News

Today the hardworking men and women represented by AFSCME at New College of Florida voted 100% unanimously in favor of recertifying their union with a nearly 75% turnout.

Over the past few weeks, the hardworking blue-collar employees of the University of Central Florida represented by AFSCME Local 3345 voted by mail for the recertification of their union.

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.

Our right to vote means we have a voice in our communities, in our society and on issues that impact our work. As AFSCME Florida members, we will always work to raise awareness of the important issues impacting working families in every election — from local commissioner to governor and president. 

The American Rescue Plan, which AFSCME members helped make a reality and which President Joe Biden signed into law a year ago, provided $350 billion in funding to states, cities and towns.

James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat provides an analysis of the 2022 Legislative Session finding that Florida workers, Democrats feel left behind in legislative session's 'Year of the Parent' and that the 2022 Session culture wars left "little time for sick, students and workforce housing."

Call quoted AFSCME Local 1363 Jackson member Tarsha Laster and writes:

On Monday March 14, the Florida Legislative Session signaled "Sine Die" and drew to a close.

Issac Morgan of the Florida Phoenix writes that the Florida House and Senate finalized its state budget for 2022-23, including 5.38 percent pay increases for state workers and a minimum wage of $15 an hour for state employees and school support staffers in school districts across the state.

But what about pay increases for state employees at Florida’s public universities and community colleges?

Morgan writes that union members point to pay inequities among workers at some universities, such as Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

Where We Are: A delay in reaching a state budget deal has extended the Legislative session until Monday. So, it is critically important that our activism continues so we can keep holding back legislation which would destroy workers ability to bargain effectively on issues such as wages and health insurance. 

Gary Rorher of Florida Politics writes that,  "Florida state employees will see pay raises worth more than $638 million starting July 1, the start of the next fiscal year."

Florida state workers will get a pay raise later this year, as House and Senate budget negotiators agreed to hike pay 5.4% across the board, install a minimum wage of $15 per hour for state employees, and increase pay on top of those raises for select groups of workers.

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