Staff Reports
On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that prohibits automatic payroll deductions for teachers’ union dues. Under the “Employee Organizations Representing Public Employees” law, public-employee unions in Florida are no longer allowed to deduct dues from paychecks and must annually inform members of the costs of being in a union.
Florida teacher's unions have been put on notice https://t.co/N0JHYp7rYN
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 9, 2023
At a press conference ahead of signing the bill, Governor DeSantis explained that while school unions provide authorization forms for automatic deduction of dues, few teachers use them. Nevertheless, teachers may feel pressured to join and contribute. The new law protects them by finally saying no to the automatic deductions for school union dues. Teachers may still choose to join and support the union but will have to do so by writing a check and handing it over. This new development will significantly increase teachers’ take-home pay by reducing the many deductibles in their paychecks.
Governor DeSantis Signs Legislation to Empower Florida Educators https://t.co/9QWBnTu47d
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 9, 2023
In addition to approving a record $1 billion for teacher salaries, the legislation I signed:
– Protects teacher paychecks from automatic union deductions
– Creates a Teachers’ Bill of Rights
– Reforms school board elections
– Removes social media from classrooms pic.twitter.com/tswnsNI1Ei— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 9, 2023
Beyond these changes, unions will no longer be allowed to pass out membership materials within the workplace, and union officials cannot perform their union membership duties during full-time work hours. In addition, members must sign a membership authorization document that confirms Florida is a right-to-work state. No union official can earn more than the highest-paid member.
Governor DeSantis has allocated an additional $1 billion to the state budget on Tuesday for teachers’ pay raises in the 2023-2024 school year. This decision clearly demonstrates that he prioritizes the well-being of teachers and wants them to have a bright future.
Teachers’ unions across America are pushing gender identity and race lessons in classrooms, with some school districts partnering with national unions to launch an LGBTQ initiative. Other unions hold courses for their members on how to battle legal parental rights groups. The new Florida legislation ensures that no biases like these are present in classrooms, which should alleviate some of the pressure and obvious bias felt by many teachers nationwide.
The new law is significant in that it will enable the state to determine how many people are joining the teacher union. Unions that do not represent the majority of people now fall below a threshold set by the lawmakers and are hence not bargaining unions. Governor DeSantis believes that with these decisive measures, there will be a positive change in the right direction.
In summary, Florida has taken a big step by adding a body of legislation to its state law that prioritizes the education sector’s welfare and promotes greater transparency. Governor DeSantis has continued to promote education and support teachers after approving the right exams for K-12 students, which included curbing lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation. Support for these is proof of a government committed to the next generation’s correct upbringing.
