Last year was an especially tough one for the members of AFSCME Local 3432, who work for the City of North Port.
Situated on the Gulf Coast between Sarasota and Fort Myers, North Port was pummeled by Hurricane Helene, even as many in the community were still recovering from Hurricane Ian. The workers – equipment operators, sanitation workers, traffic control technicians and others – were required to hold a recertification election job due to the radically anti-union law SB256, pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023.
But they never quit.
They helped their community survive in the wake of Helene. And they overwhelmingly won their recertification election in July with more than 76% voting AFSCME “Yes,” protecting their voice and the services they deliver. And as 2024 closed out, 99% of Local 3432 members voted in favor of ratifying an incredibly strong, new three-year contract.
“No number of legislative tricks, traps or misdirection will stop us from continuing to build our union, bargain a contract that we deserve and deliver the services that the taxpayers, visitors and business deserve,” said Tammy Bennet, an equipment operator II. “We stood up, stayed united and won time and time again this past year. The revitalized labor movement in Florida will have a powerful presence along the Gulf Coast, and in North Port in particular, for years to come.”
The new contract, which is retroactive to October 1, 2024, creates more consistent schedules, includes improvements to the uniform allowance and will improve how employees can use their comp time. With a pay increase of 21% over the life of the contract, it also helps the workers address an increased cost of living in their area and make positions more attractive to new employees.
“We’ve been fighting and we’ve been winning, and that has been seen by our co-workers across the city,” said Bennet. “We’ve been signing up new members nearly every week and now we can get back to our campaign to reach the 60% membership threshold needed in 2025 to make sure this contract is not at any risk.”