Breaking News - February 8th, 3:34 PM
Election Committee members Martha Mateen (Pinellas County Head Start), Liza Jacobs (City of Orlando) and Barbara Mitchell (Pinellas County Schools) celebrate members' approval of our Dues Equity Proposal
Members of our Election Committee counted the votes on Saturday afternoon and certified that the member-written Dues Equity Proposal has been approved by the local's membership. The vote to approve was 195 to 24.
Members had opportunities to vote in all four of our regions over the past month. "It's gratifying that our members overwhelmingly approved this proposal," said Election Committee Chair, Liza Jacobs. "Now we'll finally have a fair dues structure and the resources to move our local forward."
Martha and Barbara began by sorting into "Yes" and "No" stacks
It soon became clear that the "Yes" votes were overwhelming
Richard "Mac" MacDonald (Pinellas County Schools) signed the official tally sheet as witness
Candidates for president of FPSU, Alphonso Mayfield and Frank Sosa met to debate at our Tavares office on the evening of January 26th. Above is a photo of some of the members who traveled from as far as the Tampa Bay Area and Palm Beach County to attend.
Ballots were mailed to all members on January 27th. If you haven't received yours or need a duplicate for any reason, please call Angelina Whitbeck at (866) 855-5004. Your ballot must be RECEIVED by Thursday, February 25th to be counted.
Votes will be counted by our Election Committee on Friday, February 26th at 6:30 PM. That will take place at our Orlando office (7001 Lake Ellenor Drive, Suite 130). ALL MEMBERS are welcome to attend the vote count.
Please see 
Nominations for a list of contested races plus those nominees who have no opponent and are, according to our brand new Constitution and By-laws, elected.
Provisional President, Alphonso Mayfield answers a question as Frank Sosa awaits his turn
Sonya Roundtree (Pinellas County Schools) asks a question of both candidates as Pat Torrance (Lake County Schools) and Andre Allen (City of St. Petersburg) listen
Frank and Alphonso shake hands following the civil debate
Susan Geller and Theo Webster (both City of Orlando) have a laugh with Alphonso following the debate
Sonya Roundtree and Pat Torrance have an earnest discussion
Richard "Mac" MacDonald (Pinellas County Schools) makes Lake County Schools' Carrie Bailey laugh following the debate
Our ability to hold this election and finally elect our own leaders was made possible by over 250 FPSU members from every corner of the state attending and voting overhelmingly to approve our first Constitution and Bylaws. A bunch also signed up for COPE for the first time or increased the amount they contribute. In addition, the great majority of them cast ballots in our process to approve the Committee on the Future's Dues Equity Proposal. That process continued with secret ballot votes in Palm Beach County (January 19th), the Tampa Bay area (January 26th) and Jacksonville (February 2nd). The official notice with dates, times and locations has been available at Dues Vote Notice and Dues Vote Notice Spanish for the past seven weeks.
Our Election Committee will count those votes at our Orlando office (7001 Lake Ellenor Drive, Suite 130) tomorrow (Saturday, February 6th) at noon. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Members envisioned the convention. We planned it. We RAN it and all of us will reap the benefits of it.
As important as approving the Constitution and Bylaws was, members did more than that at the convention. We had fun. We laughed, danced and did serious work. We got to know our sisters and brothers in other areas and discovered how much we have in common. We also shared in a larger vision with International Union leaders and political leaders.
So, what does it mean that our Constitution and Bylaws were adopted at the convention? It means that we can move rapidly to:
Advance Change: Once the Constitution and Bylaws were adopted, 36 members stepped forward to run for FPSU leadership positions. As promised, our local union is going to be run by members.
Advance Stability: Once we approve the Dues Equity Proposal, we'll have both a fair dues structure to attract more members and the resources we need to really get our local moving. In addition, when we elect member leaders next month, they'll serve three-year terms to provide leadership stability.
Get Results: We're now going to be able to build real, political strength. We'll see our numbers grow. That's going to put us in a stronger bargaining position and enable us to better take on bosses who try to diminish our ability to deliver the quality public services our residents deserve.
We'll also be able to develop our member leadership through steward training and run more effective contract campaigns. And, through our newly strengthened COPE program, we'll build a formidable war chest for this fall's elections.
So, what can you do next...
Cast your ballot to approve the Committee on the Future's Dues Equity Proposal. The final, regional vote will take place in our northern region next Tuesday.
Call Angelina Whitbeck at (866) 855-5004 if you don't receive your ballot in the mail or if you need a replacement for any reason. Again, a list of both contested and uncontested races is at Nominations. Ballots must be RECEIVED by Thursday, February 25th to be counted.
Participate in your unit or chapter meetings to learn more, and of course, check out the fresh, convention photos below.
Jacksonville Head Start members enjoying Friday night's reception
Pat Thomas gets serious on the dance floor at Friday night's reception. Admiring her moves are Robin Kirkpatrick and Betty Bowers
Palm Beach County members during a Convention break
Showing their SEIU, can-do attitudes
Manatee County Head Start members have their "YES" card ready for approval of the Constitution and Bylaws
City of Orlando members enjoy a break in the Convention action
Committee on the Future members take the stage and honor Provisional President Mayfield for his leadership. These are the Committee members who met in every corner of the state (on their own time) to write the Constitution and Bylaws that were adopted at the Convention.
John McGibbon (Lake County Schools) chaired the afternoon session. He's seen here gaveling our local's first convention to a close.