Public News Service

#Florida's public employees face twin crises as federal collective bargaining rights suddenly disappear and state government jobs are cut, leaving workers uncertain about their futures and the stability of essential services. A new White House executive order eliminating collective bargaining rights for federal workers has hit Florida particularly hard, as home to major military installations and thousands of federal employees. Rich Templin, director of politics and public policy for the Florida AFL-CIO, described the situation as "chaos of the highest order." "When the Transportation Security Administration was set up, that was a big issue. They agreed to extend collective bargaining rights to those employees," Templin recounted. "This is a big deal, but I think what's most important is to understand is, we don't know the implications, just like we don't know the implications of mass layoffs." The order has drawn fierce backlash from labor groups, including the national AFL-CIO, which called it an attack on key labor rights. Unions representing federal workers are weighing legal challenges, as the White House defends the order as necessary for national security. Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis' plan to eliminate 700 state jobs through a Musk-like government efficiency task force has drawn criticism. DeSantis' office said the cuts would improve efficiency. Templin argued Florida's workforce, which is already the nation's smallest per capita, cannot absorb further reductions. "This has been happening for 20 years: two decades that we've been asking our state workforce to do more with less," Templin pointed out. "What the governor's doing right now, he's not cutting fat, he's not cutting meat, he's cutting bone." The proposed cuts include 142 positions at the Department of Health and 89 at the Agency for Health Care Administration, according to state workforce documents. Teachers, health care workers, and transportation employees said the reductions come as they are already struggling with staff shortages.

New research showed that when employers struggle with personal money problems, they do not always leave their stress at home and can instead take it out on their employees. Trevor Spoelma, PhD, associate professor of management at The University of New Mexico, said in general, people experiencing financial stress are less satisfied with their jobs and less productive. But when the boss also is under financial strain, it can affect everyone they supervise. "For instance, when leaders are experiencing financial stress, that spills over to affect how they treat their subordinates, how effective their teams are," Spoelma explained. "We're finding that the costs are a lot more widespread than we might have initially thought." Spoelma found when leaders were more financially stressed, they felt less in control. To try to regain control, some engaged in abusive workplace tactics including hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors, like ridiculing or demeaning their subordinates. The number one stressor across the globe is reported to be money and Spoelma said #NewMexico is no stranger, with one of the highest poverty rates in the nation. Like the rest of the country, he noted, housing takes a big chunk of every paycheck. "Places like Albuquerque, Santa Fe, I know like the costs of housing have really increased," Spoelma observed. "Whereas in the rural areas, maybe it's financial stress due to jobs that aren't paying as much, or limited hours." Despite the challenges, New Mexico is among the top states where money goes the farthest. The #minimumwage and cost of living are about 6% below the national average. The state's minimum wage is $12 per hour and higher in the City of Santa Fe, at $15 per hour. Spoelma added statewide, what is known as the "livable wage" is $21 per hour for an adult without children.

#Maryland state employees are rallying behind a bill that would provide binding arbitration when unions and employers bargain. Current Maryland law prohibits state workers from striking if their contract negotiations reach an impasse. A neutral party could make recommendations, but with no legal authority. House Bill 159 would change that, allowing a neutral arbitrator to step in, with legally binding recommendations. Patrick Moran - president of American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees' Council 3, which represents 30,000 state employees - said the bill would create a process that gives equal weight to unions and management. "We want a process that's fair," said Moran. "And what I mean by that is, if we can't come to an agreement, then an arbitrator will get us both at the table and look at the evidence, and say, 'This side is asking for this. The other side is asking for that, and I think I can split the decision down the middle.'" Opponents of the bill have said binding arbitration doesn't incentivize unions or management to compromise - an act they view as a vital pillar of union negotiations. The legislation has been filed each year since 2022, but had never passed in either the House of Delegates or Senate until this session. Now, all eyes are on the Senate. Moran said the need for an arbitrator depends on management's buy-in to the bargaining process. "We didn't have an impasse procedure - so we were stuck with whatever the employer at the end, if we couldn't come to an agreement, decided we should take," said Moran. "That's not true bargaining. When we're dealing with rational people across the table, it's easier to come to a mutual conclusion." If passed, the legislation would go before the Maryland voters as a ballot question. #unions

Labor groups representing thousands of #Minnesota state workers find themselves at serious odds with Gov. Tim Walz over his move this week to reduce remote work options. Walz announced that, starting June 1, most state-agency employees have to carry out their duties in person at least 50% of the time. That has drawn swift criticism from the unions that negotiate for nearly 40,000 state workers, including the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees. The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 5 is another, and at a Thursday news conference, its executive director, Bart Andersen, expressed frustration about having no input in the decision. "If we are going to be considered a labor-friendly state, we need to have conversations," he said, "not dropped at the last minute and told that all these people have to go back to work in a month and a half, with no means to get there." MAPE officials have said this also disrupts the lives of workers with children, citing day-care demands and long waiting lists for those facilities. The governor has pointed to an exemption for people who live more than 75 miles from their primary work location. He also has said the change should help downtown businesses in the Twin Cities by spurring more foot traffic. These debates have been happening in the private sector, too, since the constraints of the pandemic have faded. But Andersen suggested to anyone who believes remote workers are "slacking off" to think again. "They're not in a bubble. They're not isolated," he said. "They're working with their teams and they're getting the work done." Andersen said they know tasks such as road maintenance can't be done from home. But he highlighted the effectiveness of telework in recruiting and attracting people for the public-sector jobs that have that flexibility. The mounting tension between these labor groups and the administration comes as talks on a new contract take shape.

West Virginians are more concerned about bird flu's effect on grocery costs rather than health implications, and Republican voters are more likely to distrust Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information about the virus, according to a new poll from the health policy research and news organization KFF. Nearly nine in 10 adults across parties, race and ethnicity, and household income levels are "very" or "somewhat" concerned bird flu will increase the cost of food in the U.S. Audrey Kearney, senior survey analyst for KFF, said rising economic pressure has households more worried about paying for housing, gas, transportation and everyday expenses. "We found that only half of the public said that they are really hearing a lot about bird flu on a day-to-day basis," Kearney reported. "It might not be resonating in the way of health but it definitely is resonating in when they go grocery shopping." Since 2022, officials have identified just two backyard flocks, around 260 birds, in the state affected by the virus. Earlier this year, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture issued a suspension on all poultry exhibitions and sales statewide, calling the move a precautionary measure. Kearney added one of the biggest takeaways from the data is Americans now have different levels of trust between community experts they are interacting with on a daily basis, and major institutions. "Messages from people's doctors are going to be the most well received and probably the most effective on that front," Kearney explained. Currently, the CDC recommends people avoid close contact with sick animals and avoid unpasteurized milk products as precautions against bird flu, while eggs purchased from grocery stores are considered safe. Since April 2024, 70 human cases of #birdflu have been reported in the U.S. Of those, 41 cases were associated with exposure to sick dairy cows and 26 were associated with exposure to poultry.

This has been "National March Into Literacy Month" but it may become tougher over the summer to "march" into a public library and ask for help finding a good book. An executive order signed this month by President #Trump requires staff and funding cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the agency funding libraries across the country. One in five #Maryland adults has low reading skills, according to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and 36% of fourth graders read below grade level. Sandy Keaton, 2025 conference chair for the State of Maryland Literacy Association, said building reading skills can start in the home and parents play a large role in their kids' reading journey. "The best way to promote literacy is for you to be a reader and for your children to see you being a reader," Keaton emphasized. "The second thing I would say would be to read with your child. You can have him or her read a page to you, then you can read a page. You can have him or her read the entire page." Nationally, Maryland's literacy rate is in the middle of the pack among states, at 28th. The library cutbacks come as the National Center for Education Statistics found national reading scores had their largest decline in more than 30 years. Those declines were worse for already low-performing students. For adults, Keaton suggested starting with a book you like or that is about one of your interests, and go from there. "If they wanted to continue to build on that knowledge, there are so many exhibitors and vendors that have books that not only will help younger children but will also help the adults," Keaton added. Keaton recommended librarians as a great resource for all ages to get into reading. They are trained to help people pick books to match their reading level and interests. #literacy #libraries

#Indiana's third grade reading scores show progress, but gaps remain. The latest IREAD3 results show about 82% of students passed in 2024, up slightly from the year before. But scores are still below pre-pandemic levels. Special education students, English learners, and low-income children struggle the most. Tami Shields Silverman, DPA, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, said early childhood shapes literacy skills and many Indiana children lack access to quality early learning. "We know that 27 of Indiana's 92 counties had proficiency levels below the state average," Silverman observed. "That's actually up from prior years, so that's five more than what it was." Several programs help close gaps, including On My Way Pre-K, which gives low-income children access to preschool, Reach Out and Read Indiana promotes early reading and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library sends free books to kids. A $9.5 million Lilly Endowment grant will expand after-school and summer reading programs. Indiana is aiming for 95% reading proficiency by 2027 but Silverman pointed out financial struggles create more barriers. "Some of those financial hardships bring on stressors like food insecurity, housing instability," Silverman outlined. "All of those things inhibit early learning, including but not limited to literacy."

A #Florida bill that would roll back child labor restrictions cleared a Senate panel this week, sparking debate over whether it empowers families or risks pushing vulnerable teens out of school. The proposal, which would allow 16 and 17 year-olds to work longer hours on school nights and in some hazardous jobs, drew sharp criticism from advocates who warn it could worsen chronic absenteeism and dropout rates. Tsi Smyth, vice president for public relations with the nonprofit advocacy group Voices of Florida, says the changes will affect some students more than others. "This is going to disproportionately affect students that are growing up in poverty, and you are going to relegate them to a lifetime of poverty," he explained. Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, sponsored Bill 918 and says it would match state rules with federal standards. It would allow 16 and 17-year-olds work 40 hours a week during school, up from the current 30-hour limit, and allow some currently banned jobs such as roofing. The measure passed along party lines, with Republicans in support. It now moves to the full Senate. Collins said that most teen jobs are in safe places such as grocery stores, and his measure provides valuable work experience. "Ultimately, we're not talking about 'The Jungle' by Upton Sinclair. We're talking about them working at Publix, at Piggly Wiggly, or jobs within the industry," he continued. "This is a far cry, I think often we demonize the employer cause it's going to take advantage of the children. This is a parental rights thing. Parents know their kids best." Opponents including Sen. Carlos Guillermo, D-Orlando, warned it could lead to abuse. "This bill is going to lead to exploitation of minors, exploitation of children, and I get the parental-rights conversation but there's no reference to parental rights in the bill," he explained. The House bill faces one final committee vote. With Republican supermajorities controlling both chambers, passage appears likely, making Florida the latest GOP-led state to relax child labor laws. Business groups back the measure, but opponents warn it risks teen safety.

The U.S. House of Representatives last month passed a budget resolution that would reduce the federal deficit by $880 billion over the next decade. That's at the cost of #Medicaid programs, and #Montana K-12 students could feel the impacts. Roughly two in every five Montana kids have health insurance through Medicaid, according to a Montana Healthcare Foundation report. Others may be under the care of family members who use Medicaid benefits, such as grandparents or veterans. Amanda Curtis, president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees, says kids "hurt" when their needs aren't met. "Teachers, counselors, nurses in Montana are incredibly concerned for our students who rely on Medicaid services to be able to show up to school and learn every day," Curtis explained. She added that school staff are vital to student health as they often recognize when a kid needs extra help, like through speech and language pathologists, nurses or psychologists. The federal move clashes with a Montana bill to drop the sunset date for Medicaid expansion, which went to the governor's desk earlier this month. Curtis noted that bill received bipartisan support. "Montanans from the entire political spectrum agree that this is a program that is important to Montanans, that is good for Montanans, not just on an individual level but also for our economy," she continued." Medicaid is partially funded by federal dollars but administered by states, which would be left with tough decisions on who to cut from the program or how to make up the difference - by raising taxes, cutting other programs. Based on Montana's Medicaid spending, the proposed federal cuts are equivalent to coverage for 57,000 kids in the state, or nearly 70% of child enrollees, according to KFF.

Amid a severe teacher and staff shortage, school support workers and their union allies rallied Tuesday in Harrisburg, #Pennsylvania for a better living wage. The group said House Bill 777 would raise wages for more than 41,000 school staff members. More than 100 people gathered on the Capitol steps and met with lawmakers to gauge their support for the bill. aaron chapin, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said it would raise the pay for support staff in public schools to a living wage of at least $20 per hour. "About 45% of our colleagues that are support professionals would benefit from raising the wage to $20 an hour," Chapin reported. "And unfortunately, so many of our educational support professionals, they're not able to make ends meet with the current salaries that they have. Many of them have a second job." The House bill has 22 cosponsors, all Democrats. Chapin pointed out it would raise support staff wages by about $3 an hour. A survey by the association last fall found four of five Pennsylvania voters would support a $20 minimum wage for school support staff. Disclosure: The Pennsylvania State Education Association contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Early Childhood Education, Education, and Livable Wages/Working Families.