Florida, however, is not backing down. “This isn’t about snuffing out collective bargaining rights for transportation workers,” Florida asserted, adding that the U.S. Department of Labor’s interpretation is “blatantly unconstitutional”.
Diving into SB 256
Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, gave his seal of approval to S.B. 256 in May, ushering in a series of stringent union mandates. Several of these make it challenging for unions to maintain members, thereby jeopardizing their role as labor representatives.
To paint a clearer picture, the bill mandates unions to seek yearly registrations and, if memberships dive below 60%, push for reaffirmation votes. This iterates upon a 2018 legislation that set the bar at 50%. Other provisions touch on finances, compelling workers to channel dues directly to unions and mandating annual financial breakdowns for union members.
Yet, not all unions are affected. Police, correctional officers, and firefighters find themselves exempt.
Teachers’ unions in Florida, however, are particularly incensed, seeing this as retribution for their dissent against DeSantis’ education-related edicts.
Legal Lines Drawn
Florida’s lawsuit throws down the gauntlet against the U.S. Department of Transportation, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Department of Labor, Labor Secretary Julie A. Su, and the Federal Transit Administration. The charges? Violations of the Spending Clause and the Administrative Procedure Act.
