After nearly three hours of testimony, mostly from union members admonishing legislators, the Senate Budget Committee voted 11-9 Wednesday to pass a controversial bill eliminating automatic union dues deductions from the paychecks of state and local government workers.
Three Republicans, Sen. Thad Altman of Viera, Sen. Anitere Flores of Miami and Sen. Mike Fasano of New Port Richey, joined the six Democrats on the panel in voting against the bill. Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, was absent for the vote.
Senate Bill 830, brought by Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, would prevent automatic deductions from public workers for union dues or other fees or assessments, require public union workers to provide written authorization for unions to use their dues for political purposes, calls on unions to refund dues to members who revoke their signatures, and prohibits unions from using political contributions as a condition for membership.
Union representatives and members said the bill threatens their freedom of political speech, and that many unions already offer members the option of not funding political activities and even leaving the union altogether.
I keep a stack of forms to get out of the union in my bag I keep around. In 12 years Ive had one guy ask for one. I didnt badger him, I didnt ask him any questions, said Rocco Salvatore, a Bradenton firefighter and union representative.
But Thrasher said his bill was not intended to bust unions, but to allow union members more options and to remove the function of dues collection from the government.
The government simply ought not to be in the business of collecting union dues, Thrasher said.
Some union members were keen to point out that while unions give heavily to Democrats, they also give to Republicans and have many Republican members. One union representative even suggested that the bill was unnecessary since the money given to the Democratic Party in the 2010 wave election for the GOP didnt work.
What are they so worried about? Obviously we gave the money to the wrong peeps. I do not understand why this has even become an issue, said John McNamara, president of the Metro Broward Professional Firefighters Local 3080.
Business lobbyists in support of the bill claimed union members were overstating the effects of the bill on unions, since it leaves unions their ability to collect dues and their ability to collectively bargain intact.
Quite frankly... you all need to support this because its a justice issue, said Peter Dyga, vice president of governmental affairs for Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida, to the laughter of the committee room packed with union members and representatives.
Youre being fed a bill of goods. Youre still going to be able to belong to a union, youre still going to be able to collectively bargain, youre still going to be able to collect union dues, Dyga added.
Democrats opposed to the bill said it takes the Legislatures focus away from the glacial pace of Floridas economic recovery.
This does have nothing to do with jobs or the economy. We have incredibly difficult problems with which we have to deal, Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich, D-Weston, said. This creates an incredible unfair advantage. Big business will still have their advocates, working people will not, she added.
Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, noted that Democrats were helping to move along other obscure bills not related to the economy, and that unions dealing in the public sector should not expect the government to collect their dues for them.
It uses the authority of the government to collect money to be used for partisan politics and I think thats wrong. I think the individual should decide that, Gaetz said.
The narrow vote was the bills second close call in committee. It received a 5-4 vote in its first stop in the Community Affairs Committee. It now heads to the Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee, chaired by Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate.
A similar bill in the House will get a committee review Thursday.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
