although it’s unclear what the basis of these objections are at this point. I heard there was some union-busting afoot at this location, so it’s possible management unlawfully (allegedly) spooked workers into voting against unionization. If any of the allegations are found by the NLRB to have violated labor law, then we might see a redo election.
Electricians and mechanics employed by Southeast Service Corporation (a subsidiary of the Compass Group) at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL voted 8 to 2 in favor of unionizing with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 30, out of 10 eligible voters.
Going deeper: As I recently reported for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, these workers are part of what used to be a larger bargaining unit formerly represented by AFSCME. After Florida enacted its 2023 anti-union law, however, the bargaining unit was decertified by the state, due to low union membership and the union’s failure to file a petition for a recertification election (which would have allowed workers to vote on whether to keep their union alive). After their union was decertified, USF privatized the workers’ jobs, outsourcing them to the Compass Group. A small group of them, now working in the private sector, subsequently launched an organizing campaign with the IUOE through the NLRB.
ORGANIZING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR
Obtained (largely, if not exclusively) through public records requests:
Firefighters, paramedics, firefighter engineers, and fire lieutenants for Desoto County Fire Rescue in Arcadia, FL have filed a petition to unionize with the Suncoast Professional Firefighters & Paramedics labor union, according to a petition I obtained through a public records request. Out of 45 eligible employees, 42 have already signed cards in support of unionization.
Battalion chiefs, training captains, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) captains and lieutenants for Desoto County Fire Rescue in Arcadia, FL have also filed a petition to unionize with the Suncoast Professional Firefighters & Paramedics. According to the petition filed, 3 employees have signed cards in support of unionization out of 4 eligible employees total (because of their supervisory status, they can’t be in the same bargaining unit as the workers listed above).
Non-professional city employees employed by the city of Port St. Lucie, ranging from accounting clerks to electricians, have filed a petition to unionize with the Amalgamated Workers Local 298, affiliated with the International Union of Allied Novelty and Production Workers (an AFL-CIO affiliate). According to the Public Employees Relations Commission, these workers are already represented by the Federation of Government Employees. Out of 86 eligible employees, 46 have signed cards in support of unionizing with Local 298, according to the petition filed.
Going deeper: Not gonna lie, I’m kind of stumped by this. Local 298 claims in its petition that these employees aren’t currently represented by a union and that the workers aren’t currently covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Except, that’s not true. The union is also based up in New York, not Florida, and there’s no record of the union representing any other government employees in Florida.
ELECTION RESULTS
Gathered from the state Public Employees Relations Commission:
Electronic technicians, laborers, HVAC specialists, and other operational services workers employed by the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL voted 13 to 2 in favor of unionizing with the Independent Association of Public and Private Employees, out of 92 eligible voters.
Going deeper: The IAPPE is a new union formed by former AFSCME staff who were allegedly dismissed by AFSCME following the passage of Florida’s 2023 anti-union law (which made their jobs a lot harder). This is the second bargaining unit in the state, formerly represented by AFSCME (and decertified by the state last year), that has re-organized with the IAPPE.
Police sergeants (or should I just say, police sergeant, singular?) employed by the Fort Walton Police Department in Fort Walton Beach, FL voted 1 to 0 in favor of unionizing with the Florida Police Benevolent Association, out of 6 eligible voters.
Police sergeants, corporals, and patrolmen employed by the Belleview Police Department in Belleview, FL voted 6 to 1 in favor of unionizing with the Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, out of 11 eligible voters.
Police sergeants employed by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office in Port Saint Lucie, FL voted 23 to 1 in favor of unionizing with the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, out of 31 eligible voters.
Mechanics, maintenance workers, solid waste employees and others employed by St. Lucie County in Port St. Lucie, FL voted 112 to 6 in favor of *recertifying the Teamsters Local 769 as their union, out of 275 eligible voters.
Traffic maintenance workers, utility mechanics, and other blue-collar workers employed by the city of Delray Beach, FL voted 114 to 1 in favor of recertifying the Service Employees International Union-Florida Public Sector Union (SEIU-FPSU) as their union, out of 175 eligible voters.
Supervisory non-instructional employees of the Broward County school district in Fort Lauderdale, FL voted 94 to 3 in favor of recertifying the Broward Teachers Union as their union, out of 147 eligible voters.
Teachers, media specialists, occupational and speech therapists, and school counselors employed by the Broward County school district in Fort Lauderdale, FL also voted 228 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Broward Teachers Union as their union, out of 377 eligible voters.
Administrative aides, nurses, school bus drivers, and other non-instructional staff for the Suwannee County school district in Live Oak, FL voted 31 to 7 in favor of recertifying the United Teachers of Suwannee County as their union, out of 299 eligible voters.
A wall-to-wall bargaining unit of white-collar and blue-collar city workers employed by the city of Coral Gables, FL voted 172 to 6 in favor of recertifying the Teamsters Local 769 as their union, out of 317 eligible voters.
Custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers, and other blue-collar workers employed by Sumter County school district in Bushnell, FL voted 132 to 3 in favor of recertifying the Sumter County Essential Support Personnel as their union, out of 424 eligible voters.
Accountants, assistant harbormasters, senior accountants, skills trade supervisors, and survey party chiefs (Side note: I had to Google it, but “party chief” is not actually as fun a job as the title suggests) employed by Broward County’s Department of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale voted 4 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Federation of Public Employees as their union, out of 15 eligible voters.
Janitorial, landscaping, recreation, and stormwater workers employed by the city of Miami Gardens voted 5 to 0 in favor of recertifying the Federation of Public Employees as their union, out of 72 eligible voters.
Teachers, counselors, media specialists, and other school staff employed by the Jackson County school district in Marianna, FL voted 197 to 12 in favor of recertifying the Jackson County Education Association as their union, out of 493 eligible voters.
Teachers and behavior technicians employed by the Manatee County school district in Bradenton, FL voted 224 to 11 in favor of recertifying the Manatee Education Association as their union, out of 718 eligible voters.
*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.
That’s it for this month. Have thoughts? Feedback? Drop a comment below.