MIAMI – Jackie Williams-Green is a proud member of Local 1184 (AFSCME Florida) who recognizes the difference that a union makes. She’s also one of 6,500 workers for the nation’s third-largest school district who finally have a reason to smile.
After a year of tough negotiations, Local 1184 members secured a fair contract offer from the Miami-Dade County School Board and ratified it in December. Every department that sent representatives to the bargaining table secured wins in the new contract, which is retroactive to July 1, 2024.
More than 86% of Local 1184 members voted in favor of the three-year deal, which reflected the bargaining team’s relentless focus on ensuring no members were left behind. Key wins include:
- The health care premiums won’t rise and services won’t be cut.
- The base salary of all eligible employees will increase by 3%, with employees receiving retroactive payments.
- Employees not receiving any other enhancements or stipends will receive a so-called compression adjustment.
- Full-time employees with 20 or more years of service will receive an additional base salary increase of 1% on top of the base 3% raise.
- Full-time employees with 30 or more years of service will see an additional base salary increase of 1.5%.
- Security personnel will retain a 7.5% safety proficiency supplement.
- School bus drivers, bus aides and mechanics will receive additional stipends.
- The following categories of food service workers will each receive a 3% pay supplement: managers, satellite assistants, material acquisition and transportation specialists, assistance managers, service quality assurance managers, service employee development specialists and concession managers.
These workers stood strong to secure this contract in a state where anti-worker politicians are out to destroy unions. This new contract ensures that members will continue to enjoy the protections of a union voice on the job as they navigate the hurdles and traps placed on workers by SB256, an anti-worker law that the legislature passed two years ago at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ insistence.
Williams-Green, a route management specialist and a bargaining committee member, said the new contract gives union members like her much-needed momentum to keep fighting for a voice on the job.
“Now we need to build on this moment so we have a secure union moving forward,” she said. “Without our union, there won’t even be contract negotiations in the future — we will just get whatever our bosses decide we deserve.”