Florida’s public sector labor laws were rated among the most effective in the nation by the Commonwealth Foundation, rising from a “C” to an “A” due to legislative reforms.
Florida’s public sector labor laws were recognized this week as some of the most effective in the nation, according to an analysis by the conservative-leaning think tank the Commonwealth Foundation, with the state’s rating rising from a “C” to an “A” in the Foundation’s latest report.
A series of recent legislative changes, including the introduction of a union recertification requirement, played a role in Florida’s improved rating. Under the new law, public sector unions must undergo recertification if their membership falls below 60 percent of the employees in a bargaining unit, a shift the report described as “critical” for increasing union accountability and aligning worker representation with current preferences.
“Florida set a new gold standard for pro-worker, pro-taxpayer public sector labor reform,” the report states. “Other states should look to Florida as an example of how to level the playing field between government unions and the workers and taxpayers they are supposed to serve.”
Another highlighted reform is Florida’s prohibition on payroll deductions for union dues, which requires unions to collect dues directly from their members, eliminating the use of the public payroll system. According to the report, this change prevents taxpayer dollars from indirectly supporting union activities and is “in line” with “broader principles of fiscal responsibility.”
The legislation also introduced transparency measures, obliging unions to inform workers of their constitutional rights, particularly the right to refrain from union membership and financial contributions. The report outlines this as a “vital step in empowering workers to make informed decisions” about union participation.
“The state’s new union reforms will continue to keep government unions in check, empowering individual employees, protecting educational choice, maintaining low tax rates, and keeping Florida an attractive, affordable place to live,” the report asserts.
Additionally, the report commends Florida for recognizing the right of workers to resign from union membership at any time. By preventing unions from imposing restrictive resignation periods, this provision, the publication claims, promotes voluntary union membership, which is identified as a key factor in the state’s rise to an “A” rating.
While unions have challenged some of the new laws in court, a federal judge last month largely ruled in favor of the state. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker dismissed most of the unions’ claims, including arguments that the law violated equal protection rights by exempting public-safety unions, which have historically supported Republican candidates. However, Walker allowed one aspect of the case to proceed to trial, determining that the ban on payroll deductions for union dues might violate the Contracts Clause of the U.S. Constitution, as it could impair existing collective bargaining agreements.