By Cassidy Johnson
It’s a well-known fact that teachers are vastly underappreciated and undervalued by our national government, the students they teach, and local district employers. This is the plight of public-sector work; although it may get worse. Last week, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill, HB25, targeting public-sector unions. If it becomes law then public-sector unions whose total dues-paying membership drops under 50% of those eligible would be automatically decertified, having to petition for recertification.
Dubbed a “union-buster” by those who oppose the bill, HB25 exploits the free rider phenomena. Free-riders are individuals who take advantage of a resource or privilege granted without having taken part in the collective effort to gain that right. Florida is a “Right-to-Work” state, which is actually the exact opposite of what it sounds like. With this label comes the inability for workers to strike or purposefully not show up for work en masse as a way to make gains. In addition, labor unions and employers cannot make employees pay union dues as a requirement for employment. The primary concern among educators is that without union protection, everything will be up to the county’s discretion. Teachers fear the loss of planning periods and reductions in salary.
Art and digital photography teacher, Ms. Palmer, a member of the teacher’s union gave her thoughts on the issue. She says the possibility of having their union decertified is, “a little scary because the union is our protection and we’re going to be decertified for a silly reason because teachers just aren’t signed up.” If the bill passes in the Senate and she ends up facing a pay reduction, Ms. Palmer is still likely to continue teaching. “It depends on how much [my salary is reduced], but probably yes because I love my job.” Ms. Palmer implores teachers to sign up for the union and go to school board meetings to make sure officials see how important this issue and others are to them. 
The National Education Association (NEA) vehemently opposes this bill, but HB25 has the potential to affect more than just educators. Unions fighting for the rights of any public-sector employees: nurses, trash collectors, mailmen, etc. are at risk, if the percentage of dues-paying members is too low. The bill does exempt unions that protect police officers, firefighters, and prison guards but leaves out other public safety employees such as EMTs. The only consolation is that this bill is not widely popular in the Florida Senate so it may not pass there.
Should this bill become law and school districts decide to reduce or take away salaries and privileges, students may see a lot more substitute teachers in the coming years. The state of Florida already has a vast shortage of teachers, do lawmakers really think it wise to exacerbate the problem? Nonetheless, the most sure-fire way to stop public-sector unions from having to petition for recertification is for people to stop free-riding and join.