FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lauren Hames 407-246-3106

CITY EMPLOYEES VOTE FOR SEIU

ORLANDO, Fla. (December 16, 2003) – City of Orlando employees today voted the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as the desired union for representation in three collective bargaining units. The City has four existing unions: Laborers International Union (LIU), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Police Benevolence Association (PBA) and International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) already representing the majority of the City’s workforce.

“We think this is a positive development for City workers,” said Mayor Buddy Dyer. “We support collective bargaining for City employees.”

American Arbitration Association (AAA), an independent third-party election administrator, conducted the election. City of Orlando employees were sent ballots the week of December 1; the vote count took place today at 10 a.m.

As a result of the elections, three new bargaining units will proceed through the authorization process. The number of employees in each bargaining unit is:


· 583 White Collar (clerical/technical) employees
· 153 Professional employees
· 197 Supervisory employees


The SEIU must now prove a majority of interest in each individual unit. This is normally done by an interest card check, which will be completed by a third party. After proving a majority interest, the City and SEIU will submit a Recognition Acknowledgment (RA) Petition to the Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC), a state agency with the authority to certify public sector bargaining units. After approval by PERC, negotiations will begin with SEIU on the three different bargaining units. Negotiations will likely begin early next year.

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