§ 94-118. Registration of employee organization.

(a)

Every employee organization seeking to become a certified bargaining agent for public employees shall register with the commission pursuant to the procedures set forth in F.S. § 120.60 prior to requesting recognition by a public employer for purposes of collective bargaining and prior to submitting a petition to the commission requesting certification as an exclusive bargaining agent. Further, if such employee organization is not registered, it may not participate in a representation hearing, participate in a representation election, or be certified as an exclusive bargaining agent. The application for registration required by this section shall be under oath and in such form as the commission may prescribe and shall include:

(1)

The name and address of the organization and of any parent organization or organization with which it is affiliated.

(2)

The names and addresses of the principal officers and all representatives of the organization.

(3)

The amount of the initiation fee and of the monthly dues which members must pay.

(4)

The current annual financial statement of the organization.

(5)

The name of the organization's business agent, if any; and if different from the business agent, the name of its local agent for service of process; and the addresses where such person can be reached.

(6)

A pledge, in a form prescribed by the commission, that the employee organization will conform to the laws of the county and state and that it will accept members without regard to age, race, sex, religion, or national origin.

(7)

A copy of the current constitution and bylaws of the employee organization.

(8)

A copy of the current constitution and bylaws of the state and national groups with which the employee organization is affiliated or associated. In lieu of this provision, and upon adoption of a rule by the commission, a state or national affiliate or parent organization of any registering labor organization may annually submit a copy of its current constitution and bylaws.

(b)

A registration granted to an employee organization pursuant to the provisions of this section shall run for one year from the date of issuance. A registration shall be renewed annually by filing application for renewal under oath with the commission, which application shall reflect any changes in the information provided to the commission in conjunction with the employee organization's preceding application for registration or previous renewal, whichever is applicable. Each application for renewal of registration shall include a current annual financial report, signed by its president and treasurer or corresponding principal officers, containing the following information in such detail as may be necessary to accurately disclose its financial condition and operations for its preceding fiscal year and in such categories as the commission may prescribe:

(1)

Assets and liabilities at the beginning and end of the fiscal year;

(2)

Receipts of any kind and the sources thereof;

(3)

Salary, allowances, and other direct or indirect disbursements, including reimbursed expenses, to each officer and also to each employee who, during such fiscal year, received more than $10,000.00 in the aggregate from such employee organization and any other employee organization affiliated with it or with which it is affiliated, or which is affiliated with the same national or international employee organization;

(4)

Direct and indirect loans made to any officer, employee, or member, which aggregated more than $250.00 during the fiscal year, together with a statement of the purpose, security, if any, and arrangements for repayment; and

(5)

Direct and indirect loans to any business enterprise, together with a statement of the purpose, security, if any, and arrangements for repayment.

(c)

A registration fee shall accompany each application filed with the commission. The amount charged for an application for registration or renewal of registration shall not exceed $15.00. All such money collected by the commission shall be deposited in the general revenue fund.

(d)

Notification of registrations and renewals of registration shall be furnished at regular intervals by the commission to the board of county commissioners and the division of labor of the department of labor and employment security.

(e)

Every employee organization shall keep accurate accounts of its income and expenses, which accounts shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times by any member of the organization or by the commission.

(f)

An employee organization which has filed a petition seeking to be certified as a representative of employees of the county as of December 1, 1976, which has registered with the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission (Florida PERC) may, at its option, file with the commission a certified copy of a certification from Florida PERC which shall be sufficient proof of current registration in lieu of the initial registration requirements of subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section. If an employee organization chooses this form of registration, it must also submit proof of filing annual financial reports in order to retain its registered status with a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 30 days, after filing such reports with Florida PERC. An employee organization exercising this privilege shall file a certified copy of all registration papers filed with Florida PERC and keep its registration current by filing amendments with the commission as required by this section.

(Ord. No. 76-20, § 1.008, 9-28-76; Ord. No. 80-9, § 7, 3-18-80; Ord. No. 80-25, § 4, 7-8-80)

State law reference

Similar provisions, F.S. § 447.305.