AFSCME Local 3032 v. Delaney

458 So. 2d 372, 9 Fla. L. Weekly 2239, 1984 Fla. App. LEXIS 15610
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedOctober 26, 1984
DocketNo. AV-398
StatusPublished

This text of 458 So. 2d 372 (AFSCME Local 3032 v. Delaney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
AFSCME Local 3032 v. Delaney, 458 So. 2d 372, 9 Fla. L. Weekly 2239, 1984 Fla. App. LEXIS 15610 (Fla. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

This is an appeal from an order of the Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC), which found that a union time pool, contained in a collective bargaining agreement, and applicable to all bargaining unit members, was violative of Sections 447.501(l)(a) and 447.301(1), Florida Stat[373]*373utes. We adopt the order of PERC, the pertinent parts of which state as follows:

“On January 27, 1983, Edwin S. Delaney filed an unfair labor practice charge which alleged that the City of Hialeah had violated Section 447.501(l)(a), Florida Statutes (1981), by implementing a pool time provision contained in the collective bargaining agreement entered into by the City and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 3032. The provision required all employees in the bargaining unit represented by Local 3032 to contribute a certain number of sick leave or compensatory leave hours to a union time pool to be utilized for union business as determined by the President of Local 3032.

“After a series of prehearing orders and telephone conference calls, the hearing officer determined that there were no disputed issues of material fact. Consequently, no evidentiary hearing was conducted. On July 14,1983, the hearing officer issued his recommended order in which he concluded that the maintenance of the union time pool provision violated Section 447.501(l)(a).

⅝ ⅝ ⅜ ⅝ ⅜ ⅜;

In concluding that the City committed an unfair labor practice, the hearing officer relied upon Sections 447.501(l)(a) and 447.-301(1). The former provision states that a public employer commits an unfair labor practice when it interferes with, restrains, or coerces public employees in the exercise of any rights guaranteed them under Chapter 447, Part II. The latter provision provides:

(1) Public employees shall have the right to form, join, and participate in, or to refrain from forming, joining, or participating in, any employee organization of their own choosing.

“The issue presented in this case, and the one decided by the hearing officer, is whether it is contrary to Section 447.301(1) for a certified union and an employer to agree to a contract provision that requires all bargaining unit employees, including those who are not members of the union, to contribute a portion of their leave time to a pool to be used for union business. The hearing officer correctly viewed that this contract provision required employees, who were not members of Local 3032, to participate in the support of the union by being required to involuntarily contribute something of ascertainable value to the benefit of the union without the employees’ authorization or consent. Thus, the mandatory sick leave deduction provision constitutes a form of union security in which all bargaining unit members contribute to the support of the union as a condition of their employment. In determining that such a security device was contrary to the rights guaranteed to public employees by Section 447.-301(1), the hearing officer did not err in examining cases construing Article I, Section 6 of the Florida Constitution, the so-called 'right to work’ provision, which provides:

The right of persons to work shall not be denied or abridged on account of membership or non-membership in any labor union or labor organization.

“The Florida courts have construed this provision to prohibit, as a condition of employment, the extraction of fees from bargaining unit employees who are not members of the certified union for the purpose of aiding the union. See Schermerhorn v. Local 1625, Retail Clerks International Association, 141 So.2d 269 (Fla.1962), aff'd, 373 U.S. 746, 83 S.Ct. 1461, 10 L.Ed.2d 678 (1963); Florida Education Association United v. PERC, 346 So.2d 551 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977). Therefore, a construction of Sections 447.501(l)(a) and 447.-301(1) which permits a certified union and a public employer to negotiate a provision which requires nonmembers to contribute to the union something of value as a condition of their employment would render these provisions constitutionally suspect. In order to avoid this potential constructional pitfall, the hearing officer properly took into consideration Article I, Section 6 in his analysis.

“In Hotel, Motel Restaurant Employees and Bartenders Union, Local 737 v. Escambia County School Board, 7 FPER para. 12395 (1981), aff'd, 426 So.2d 1017 [374]*374(Fla. 1st DCA 1983), the Commission, under somewhat similar circumstances, recognized that although it was prohibited from declaring a statute unconstitutional, it was not required to construe Chapter 447, Part II, in a constitutional vacuum, stating:

But the fact that we are without authority to rule upon the constitutionality of statutes does not mean that we must ignore the Constitution. To the contrary, where the meaning of the statute is colored by provisions of the Constitution our hope of reaching the correct understanding of that meaning lies in part in a consideration of those constitutional consequences..
(footnote omitted).

Id. at 870. Consequently, the Commission adopted a construction of the statute at issue in Escambia County School Board, which it considered harmonious with the right of public employees to engage in collective bargaining guaranteed by Article I, Section 6 of the Florida Constitution. Similarly, it was proper for the hearing officer to consider this constitutional provision in his construction of the statutory provisions at issue. However, we emphasize that our conclusion that the City committed an unfair labor practice in this case is not based upon a determination that the contract provision at issue conflicts with Article I, Section 6 of the Florida Constitution. Rather, our order in this case is limited to a finding that maintenance of the contract provision violates Section 447.501(l)(a).

“Finally, we disagree in part with the recommended remedy declaring invalid the contract provision with respect to members of Local 3032 in addition to nonmembers, and requiring reimbursement of previously deducted leave for all unit employees who request it. The record in this case does not support such a broad remedy with respect to members of Local 3032.

“The charge filed by Delaney states that his rights under Section 447.301(1) were violated because even though he was not a member of Local 3032 he was required to contribute a portion of his sick leave to the union time pool. The letter submitted by Delaney in support of the charge which protests the involuntary deduction of leave was signed by a City employee who also is not a member of Local 3032. There is no record evidence of any bargaining unit member who is a member of Local 3032 complaining about the deduction of their leave pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement. Moreover, the record is silent as to whether members of Local 3032 authorized such a deduction of leave as a condition of their membership. Under these circumstances, we believe that the remedy in this case should be limited to bargaining unit employees who are not members of Local 3032.

“Based upon the foregoing, the Commission orders the following:

“1. The City of Hialeah shall cease and desist from:

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Related

Hotel, Motel, Restaurant Emp. Loc. 737 v. Escambia Cty. Sch. Bd.
426 So. 2d 1017 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1983)
Florida Ed. Ass'n v. Public Emp. Relations
346 So. 2d 551 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1977)
Schermerhorn v. Local 1625 of Retail Clerks Int. Ass'n
141 So. 2d 269 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1962)

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Bluebook (online)
458 So. 2d 372, 9 Fla. L. Weekly 2239, 1984 Fla. App. LEXIS 15610, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/afscme-local-3032-v-delaney-fladistctapp-1984.