March 7, 2017

The House Oversight, Transparency and Administration Subcommittee will hear HB 11 (sponsored by Representative Scott Plakon) on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, at 12:00 pm.  If passed, this bill would add an additional requirement to an employee union’s annual renewal with the Public Employees Relations Commission. Each certified bargaining unit  of a registered employee organization must provide the number of eligible employees for union membership and the number of members who pay dues or do not pay dues. If that information is not presented, then the certification for that bargaining unit is revoked.

If the certified bargaining unit dues paying membership is less than 50%, that bargaining unit must petition PERC for recertification as the exclusive bargaining representative within one month after the date on which the bargaining unit applied for renewal. Application for PERC recertification requires either voluntary recognition of the union by the employer or petition to PERC for recertification upon submission of call for union representation election cards from at least 30% of the full bargaining unit. If sufficient cards are submitted to PERC, then an election would be held to re-establish or decertify the union. Note: The application for recertification must occur within one month of the initial date of application for annual renewal.

What this means for UFF-UF

If this legislation passes, UFF-UF would be required, annually, to provide to PERC the number of employees who are dues-paying members of our union. If we don’t report, we lose our union. If, in any given year, we report that our membership is below 50%, then we must petition for recertification through a “card drive” and an election on whether or not to have a union.

What Can You Do

Please call committee members at their district office or their Tallahassee office today or tomorrow morning and ask them to vote NO on HB 11. Calling is more effective than e-mails, but any contact is needed now. 

Member of Committee	District Office	Tallahassee Office	E-mail Address
Neil Combeee (R) Chair	(863) 968-5666	(850) 717-5039	Neil.combee@myfloridahouse.gov
Ingoglia, Blaise (R) Vice Chair	(352) 688-5004	(850) 717-5035	Blaise.ingoglia@myfloridahouse.gov
Edwards, Katie A. (D)	(954) 838-1372	(850) 717-5098	Katie.edwards@myfloridahouse.gov
Baez, Daisy J. (D)	(305) 442-6825	(850) 717-5114	Daisy.baez@myfloridahouse.gov
Daniels, Kimberly (D)	(904) 696-5928	(850) 717-5014	Kimberly.daniels@myfloridahouse.gov
Davis, Tracie (D)	(904) 353-2180	(850) 717-5013	Tracie.davis@myfloridahouse.gov
Drake, Brad (R)	(850) 951-0547	(850) 717-5005	Brad.drake@myfloridahouse.gov
Eisnaugle, Eric (R)	(407) 355-5784	(850) 717-5044	Eric.eisnaugle@myfloridahouse.gov
Henry, Patrick (D)	(386) 238-4650	(850) 717-5026	Patrick.henry@myfloridahouse.gov
Payne, Bobby (R)	(386) 312-2272	(850) 717-5019	Bobby.payne@myfloridahouse.gov
Pigman, Cary (R)	(863) 386-6000 & (863) 462-5019	(850) 717-5055	Cary.pigman@myfloridahouse.gov
Raulerson, Daniel D.	(813) 757-9110	(850) 717-5058	Daniel.raulerson@myfloridahouse.gov
Rommel, Bob (R)	(239) 417-6200	(850) 717-5106	Bob.rommel@myfloridahouse.gov
Roth, Rick (R)	(561) 625-5176	(850) 717-5085	Rick.roth@myfloridahouse.gov
Yarborough, Clay	(904) 723-5300	(850) 717-5012	Clay.yarborough@myfloridahouse.gov

Talking Points

• This bill (H.B. 11) comes as no surprise as we have seen efforts like this before in Florida – and numerous nationwide attempts — to take away workers’ rights.  This politically motivated legislation is a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist in Florida.
• We are a union of members who choose to participate – no one can be forced to join our union. Florida is a right-to-work state where union membership or payment of union dues cannot be compelled.
•  The Florida Constitution gives employees the right to join a union to give them a strong voice regarding wages and working conditions. This measure would take away that right.
• This bill is not needed. Florida is a right-to-work state, which means people join only because they want to.
• Our union is the voice of our members and their students – every student, every school, every college, every university, and every day. Our members’ working conditions are our students’ learning conditions.  You cannot separate the two.

As was stated by FEA in 2011, “Florida law permits public employees to obtain an election to decertify and exclusive bargaining representative. Any employee or group of employees which no longer desires to be represented by the certified bargaining agent may file with the commission a petition to revoke certification. FEA believes legislative proposals that target unions representing public employees by requiring recertification of unions with membership below 50 percent of the employees is unconstitutional. These measures are simply to make life more difficult in as many ways as they can so in the end member unions go away.”