FAMU’s campus. (Phto by Issac Morgan/Florida Phoenix)
The union representing Florida’s public colleges and universities and its FAMU chapter have filed suit against the state, claiming a law requiring 60% membership for a union to maintain certification violates the Florida Constitution.
The Florida A&M University chapter of the United Faculty of Florida’s lawsuit , filed in Leon County Circuit Court, names as defendant the Public Employee Relations Commission and cites SB 256, approved during the 2023 legislative session, and SB 1746, approved in March.
SB 256 prohibits agencies from deducting union dues from paychecks, requires organizations to go through recertification if their membership drops below 60%, and imposes other restrictions on unions. The law took effect in October.
The union says it is threatened with decertification under the threshold law, which requires a membership count above the “arbitrarily set” 60% of any bargaining unit. Previously, the threshold was 50%.