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Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Trailblazing Union Transparency Bill Backed by Workers for Opportunity

MIAMI, Fla. —  Today Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law SB 256, which increases union transparency and changes how union dues are collected for public employees. Workers for Opportunity was honored to join him for the signing ceremony, after working alongside the administration and members of the legislature for over four years to advance this groundbreaking legislation and see it become law.

SB 256 delivers on Gov. DeSantis’ promise to protect teachers’ rights. The law ends the practice of automatic payroll deduction for union dues and requires unions to notify members annually of the cost of membership. It also allows public employees to opt out of union membership at any time, and increases the threshold for triggering a union recertification election from 50% to 60% for teachers and expands this right to most other Florida public employees.

"This bill gives Florida teachers a voice and a choice,” said Senior Labor Policy Advisor Vincent Vernuccio. “Teachers and other public workers will know their rights. They’ll know exactly how much union membership costs them each year. And they’ll know that, if their union isn’t serving them, they can do something about it.

"Gov. DeSantis outlined paycheck protection and greater accountability for unions in his Teachers’ Bill of Rights, introduced in January 2023. Workers for Opportunity, which has spearheaded this collaborative effort with teachers, policymakers, the administration and in-state allies since 2019, praised Gov. DeSantis for his vision and leadership.

“Democracy works,” Vernuccio said, “and this is union democracy at its best. With this new law, Governor DeSantis and state legislators are empowering Florida teachers to chart their own path forward and requiring more transparency from the unions that have the privilege of representing those teachers.”

The legislation drew from Workers for Opportunity's proposed reforms giving employees more control over their paychecks and union representation.

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