JEFFERSON COUNTY, FL — Jefferson County educators voted to reclaim their collective bargaining rights and reestablish their teachers union. That's according to an announcement by the Florida Education Association Thursday.
The FEA says the union, named the Jefferson County Education Association, will advocate for better recruitment, training, retention, salaries, and benefits for teachers. They say the JCEA will also push for improved resources for students and address discipline issues.
The FEA's announcement says Jennifer Redfern will be the union's president. They say she responded to the vote, saying in part:
“Educators in Jefferson County have always fought for fair pay and funding programs that help every student in our county. We are proud to take another step in making sure our voices are once again heard.”
Jefferson County lost their union in 2017 after the school board voted to make the county a charter-run district. The board argued establishing three separate charter schools was the best way to keep the struggling district from shutting down completely.
The state released the district from financial oversight in 2022. The district's 5-year contract with charter operator Somerset Academy also ended that year.
According to FDOE documents, student achievement made modest improvements under Somerset control as the public schools in the county went from consecutive “D” grades in 2016 and 2017 to back-to-back “C” grades in 2018 and 2019.
The FEA argues the charter experiment was ultimately a failure, saying "supporting education requires a commitment to our communities that goes deeper than throwing money at the wall and viewing children as profits and bottom lines."
This vote also comes after the Florida legislature passed new restrictions for public sector unions during this year's session. The bill raises the threshold for union re-certification to 50% and half of all employees within a bargaining unit must vote in favor of the union, rather than just a majority of those who voted.
"Senate Bill 1296 ensures that unions demonstrate meaningful support from their educators that they represent before being granted exclusive bargaining authority to negotiate pay, to negotiate benefits, and to negotiate leave," Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said.
The bill will go into effect on July 1 if Gov. Ron DeSantis signs it.
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