Florida Legislature Adjourns; Privatization, Dues Deduction Efforts Fail

by Joy Haslacker  |  May 09, 2011

The Florida State Legislature adjourned in the wee hours of Saturday morning after a session defined by attacks on public services and public service workers. From the first day that the legislature convened this year, AFSCME members and our allies have presented a united front in opposition to these attacks. This hard effort paid off with some considerable victories won after a roller coaster ride during the last days of the session and a last-minute standoff between the House and Senate leadership over some key issues for working families.

Most notably, the legislature rejected plans to cripple public service workers’ ability to fund their union representation and political efforts, along with proposals to privatize juvenile justice services and facilities providing mental health care and services for the developmentally disabled. None of the jobs of AFSCME members who work in these facilities will be privatized. And the non-economic provisions of state employee contracts will remain intact despite efforts to weaken our bargaining rights.

Despite our strong grassroots advocacy, legislators did pass several harmful bills, including measures that will put federal health care reforms and severe tax and spending limitations on the ballot in 2012. In the final, harrowing hours of the session, legislators defeated anti-immigration legislation, but passed voter suppression measures and unemployment insurance benefit cuts.

As legislators head home, they will continue to hear from AFSCME members who support solutions to Florida's problems that call for shared sacrifice and do not attempt to balance budgets on the backs of working families. We will not let up the pressure!