Despite months of feverish recruiting and manipulation of its numbers, United Teachers of Dade (UTD) came up short in its attempt to bring its membership up to the threshold necessary to avoid a recertification election required under terms of a new law passed by Florida’s legislature this past summer. 

On Dec. 19, UTD President Karla Hernandez-Mats confirmed the union hadn’t been able to persuade 60 percent of the 30,000 teachers it officially represents to become dues-paying members.  

A few days earlier, she claimed the union had increased its numbers to just more than 58 percent, including 800 new members. What she didn’t explain was that the union had to kick out all the substitute teachers from the bargaining district in order to increase their membership percentage, and still fell short.  

Hernandez-Mats declined to disclose the final tally. 

The 60 percent requirement was imposed under Senate Bill 256, the most aggressive state labor reform bill since Wisconsin’s Act 10 under then-Gov. Scott Walker. SB 256 also prohibits public agencies like school districts from deducting dues directly from employees’ paychecks on behalf of the union representing their bargaining unit. 

Critics say the legislation was simply a way to silence unions, but advocates insist that if a union hasn’t won the loyalty of at least 60 percent of those it purports to speak for, allowing its members to weigh in on its usefulness isn’t an unreasonable demand. 

The Freedom Foundation worked closely with the Florida legislature to enact the new law, and soon after, a group of Miami teachers approached the organization for help in establishing an independent, apolitical, local-only alternative that keeps their dues in their district. 

The Miami-Dade Education Coalition (MDEC) was born, and UTD leaders realized they finally faced serious competition. However, rather than simply revert back to offering member services people were willing to pay for, they went on the attack against the Freedom Foundation and the Miami teachers who dared challenge the union’s political machine. 

As the November membership reporting deadline neared and UTD found they weren’t convincing enough teachers to renew their membership, they began offering $100 gift cards to teachers who recruited more members. 

In the final days before the report filing, the AFT flew in dozens of staffers to boost Miami-Dade signups, without success.  

It’s no surprise UTD couldn’t make the 60 percent threshold, because its leadership lost focus of their mission — representing rank-and file-teachers. The union sends 46 percent of its budget to political outfits like the AFL-CIO, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers. 

Unions in Florida and Washington, DC, fought SB 256 specifically because leadership knows if public employees were released from automatic union payroll deductions and had the opportunity to decide between handing over their credit card information or keeping that money in their bank account, they would likely choose groceries and gas over the Teamsters and teachers' unions.  

According to the Miami Herald, UTD submitted its application to renew its union certification to the state’s Public Employees Relations Committee (PERC) on Monday, Dec. 18. 

If PERC determines the union is eligible to qualify for a certification election — after it has proved at least 30 percent of its members actually want representation — the union will hold a vote seeking recertification and must top at least 50 percent support to earn it. 

“Come next year,” the Herald continued, “it will still have to prove it has met the 60 percent threshold to remain certified — potentially fueling a never-ending cycle.” 

It’s one thing to claim you have the support of someone whose dues have been deducted automatically for years. It’s something else again to ask them to actively vote to keep you around when they have a chance to get rid of you. UTD may soon find out just how unpopular it actually is.  

Rusty Brown is the Southern Director at the Freedom Foundation. www.FreedomFoundation.com