Florida receives top marks for protecting employees against union abuse including right to resign

(The Center Square) — Workers in the Sunshine State have more protection from union abuse than most states in the U.S., according to a new report by the Commonwealth Foundation.

The report, titled The Battle for Worker Freedom: Grading State Public Sector Labor Laws, notes Florida has set the gold standard for pro-worker, pro-taxpayer public sector labor reform.

According to the report's key findings, the four largest unions in the U.S. are set to lose $106.8 million annually in dues and fees after hundreds of thousands of union members drop their membership.

The American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, National Education Association, and Service Employees International Union have lost 320,421 members since 2018 - 100,000 of those have dropped their memberships since 2022.

The report states because of this, unions have been "engaging in aggressive campaigns" to push for legislation changes in their respective states. Florida, however, has bucked this trend and went from a "C" grade to an "A" grade.

David Osborne, co-author of the report and Senior Labor Policy Fellow at the Commonwealth Foundation, said in a news release that he applauds states that advocate for worker rights and encourages others to do the same.

"We applaud those states that have stepped up to defend the rights of their workers from public sector union abuses, and we urge every other state to do the same," Osborne said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis enacted Chapter 2023-35, which promotes union accountability by requiring them to inform workers of their rights as well as running for reelection. It also saves taxpayer funds, as unions will no longer be able to collect dues and fees through the taxpayer-funded public payroll system.

Unions in Florida are also required to stand for reelection when membership drops below 60%. Union executives are prohibited from supporting a union financially, and Floridians can leave their union membership at any time—this gives the power back to the workers rather than the union executives.

The report notes Florida's approach to unions was the most aggressive in the nation, namely the complete prohibition of dues and fees collection through public payrolls. The only exception is public safety unions which represent law enforcement, firefighters, and corrections officers.

Iowa, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Wisconsin also all got an "A" grade, while California, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington all got an "F" grade.