1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

Please vote no against SB 1296 and HB 995. The Florida SUS is #1 system in the nation and collective bargaining supports and builds that system. Without our union, faculty turnover will increase, which ultimately affects our students and our communities. We train nurses, fire fighters, EMTs, teachers, linemen and so many of the working people of Florida (especially at the colleges). This instability will impact negatively on graduation rates. The Senate’s own analysis describes the bill as unconstitutional be cause it violates workers’ right to free speech and assembly. The analysis also mentioned that this bill creates different classes of workers with different rights and privileges. Since this legislation has already been determined to be unconstitutional, it will be caught up in endless and expensive litigation at taxpayer expense. The choice not to vote in any election is an American right. They are removing the right to abstain.