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    • Leon County teachers union faces uncertainty over ‘anti-union’ law
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    Leon County teachers union faces uncertainty over ‘anti-union’ law

    Umito Posted on

    CORRECTION: Scott Mazur is no longer a teacher in Leon County Public Schools. A version of this story published earlier said otherwise.

    THE Association of Class Teachers of Léon is about to be disbanded, and the only thing standing in the way of its existence and obliteration is a high-stakes election ordered by the state government. Civil Servant Relations Commission (PERC) two weeks ago.

    The threat comes from the fact that recent state legislationdubbed the “anti-union law” by critics, which widespread closures planned civil servant unions whose main target is teachers.

    The law requires unions to reach a threshold of 60% of their members paying dues, which can no longer be automatically withdrawn from their salaries. Before the legislation passes the Florida Legislature in 2023, unions were only supposed to reach 50%.

    According to PERC data, the Leon Classroom Teachers Association, or LCTA, had 40 percent of its members paying dues, which is below the new mandate.

    “The 60 percent was chosen to put unions in danger,” LCTA President Scott Mazur told the Tallahassee Democratic Journal. “It was strategic and it always has been.” According to PERC, failing to meet the 60% threshold does not automatically mean decertification.

    The union has two attempts at redemption. First, it must collect “expression of interest” cards signed by at least 30% of its members, which the LCTA has overwhelmingly accomplished with 55% petitioning to keep their union.

    Soon, a secret mail-in ballot will be distributed, where members will have to choose whether to continue to be represented by the union or disband. The majority of votes collected will prevail.

    “This is an opportunity for everyone to show that they care about their contract and that they expect more to be done in terms of an educational bargaining unit,” said Mazur, a former teacher at Killearn Lakes Primary School.

    While teachers advocate for a living wage in collective bargaining units, many say the ripple effect of low pay has left educators with a difficult choice between their union dues and their bills.

    In April, the National Education Association released a report that placed Florida last in the nation for average teacher salary at $53,098. The living wage is $58,970 according to the report.

    The Leon County School District and the union are currently negotiating a salary package. Teachers demand raises totaling $6 million, compared to the district offering a $4 million pot for raises.

    “It doesn’t worry me,” Mazur said of the risky election. “I know the value that we have, and I know that a number of people find that dues are something that they struggle with, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t believe in the value of the contract and the work we do.

    LCTA contributions amount to $778.85, which are collected each year from teachers.

    LCS Human Resources Director Brett Shively said missing the 50 percent goal has never been a problem for the union, but now it’s one the district will have to deal with as well. As the union’s listed employer, LCS is required by PERC to facilitate the union’s recertification election.

    Shively said the district will spend thousands of dollars between now and the end of the election on attorney and mailing fees. “This is a statewide problem. Literally every district is dealing with this and it’s taking a lot of time,” Shively told the Tallahassee Democratic Journal.

    The elections have not yet been scheduled but a PERC representative estimates that they will take place in January.

    Alaijah Brown covers children and families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3.

    Umito
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