As Republican lawmakers this spring passed a controversial law to place additional restrictions on public-employee unions, they included an exemption for unions that represent law-enforcement officers, correctional officers and firefighters.
But the Florida Police Benevolent Association is challenging an agency’s proposal for carrying out the law, saying it leaves unanswered questions, including whether the new restrictions could apply to PBA members, such as dispatchers and 911 operators, who are not law-enforcement or correctional officers.
The PBA, which has about 30,000 members in Florida, filed the challenge Monday at the state Division of Administrative Hearings. It is targeting a proposed rule and a related “membership authorization” form published by the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission, which is responsible for moving forward with the law.
Under the law, workers wanting to be part of unions will have to fill out the membership form, which requires various types of information and includes a message about Florida being a “right-to-work” state.
But the PBA challenge said the proposed rule is vague and threatens to improperly go beyond the law’s requirements. At least in part, the argument stems from concerns that some PBA members might not be exempt from the restrictions.
“Without clarification as to specifically posed questions relating to the scope and implementation of the rule, neither a public employee nor an employee organization such as PBA can...
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