Teachers unions have quickly filed a constitutional challenge to a new Florida law that places additional restrictions on public-employee unions, describing the measure as political retaliation by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Florida Education Association, the United Faculty of Florida, the Alachua County teachers union and the University of Florida faculty union filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Tallahassee, alleging that the law violates First Amendment, equal-protection and contract rights.
DeSantis signed the law (SB 256) during an event Tuesday in Miami. The Republican governor and teachers unions have repeatedly clashed about education policies, and the unions were key supporters last year of DeSantis’ election opponent, Democrat Charlie Crist.
The lawsuit pointed to unions that represent law-enforcement officers, correctional officers and firefighters — which have backed DeSantis and other Republicans — being exempted from the restrictions.
“In a bid to punish the ‘school unions’ and other public employee unions who have opposed him, Gov. DeSantis pushed for ‘unprecedented’ changes to Florida’s collective bargaining law to harm disfavored unions while exempting those unions representing law enforcement, corrections, and firefighter employees who have supported him,” the lawsuit said.
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