The Florida Senate

In response to the Governor signing the union-busting legislation SB 256, members of the Senate Democratic Caucus shared several statements:

Democratic Leader Lauren Book (D-Davie) said, “Republicans in the so-called free state of Florida have proven time and time again that they don’t trust our teachers. This time, they’re trying to get rid of teachers’ advocates – their local unions. The Legislature put hurdles in the way of many public unions, taking away voluntary automatic deductions and making it harder for them to exist by adding more red tape. We can trust teachers to make their own personal choices in how they spend their hard-earned money, and attempting to silence the groups that advocate for better pay and better working conditions is unconstitutional and undemocratic.”

Senator Victor Torres (D- Orlando) said, “Republicans and Governor DeSantis continue their attacks on our union employees who are hard-working laborers and public servants.  These attempts at union-busting and decertifying public teachers unions across Florida will make the teacher shortage worse and further jeopardize the ability of Florida’s children to receive a quality education that they desperately deserve.”

Senator Lori Berman (D- Boynton Beach) said, “Unions raise wages for our workers. They help secure employee-sponsored healthcare and retirement benefits enjoyed by so many in the middle class. By nearly every measure, unions spur economic growth. But this law seeks to put a stop to those gains and will lead to mass decertification of Florida’s unions. DeSantis may garner campaign donations and favor from big corporations and wealthy elites by signing SB 256, but he’ll never regain the trust of working Floridians.”

Senator Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens) said, “The people who are the bedrock of this State, our union men and women, were the latest of the attacks from Governor DeSantis and the Republicans this legislative session. The same men and women who were front and center during COVID are now collateral damage, all because they don’t support the Governor and the Republicans with their fascist policies. Florida is not free! Not free to love who you want, not free to bodily autonomy if you are a woman, and not free to join your union if you desire to. Freedom be damned!”

Senator Rosalind Osgood (D- Tamarac) said “Any attempt to dismantle our unions is wrong. Our unions are the backbone of the workforce. I love and support our hardworking union members.”

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