News

Over the past few weeks, the hardworking public service unit of Duval County Public School employees represented by AFSCME voted by mail for the recertification of their union.

AFSCME Florida Statement on Recertification Win in Town of Surfside

AFSCME Local 1584 members approved an agreement which increases salaries and provides a retention bonus.

Local 10 Tampa Bay News quoted Local President Deena Howell. "I think overall we have a great contract and everyone from the administration to the employees demonstrated a lot of passion and commitment in coming to this agreement," she said.

Howell has been a school bus driver with the district for 17 years and said many like her had started to feel over-worked and undervalued.

January 31, 2022 Highlights 

BILLS OF INTEREST 

SB 270/HB 1327: Funds for Student Transportation, sponsor Travis Hutson (R) 

Funds for Student Transportation; Modifying requirements for determining student membership in a school district in order to determine the annual allocation for funding for student transportation, etc. Creates more routes without funding mechanism. Effective Date: 07/01/2022.  

January 24, 2022 

Compiled by Region 2 PEOPLE Chair Dr. Flamm

BILLS OF INTEREST

SB 270/HB 1327: Funds for Student Transportation, sponsor Travis Hutson (R)

Funds for Student Transportation; Modifying requirements for determining student membership in a school district in order to determine the annual allocation for funding for student transportation, etc. Creates more routes without funding mechanism. Effective Date: 07/01/2022. 

On January 6, the Treasury Department issued Final Rules on the use of the American Rescue Plan's $350 billion in flexible aid to states and local governments. The final rules offer some significant new opportunities to advocate for public employees including:

The PSLF Program is a federal loan debt relief program. Unlike Income Driven Repayment (IDR) plans, PSLF is not a payment plan. Rather, it is a separate program that incentivizes a career in the public service by forgiving the remaining balance on a federal loan after 10 years (or 120 payments) under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time in the public service.

AFSCME mourns the loss of Mildred Wurf, a beloved member of our union family, a pioneering District Council 37 educator and the widow of former AFSCME president, Jerry Wurf. Mildred Wurf died on Dec. 29 at the age of 95.

The ringing in of a new year brings with it the start of a critical campaign cycle. While the candidates and pundits have been hard at work for months, most Floridians are just now tuning in. And the candidates themselves are increasing their efforts to connect with voters and learn about the issues on their minds.

James Call, Tallahasee Democrat, 12/29/21

AFSCME, an AFL-CIO affiliate that represents public sector workers, will lobby lawmakers to ensure that the $225 million Gov. Ron DeSantis earmarked for a state pay raise in his budget recommendations go towards the lowest paid state workers — not supervisors and higher management.