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United Faculty of Florida (UFF) and its Florida State University and University of Florida chapters have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging a Florida statute it claims, “unlawfully bans arbitration of adverse personnel decisions for public university faculty.”
UFF is an AFT affiliate represented by Selendy Gay, who filed the suit in the Northern District of Florida against members of the boards of trustees of Florida State University and the University of Florida and the statewide board of trustees.
The complaint alleges that Florida Senate Bill 266 gives politically appointed university presidents final decision-making authority over discipline, termination, and other personnel matters relating to Florida university faculty. That is, the bill bars independent arbitration by a neutral third party and therefore, deprives faculty of meaningful review designed to protect academic freedom and employment rights.
“We must ask ourselves who a law like this truly serves. Because it’s not faculty members, it’s not graduate assistants, it’s not our students and it’s not our state,” said UFF President Teresa M. Hodge.
The plaintiffs allege the arbitration ban is a politicized attempt to stifle Florida faculty members’ academic freedom and violates the Federal Arbitration Act.
“At the United Faculty of Florida, we remain firm in our commitment to ensure Florida’s higher education faculty, graduate assistants, DRS schools and students are represented and advocated for at all levels of our state,” said Hodge. “Every employee in Florida has the constitutional right to join a union and to collectively bargain for better working conditions. UFF will never stop fighting for these protections.”