JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval Teachers United needs 498 more members by the end of business Tuesday to meet a 60% membership threshold required under Florida Senate Bill 1296, which took effect in July.
“The law, of course, has caused great pain for our membership,” said John Louis Meeks Jr., Teacher First Vice President for DTU. “But as Mother Jones, the union activist, said, I don’t believe we have time to mourn or grieve, but we really have to go into overtime and organize.”
From 900 to 498: The push to the finish line
In August, the union needed roughly 900 new members to hit the threshold. By Monday, that number had dropped to 498 — a sign of momentum, union leaders say. As of Monday afternoon, 150 people had started the membership application process.
To encourage sign-ups, DTU is offering a deal where new members make two payments and then receive two months free.
Meeks said the uncertainty hasn’t shaken his resolve.
“Even when I’m feeling fear, I have to remind myself that fear stands for face everything and rise,” he said. “Come what may, tomorrow morning when the sun rises again, I’m going to face that and rise as well, and so will Duval Teachers United.”
Meeks added the union offers more than just pay negotiations.
“We want to give them a chance to see what benefits we have through professional development, through support Saturdays for new teachers, through being able to say that we’re not just negotiating pay, but also calendar issues,” he said.
What collective bargaining has meant for Duval teachers
DTU President Tammie Brooks-Evans says the union’s track record at the bargaining table speaks for itself. She pointed to wins like duty-free lunch, planning time, and bereavement leave as examples of what collective bargaining has delivered for members.
On salaries, the difference has been significant, she said.
“The district was offering about $14 million for salaries for educators. And by the time we finished, it was $27 million,” Brooks-Evans said. “If we were not at the table without a seat… they could have just stopped with the $14 million they’d bargain from the beginning to give towards salaries.”
Brooks-Evans also made the case for why unions matter broadly.
“The reason you have a holiday today is because of unions. The reason why you work five-day weeks and not seven-day weeks is because of unions. The reason why we don’t have child labor in the United States is because of unions,” she said. “When people say stuff like that, it’s just one of those things where you don’t know the history of where you’re living.”
Deadline is end of business Tuesday
Members must complete both parts of the application process — including connecting their banking information — by end of business Tuesday to count toward the 60% threshold.
“We just need people to finish what they started and need people to just listen to how important it is to have their seat at the table,” Brooks-Evans said. “Don’t risk us having to go to an election if we aren’t able to get to 60 percent membership.”
If DTU falls short of the threshold, the union could be forced into an election to keep its certification.
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