Gov. Ron DeSantis got to put the finishing touches on one of his 2026 legislative priorities Friday, signing a union-restricting bill that had been subject to intense debate in Florida鈥檚 Capitol.
DeSantis signed at Fort Myers High School on May Day, a worldwide holiday observing the labor movement.
Although the focus of the news conference was on education and teacher unions, the state teachers鈥� union, Florida Education Association; and AFL-CIO, said the law will touch an array of sectors.
FEA President Andrew Spar said DeSantis and 鈥渁nti-union, anti-worker legislators鈥� are 鈥渃hipping away at the constitutionally enshrined rights of thousands of workers in the state.鈥�
He listed 鈥渘urses, sanitation workers, utility workers, line technicians, certified nursing assistants, doctors and medical residents, city bus drivers, teachers, education staff professionals, higher education faculty and graduate assistants, city and municipal workers, communications workers, and countless other public sector workers who help make Florida safe and prosperous.鈥�
The law, effective July 1, requires that, to win certification, public-sector labor unions need at least 50% of all of the employees in the bargaining unit to vote and that the vote itself wins 50%-plus-one support. Currently, those unions only need a majority of those who voted.
DeSantis commented that he believes education unions get involved in 鈥渁 whole host of things鈥� in advocating for causes 鈥� contrary to police unions, which have been spared in recent union-busting legislation. Police, firefighter, and correction officer unions tend to support Republican political causes.
Education unions 鈥渢ake the money out of everybody鈥檚 check for dues and it鈥檚 supposed to be, 鈥極h we鈥檙e going to improve your working conditions or benefits.鈥� But what they use it for is basically partisan political activism. Massive amounts of money going into the political system, basically, through commandeering of peoples鈥� paychecks, part of their paychecks,鈥� DeSantis said.
During the legislative process, unions and some Republicans advocated against the legislation.
鈥淭alking about SB 1296, I鈥檓 still flabbergasted by how hard the teacher unions pushed back against this legislation,鈥� Republican Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka of Fort Myers said during the news conference. She sponsored a similar House bill.
鈥淲hat it does is very simple 鈥� it gives teachers the tool to hold accountable those unions that aren鈥檛 doing their job. If you鈥檙e doing your job, this bill doesn鈥檛 impact you. This bill won鈥檛 end unions. The unions will end themselves when they lose their way and focus more on politics than on representing the employees at the bargaining table,鈥� Persons-Mulicka said.
During the legislative session, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon advocated for the new law.
I commend and the Florida leaders working to ensure unions truly have the support of the educators they represent.This commonsense reform, SB 1296, reins in fringe political activism from teacher unions and refocuses them on accountability to teachers.鈥� Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon)
鈥淪he did not have to do it, but she proved the backbone she has by weighing in on something that is so important to the education system nationally,鈥� Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said of McMahon.
鈥淭he governor actually reminds us that May Day exists because workers across the nation fought for safer workplaces, fair hours, and stronger protections,鈥� Spar said.
鈥淔loridians have made it clear that they expect an economic future that benefits us all, and that begins with a public education system that is strengthened by state leaders, not abandoned, weakened, or destroyed. The future we want for ourselves, for our children, and for our communities is possible if we come together and fight for a stronger Florida,鈥� Spar said.
Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association. (Photo via FEA) The Florida AFL-CIO, which represents more than 500 local labor unions, denied that unions are strictly partisan.
鈥淭he facts remain clear: Over 30% of Florida鈥檚 union members are registered Republicans, with close to another third being independent or nonparty-affiliated,鈥� the organization said in a written response to the signing of the bill.
鈥淔lorida鈥檚 labor movement is non-partisan, and its unions push for better lives for their members independent of partisan or ideological preference, because working class issues cross all party lines,鈥� they continued.
Florida AFL-CIO President Kimberly Holdridge said DeSantis 鈥済ave another win to billionaire-funded out-of-state think tanks at the expense of Florida鈥檚 working people.
鈥淢ake no mistake, however: This is a temporary win. While wealthy special interests might believe they have the power in the halls of the Florida Capitol, Florida鈥檚 public sector workers have the power and support in our communities statewide to show them otherwise. We will organize and come back stronger than ever,鈥� Holdridge continued.
In 2023, the Legislature passed and DeSantis signed That measure requires teacher and other public sector unions (but not those representing police or firefighters) to stop automatically deducting dues from members鈥� paychecks, and that union membership has to constitute 60% of a bargaining unit, an increase from the old threshold of 50%.
The measure DeSantis signed Friday passed the Senate 20-14 and the House 73-37.
Another one
DeSantis also signed at the news conference, which in part looks to address a concern in Lee County.
The legislation expands the criteria for a district to declare an education emergency, allowing for 鈥渟alary incentives鈥� 鈥渘ot subject to collective bargaining requirements.鈥�
Emergencies also allow for school boards 鈥渢o assign high-quality teachers more equitably across schools in the district to low-performing schools as a management right.鈥�
Existing law reserves emergencies for schools with a D or F grade, but now, with DeSantis鈥� signature, being a persistently low-performing school is cause for that status, too.
Last year, lawmakers expanded the definition of schools beyond just receiving a grade lower than a C for three consecutive years. Now, worse than a C for three of the last five years (without also scoring a B) or dropping in the bottom 10% of schools in math and reading for two of the past three years, will land a school on that list.
During floor debate, Persons-Mulicka pointed to Lee County, which experienced a teacher shortage and declared an and gave teachers bonuses. The union there was with the processes the district used.
Among other tweaks, the new law qualifies dance to satisfy the physical education graduation requirement or a performing arts credit.
The legislation directs the State Board of Education to create 鈥渁 statewide uniform weighted grading system for honors courses and articulated acceleration mechanisms.鈥�
The measure removes mention of the American Bar Association in statute governing law schools at Florida International University and Florida A&M University, instead allowing for 鈥渁 nationally recognized association.鈥�
That follows a ruling from the Florida Supreme Court in January determining the state need not rely solely on the ABA for accreditation.
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