One month in, and one month to go!

HB 999 & SB 266 – The evil twins

The legislative session has passed the halfway mark and legislators are back with HB 999 in the House and it’s companion bill in the Senate, SB 266. These bills are existential threats to higher education in Florida as we know it and would curb academic freedom, compell speech, gut tenure provisions, and place faculty hiring decisions into the hands of the Boards and administrators, just to name a few of awful items.

Included below is some information and resources recently sent out from UFF that allow you to make your voice heard. Take action against these awful bills!

• HB 999 is still stalled in the House due to our ongoing advocacy, but we are hearing reports that it may be in committee again as early as next week. Please take a few moments to use the link below to contact legislators and urge them to vote NO against this horrific attack on academic freedom, tenure, and the constitutional rights of students, faculty, and staff in Florida’s colleges and universities: Click here to oppose HB 999
  
• SB 266—the Senate companion to HB 999—is being heard in committee next week on Wednesday, 4/12 at 11:30 AM! Read how this bill will harm higher education and the Click here to oppose SB 266!

edues News

We’ve been providing periodic updates on the coming eDues transition. UFF is hard at work prepping for this monumental change. As you may recall, the Florida Legislature intends to outlaw public employer payroll deductions for union members by July 1, meaning you will no longer be able to pay your union dues through your paycheck. The bills also require 60% union membership or face decertification.

FUSA will be providing more information in addition to another Town Hall meeting (announcement forthcoming) to prep membership for this change. We will not let those pushing this bill in Tallahassee deter us from having a strong collective bargaining agreement and a powerful voice for higher education in Florida. We will control our own fate and do what we need to do to save our union, no matter what politicians throw at us!

In the meantime, visit our eDues page for more information, flyers, FAQs and a short video describing the eDues system.