According to the “Chief People Officer” of Broward County Public Schools, the Broward Teachers Union (BTU) is facing decertification after it failed to meet a key threshold in a new Florida law. In May 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 256 which “prohibited teachers’ unions from using government resources to have dues deducted directly from employee paychecks.” The law also required a union to be comprised of least 60% of dues paying employees.

David Azzarito, the Broward Schools Chief People Officer, (Human Resources and Equity) says the Broward Teachers Union did not meet the sixty percent threshold.

In an email to numerous District officials obtained by REDBROWARD, Azzarito said “All 3 BTU units fell below the 60% paying membership threshold to automatically recertify.” In order to petition the Florida Public Employees Realtions Commission (PERC) to an hold election to recertify the union, thirty percent of the membership must sign “interest cards.”

In the August 23, 2024 email, Azzarito claims the BTU met the thirty percent threshold.

As part of the process, once BTU meets the thirty percent threshold, it has thirty days to petition PERC for an election.

According to the PERC website, there is no election set to recertify the Broward Teachers Union. There is no listing for any upcoming hearing involving the BTU.

The PERC website shows no certification for the Broward Teachers Union.

WHEN DID BTU FILE?

Even though they were asking for information months ago, District insiders claim they were unaware of BTU’s certification status until last week. In an April 23, 2024 email, David Azzarito said he was “unaware” of the numbers at BTU.

Officials tell REDBROWARD that the District should receive any certification documents filed by BTU with PERC.

So when did BTU file its certification documents with PERC?

According to a database of State records complied by WLRN news, the Broward Teachers Union filed its paperwork on April 16, 2024.

The BTU reported there were 13,724 eligible employees in the District. The BTU reported 7,178 dues-paying members.

This is 52.30%.

According to a BTU document obtained by REDBROWARD, the number of dues-paying membership in some units is significantly lower. In the document BTU tells members of the BTU-TSP (Technical Support Professionals) unit, “Unfortunately, only 20% of all TSPs belong to BTU, placing you in danger of losing your union rights and protections.”

Is it “BYE BYE BYE” for the Broward Teachers Union?

Is Susan Cooper, the District’s chief labor relations officer and close friend of BTU President Anna Fusco, involved in the certification process?

If there is an election, will BTU get the required fifty percent plus 1 of votes to certify?

Why wasn’t the decertification of the powerful Broward Teachers Union a huge story?

More to come…