Friday, January 8, 1999
Lawton Chiles vs State Employees Attorneys Guild

No. 93,665

Place of Origin
Leon County and Statewide impact

Facts
Florida lawyers employed by the state sought permission to form their own labor union. After a round of earlier legal proceedings, the 1994 Florida Legislature enacted a law forbidding state lawyers from unionizing, which Gov. Chiles signed into law. The attorneys then filed suit arguing that the statute is unconstitutional under a provision of the Florida Constitution guaranteeing the right to collective bargaining through a union. The trial court agreed, as did the First District Court of Appeal. The state brings this appeal.