JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local teachers union has a warning this Labor Day weekend: It’s at risk of losing its certification.
This is the first year Duval Teachers United has had to hit 60% membership or else face a recertification vote - and it’s currently about 900 members short two days ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
That 900 figure is a combination of teachers, paraprofessionals and school office staff.
Each category of workers needs to separately hit 60 percent membership to avoid a recertification vote.
Because of a new state law passed this year, the stakes of a recertification vote are higher than ever before. That’s because 50 percent of current members would have to cast a ballot in order for the election to count.
DTU President Tammie Brooks-Evans explained if the vote fails, teachers and staff would lose their current contract with the district, putting at risk many of the benefits the union has fought to earn.
“Like having bereavement leave goes away. Being paid for doing some of the extra jobs you do as part of working as a school safety patrol sponsor or band director. There are supplemental things within that contract that they would no longer have to honor,” said Brooks-Evans.
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Brooks-Evans argued the crisis facing the union is no accident, as state lawmakers have steadily raised the goal post on teachers’ unions year after year.
“I think they just find themselves very unhappy because teachers keep meeting that goal. So, then they just move the goal line to try to make it more difficult for them to maintain their collective bargaining agent,” said Brooks-Evans.
”Keep in mind that when we started bargaining this year they were offering $14 million and we got $27 million for (employees) pay raises.”
But State Representative Dean Black (R-Jacksonville), who sponsored some of those new union restrictions in recent years, argued DTU should take a look in the mirror before blaming the legislature for its membership woes.
He pointed to the fact the union’s former President and Vice President were just convicted in February after it was revealed they’d stolen $2.6 million from the union.
“Stole millions of teachers’ dollars. Stole their money. I think that probably has a lot to do with it,” said Black.
The union is asking teachers and school staff to head to their website to sign up to become a member.
You can sign up here.
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