Republican lawmakers pushing a series of anti-union bills aren't getting the unanimous tea party support they expected.
Senate Bill 830, sponsored by Sen. John Thrasher, would bar government agencies from making authorized payroll deductions for union dues.
Along with House Bill 1021 by Rep. Chris Dorworth, the measures seek to specifically prohibit state and local agencies "from deducting from employee wages dues, uniform assessments, fines, penalties, or special assessments of employee organization or contributions made for purposes of political activity."
This is not a penny-ante matter -- and it's highly partisan.
Campaign finance records show that the Florida Education Association (teachers' union) ponied up more than $3.4 million in political contributions last year. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees donated nearly $1.4 million. Virtually all of the money went to Democratic candidates or straight to the Democratic Party. Public-sector affiliates of the AFL-CIO gave hundreds of thousands more.
Labor organizations call the bills pure union-busting. Dorworth said the legislation allows union membership more control over how their dollars are spent.
Though not necessarily objecting to the bills' requirement that members annually approve the use of dues for political purposes, a few tea party members and libertarians are lining up with unions in opposing the deduction ban.
In doing so, these conservatives aligned with Democrats who blasted HB 1021 on Friday. The House passed the measure 73-40.
"This is targeting teachers, and that's a crime," says Robin Stublen, a Punta Gorda-based tea party leader. "It's a blatant effort to stop political contributions and bust up [unions]."
Stublen notes that government agencies currently withhold payroll funds for a variety of purposes. Singling out worker-authorized union contributions for prohibition is not fair, he says.
"It's all about choice. As long as we allow automatic deductions for United Way, IRAs, braces, car payments, etc., give them that choice, too," Stublen said.
And, speaking of choice, he adds: "Let's remember that Thrasher gave $500 to [Democratic candidate Alex] Sink for the CFO race in 2006."
Stublen, who organized a tea party rally in Tallahassee on the opening day of the Legislature, urged fellow members in a recent online forum to ask themselves four questions about the bill: "Does it limit government? Is it fiscally responsible government? Does it promote free markets? Does it save tax dollars?
"The answer to these questions is a resounding no. We are on a very? slippery slope here," he said.
During Friday's two-hour House debate, Rep. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, said, Lets be honest. Dont put lipstick on this elephant No one pays dues to a union unless they want to. Members can quit and engage at any time.
Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, added, Its on days like today, when [the Legislature] does things for political gain and that have nothing to do with policy but everything to do with politics and posturing, well, it saddens me This bill isnt getting Floridians jobs or doing anything to make the life of Floridians better.
Alex Snitker, a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate last year, voiced similar concerns.
"It almost seems like a waste of time," he said of the prohibition on political withholding. "These legislators were elected to fix the economy, not go after unions."
Snitker, who says he is decidedly "not a union guy," said such legislation simply fires up the opposition.
"They're just pissing off the Democratic base and giving them more ammunition for 2012," he observes.
Not all tea partiers see it that way.
Tom Gaitens, state director for the national tea group, FreedomWorks, says, "Government should not be a party in a political process, especially when those contributions mainly go to one party."
Gaitens said passage of the Thrasher-Dorworth bills is among his group's "top 15" priorities.
Tea partiers and libertarians have found common ground on another union-related bill, however.
Rep. Scott Plakon's HB 1023, which would require annual certification/decertification votes of public-sector unions.
The measure mandates that unions which collectively bargain for employees have membership of at least 50 percent of the labor force they represent.
Many public-sector unions, including several teacher union affiliates around the state, fall below that threshold.
At the University of Florida, only about 700 of 4,400 graduate assistants belong to Graduate Assistants United. Just 20 percent of UF faculty belong to United Faculty of Florida.
Unions that do not win at least 50 percent of a certification vote would lose their collective-bargaining status.
Stublen, Snitker and Gaitens say they are all on board with Plakon's bill.
"The principle of collective bargaining is that it involves negotiating for the majority of workers," Gaitens said.
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Reach Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
