Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco on State Law and Union Existence Vote

The 2023 State Law and Union Standards

• ⚖️ A new 2023 state law has raised the standards and stakes for public employee unions in Florida, requiring them to meet specific benchmarks.
• 📉 The Broward Teachers Union (BTU) did not meet the initial 60% benchmark, falling between 54% and 56% membership.
• 🗳️ This failure to meet the benchmark necessitates a vote on the union's existence, rather than automatic continuation.

The Voting Process and Challenges

• 📬 Ballots for the union's existence vote were mailed out from Tallahassee starting June 6th, with most members receiving them within 2-3 days.
• ❓ Approximately 2,000 members reported not receiving their ballots, prompting outreach to the Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC).
• 🏛️ PERC, which governs public employee unions, is described as making tasks extremely difficult for unions due to appointed members who oversee the process.

Membership and Union Support

• 🤝 The union emphasizes that membership is a choice, requiring members to sign a card and pay dues for benefits like raises, improved working conditions, and representation.
• 💪 A strong membership shows management that the group is dedicated and wants progress, as seen during COVID-19 when the union was perceived as strong in protecting vulnerable students.
• 📊 While 55% membership is considered not bad, the 60% threshold was likely intended to weaken unions.

Political Affiliations and Union Goals

• 🎯 The governor's stated reason for the law was the perception that unions had become political arms of the Democratic party.
• 💸 The BTU clarifies they are not a political entity, but have a separate entity called COPE that members can choose to contribute to for political support.
• ✅ The union supports any group, regardless of party, that prioritizes resources for public education, citing needs like school maintenance, supplies, and adequate staffing.
• 🤝 The union has contributed to Republican candidates in the past, indicating their support is based on a candidate's stance on public education, not party affiliation.

The Vote Threshold and Logistics

• ✅ The vote tomorrow requires 50% plus one to determine the union's continued existence.
• 📊 With 13,000 potential ballots, the union needs just over 101 votes if 2,000 ballots are returned, but the exact number of returned ballots will only be known during the count.
• 🗓️ The counting of mail-in ballots begins tomorrow at 9:30 AM in Tallahassee.
• ✉️ The union actively drummed up information because ballots were sent out when teachers were out of school, and the envelopes were generic, potentially mistaken for junk mail.