CS/HB 1021

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to labor and employment; amending s.
3110.114, F.S.; prohibiting a state agency from deducting
4from employee wages the dues, uniform assessments, fines,
5penalties, or special assessments of an employee
6organization or contributions made for purposes of
7political activity; amending s. 112.171, F.S.; prohibiting
8a county, municipality, or other local governmental entity
9from deducting from employee wages the dues, uniform
10assessments, fines, penalties, or special assessments of
11an employee organization or contributions made for
12purposes of political activity; creating s. 447.18, F.S.;
13prohibiting labor organizations from using dues, uniform
14assessments, fines, penalties, or special assessments to
15make political contributions or expenditures without an
16employee's written authorization; providing for a refund
17to employees who have not given a written authorization in
18certain situations; requiring that the labor organization
19provide notice of such contributions and expenditures;
20prohibiting a labor organization from requiring an
21employee to authorize the collection of funds for
22political contributions and expenditures as a condition of
23membership in the organization; amending s. 447.303, F.S.;
24prohibiting a public employer from deducting or collecting
25from employee wages the dues, uniform assessments, fines,
26penalties, or special assessments of an employee
27organization; amending s. 447.507, F.S., relating to
28violation of the strike prohibition; conforming provisions
29to changes made by the act; providing for severability;
30providing application; providing an effective date.
31
32Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
33
34     Section 1.  Subsections (1) and (3) of section 110.114,
35Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
36     110.114  Employee wage deductions.-
37     (1)  The state or any of its departments, bureaus,
38commissions, and officers are authorized and permitted, with the
39concurrence of the Department of Financial Services, to make
40deductions from the salary or wage of any employee or employees
41in such amount as shall be authorized and requested by such
42employee or employees and for such purpose as shall be
43authorized and requested by such employee or employees and shall
44pay such sums so deducted as directed by such employee or
45employees. The concurrence of the Department of Financial
46Services shall not be required for the deduction of a certified
47bargaining agent's membership dues deductions pursuant to s.
48447.303 or any deductions authorized by a collective bargaining
49agreement.
50     (3)  Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (1) and
51(2), deductions may not be made for the deduction of an
52employee's membership dues, uniform assessments, fines,
53penalties, or special assessments of deductions as defined in s.
54447.203(15) for an employee organization, and deductions may not
55be made for purposes of political activity, including
56contributions to a candidate, political party, political
57committee, committee of continuous existence, electioneering
58communications organization, or organization exempt from
59taxation under s. 501(c)(4) or s. 527 of the Internal Revenue
60Code as defined in s. 447.203(11) shall be authorized or
61permitted only for an organization that has been certified as
62the exclusive bargaining agent pursuant to chapter 447 for a
63unit of state employees in which the employee is included. Such
64deductions shall be subject to the provisions of s. 447.303.
65     Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 112.171, Florida
66Statutes, is amended to read:
67     112.171  Employee wage deductions.-
68     (1)  The counties, municipalities, and special districts of
69the state and the departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions,
70and officers thereof are authorized and permitted in their sole
71discretion to make deductions from the salary or wage of any
72employee or employees in such amount as shall be authorized and
73requested by such employee or employees and for such purpose as
74shall be authorized and requested by such employee or employees
75and shall pay such sums so deducted as directed by such employee
76or employees. However, deductions may not be made for the dues,
77uniform assessments, fines, penalties, or special assessments of
78an employee organization, and deductions may not be made for
79purposes of political activity, including contributions to a
80candidate, political party, political committee, committee of
81continuous existence, electioneering communications
82organization, or organization exempt from taxation under s.
83501(c)(4) or s. 527 of the Internal Revenue Code.
84     Section 3.  Section 447.18, Florida Statutes, is created to
85read:
86     447.18  Written authorization required to expend certain
87employee dues, assessments, fines, or penalties.-
88     (1)  A labor organization may not use dues, uniform
89assessments, fines, penalties, or special assessments paid by an
90employee to make contributions or expenditures, as defined in s.
91106.011, without the express written authorization of the
92employee. The written authorization must be executed by the
93employee separately for each fiscal year of the labor
94organization and shall be accompanied by a detailed account,
95provided by the labor organization, of all contributions and
96expenditures made by the labor organization in the preceding 24
97months. The labor organization shall estimate its expected
98contributions and expenditures for the fiscal year and shall
99reduce the amount collected during the fiscal year from each
100employee who has not executed a written authorization. If the
101actual contributions and expenditures of the labor organization
102exceed its estimated contributions and expenditures, the labor
103organization shall provide a refund at the end of the fiscal
104year to each employee who has not executed a written
105authorization.
106     (2)  The employee may revoke the authorization described in
107subsection (1) at any time. If an employee revokes the
108authorization, the employee is entitled to a pro rata reduction
109of such dues, uniform assessments, fines, penalties, or special
110assessments for the remainder of the fiscal year of the labor
111organization. The amount of the reduction shall be based on the
112proportion of the contributions and expenditures, as defined in
113s. 106.011, in relation to the total annual contributions and
114expenditures of the labor organization for the preceding fiscal
115year.
116     (3)  A labor organization may not require an employee to
117provide the authorization described in subsection (1) as a
118condition of membership in the labor organization.
119     Section 4.  Section 447.303, Florida Statutes, is amended
120to read:
121     447.303  Dues; Deduction and collection of dues or uniform
122assessments prohibited.-A public employer may not deduct or
123collect the dues, uniform assessments, fines, penalties, or
124special assessments of an employee organization from the
125compensation of any person employed by the public employer. Any
126employee organization which has been certified as a bargaining
127agent shall have the right to have its dues and uniform
128assessments deducted and collected by the employer from the
129salaries of those employees who authorize the deduction of said
130dues and uniform assessments. However, such authorization is
131revocable at the employee's request upon 30 days' written notice
132to the employer and employee organization. Said deductions shall
133commence upon the bargaining agent's written request to the
134employer. Reasonable costs to the employer of said deductions
135shall be a proper subject of collective bargaining. Such right
136to deduction, unless revoked pursuant to s. 447.507, shall be in
137force for so long as the employee organization remains the
138certified bargaining agent for the employees in the unit. The
139public employer is expressly prohibited from any involvement in
140the collection of fines, penalties, or special assessments.
141     Section 5.  Subsection (4) and paragraph (a) of subsection
142(6) of section 447.507, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
143     447.507  Violation of strike prohibition; penalties.-
144     (4)  An employee organization shall be liable for any
145damages which might be suffered by a public employer as a result
146of a violation of the provisions of s. 447.505 by the employee
147organization or its representatives, officers, or agents. The
148circuit court having jurisdiction over such actions is empowered
149to enforce judgments against employee organizations, as defined
150in this part, by attachment or garnishment of union initiation
151fees or dues which are to be deducted or checked off by public
152employers. No action shall be maintained pursuant to this
153subsection until all proceedings which were pending before the
154commission at the time of the strike or which were initiated
155within 30 days of the strike have been finally adjudicated or
156otherwise disposed of. In determining the amount of damages, if
157any, to be awarded to the public employer, the trier of fact
158shall take into consideration any action or inaction by the
159public employer or its agents that provoked or tended to provoke
160the strike by the public employees. The trier of fact shall also
161take into consideration any damages that might have been
162recovered by the public employer under subparagraph (6)(a)4.
163     (6)(a)  If the commission determines that an employee
164organization has violated s. 447.505, it may:
165     1.  Issue cease and desist orders as necessary to ensure
166compliance with its order.
167     2.  Suspend or revoke the certification of the employee
168organization as the bargaining agent of such employee unit.
169     3.  Revoke the right of dues deduction and collection
170previously granted to said employee organization pursuant to s.
171447.303.
172     3.4.  Fine the organization up to $20,000 for each calendar
173day of such violation or determine the approximate cost to the
174public due to each calendar day of the strike and fine the
175organization an amount equal to such cost, notwithstanding the
176fact that the fine may exceed $20,000 for each such calendar
177day. The fines so collected shall immediately accrue to the
178public employer and shall be used by him or her to replace those
179services denied the public as a result of the strike. In
180determining the amount of damages, if any, to be awarded to the
181public employer, the commission shall take into consideration
182any action or inaction by the public employer or its agents that
183provoked, or tended to provoke, the strike by the public
184employees.
185     Section 6.  If any provision of this act or its application
186to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity
187does not affect other provisions or applications of this act
188which can be given effect without the invalid provision or
189application, and to this end the provisions of this act are
190severable.
191     Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011, and
192shall apply to all collective bargaining agreements entered into
193on or after that date.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.