Sunshine Sentinel

James Madison Institute and the Americans for Prosperity joined forces to support Florida House Bill 1, which died in a Senate committee last month.

 Introduced by Rep. Jamie Grant (R-64th) in January, House Bill 1 proposed protecting public employees from paychecks being used to pay union dues, unless they opt in to become union members. The bill advanced to the Florida Senate's Government Oversight and Accountability committee where it died on March 14.

"This bill requires a public employee who desires to join a union to sign an authorization form, to say I want to opt in. It must also state the union membership and payment of dues is voluntary and that an employee may not be discriminated against if they refuse to join," said Rep. Jamie Grant in committee. "The perception of retribution is real. What I think is nuts is to pretend that we don’t have employees in this state who are scared to simply walk in and say they want out. What I think is nuts is that we should just be able to document that someone wants to engage or revoke in the membership of a labor organization."

This bill proposed that union membership must be entered into willingly before a union takes fees from a public employee’s paycheck. Currently, unions are permitted to take fees out of a public employees check without proof that the employee consented. House Bill 1 intended to ensure employees have the choice to pay union dues or fees and ensure their first amendment rights are protected in the process.

House Bill 1 passed the House Oversight, Transparency and Public Management Subcommittee on Jan. 2 before failing to clear the Senate hurdle.

“Public employees should be able to refuse labor union membership without fear of retaliation. These employees should not be continuing to subsidize labor unions’ political efforts,” said Sal Nuzzo, Vice President of Policy at the James Madison Institute. “It is time that workers are assured they are getting their full paycheck without unknowingly supporting union activities they may not even agree with.”

A second, companion bill to HB1 also died in the Senate on March 14. SB 804: Employee Organization Dues and Uniform Assessments, filed by Sen. Jeff Brandes, proposed that Florida laws recognize and respect public employees' constitutional rights. Employers would have been required under SB 804 to demonstrate proof that all employees have made an informed decision to pay union dues or fees before deducting money from their paychecks.

“For some government workers, a union fee is money that could be better used to save, spend, or invest in themselves, their family, or their community. Public employees shouldn’t have to choose between either supporting their families or keeping a job,” said Skylar Zander, Florida Director for Americans for Prosperity. “This bill doesn’t just bring Florida in compliance with the law, it removes barriers that prevent public employees from realizing their full potential in their lives and careers. Public employees in Florida should know that no one can force them to give up part of their hard-earned paycheck in order to stay employed.”