Compulsory Unionism in a Right To Work State

Florida Teacher union officials are not taking well to the new law passed in Florida several months ago which requires that exclusive representatives (teacher unions) will lose the right to represent all teachers in a bargaining unit (usually a district) if their membership rolls fall below 50 percent.

This law would eliminate the root source of compulsory unionism, exclusive representation.

Currently, teachers are represented by an exclusive representative in a district. This exclusive representative bargains for all teachers, even those who do not wish to be represented by a union, or who wish another organization to represent them.  It is the most important strategy teacher union officials have to garner and keep power in Right To Work states, where teachers are not required to join a union in order to get or keep a job.

Jessica Bakeman has the story on wlrn.org.

Florida teachers’ unions are planning to sue the state over a new law that threatens their long-term survival.

Unions’ right to collectively bargain for their members has been enshrined in the state constitution since 1968 and state law since 1974.