Florida Labor Letter – Session(s) & May Day on the Horizon (Week of 4/24)

Daniel Diaz |

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 4/24. This week we are happy to bring you some solid news about the direction of our perpetually extended legislative session. Also, get ready for May Day and Worker’s Memorial Day with us!

🏛️Legislative News

Special Session “D” Approaches with Redistricting in the National Spotlight

There are only so many days on the calendar before you can’t push back the inevitable any further! After delaying and expanding the special session on redistricting as reported in last week’s Labor Letter, Senate President Albritton announced some clarity today on what we can expect next week to look like in the Florida Capitol (at least on one side of the building), alongside the filing of 3/4 of the necessary bills.

  • SB 2D – Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights by Senator Brodeur (Formerly SB 482 by Senator Leek)
    • Identical to SB 482 that passed and died in messages during regular session, this bill has our cautious support as a good first step towards protecting consumers and children against artificial intelligence. Still, the bill continues to lack any provisions protecting workers from the growing threat of AI and how it may displace jobs and more.
  • SB 4D – Public Records/Investigations by the Department of Legal Affairs by Senator Brodeur (Formerly SB 7030 by Senator Leek)
    • Identical to SB 7030 that passed and died in messages during regular session, this public records exemption companion to the AI Bill of Rights seeks to make private the details and proprietary information in cases investigated for violations of The AI Bill of Rights.
  • SB 6D – Medical Freedom by Senator Yarborough (Formerly SB 6D)
    • Identical to SB 1756 that passed and died in messages during regular session, we continue to be fiercely opposed to this measure and the risk it poses to public safety by weakening immunization requirements in school and its shift of state policy away from evidence backed treatment across all of our workplaces and our schools.

Meanwhile, the Florida House has continued to refrain from commenting on the session its set to appear at only 4 days from now. At the time of writing, the House Speaker has not distributed any materials to members the Senate or its own plans for next week. We don’t know for certain if we will see a concurrence or rebuttal this time, but as mentioned above, all three of the revived bills being considered next week were not just rejected by the House during this past session, but were never even taken up in committee.

Wait, what about the Redistricting? Keen eyes will note that SB 8D – Governor’s Mystery Redistricting Map by Senator Gaetz remains un-filed at the time of writing. Originally the principal reason for reconvening back when the Governor called for this special session back in January, the picture around redistricting in Florida has gotten a lot more distorted since then.

Following Virginian’s approval this week of a Democratic Party favored state gerrymander in the national back and forth game of gerrymandering before the mid-term elections, National Republicans seeking to preserve a lead in favored congressional districts have set a new pressure upon Florida legislators, now the last state to seek a mid-decade redistricting. We encourage you to read a more thorough deep dive on the different attitudes and issues surrounding redistricting politics in this Politico’s write-up this week, but here are the fast facts to keep in mind as we approach Florida’s attempt are this:

Though we can anticipate the governor’s office is hard at work attempting to skirt the inevitable scrutiny and lawsuits to follow its maps, as happened in 2022, we will just have to wait and see next week for what the legislature does in response.

2026 State Budget Finally has a Calendar Date

In addition to getting some clarity on next week’s agenda, news was announced that the House and Senate have finally agreed on the general revenue allocations of the state budget, coming in at just shy of $52 Billion dollars across the state’s many programs. For the less fiscally nerdy (like myself), these allocations are essentially the framework that the rest of the state budget will be negotiated and built upon. Alongside the agreement came official word from the Senate that the rest of the Budget will be addressed and finished during Special Session “E” beginning Tuesday, May 12, and concluding on Friday, May 29. Though originally due last month as the only bill the legislature must pass, state workers, researchers, and more can breathe a sigh of relief this week as the prospect of a state government shutdown seems averted for now.

🍊Florida Labor News

May Day & Workers Memorial Day Florida Hub

As you may have seen from our labor siblings nationally, May Day 2026 fast approaches next week! Since its inception, May 1st, also known as International Worker’s Day, Labor Day, or May Day, has represented a an opportunity to celebrate the solidarity of all working people, acknowledging that no matter where we were born, where we live, or what kind of work we do, we all deserve to have safe working conditions, dignity in our workplace, a fair and living wage, and the ability go home safely to our families at the end of the day.

Earlier that same week on April 28th is Worker’s Memorial Day, in which solidarity and remembrance is shown for the many treasured lives lost, disabled, or injured in or because of the workplace, highlighting the need for continued workplace reform and a shared promise to remember the dead, and fight for the living.

While we love to regularly feature actions by our labor family via our solidarity spotlight and On the Horizon sections, a day widely celebrated as this deserves its own special place. While the National has set up a great Mobilize tracker for events going on statewide, as your State Fed, we wanted to provide you with something more Florida Specific. That is why we have launched a FL AFL-CIO May Day and Worker’s Memorial Day Page on our website. Organized by region, you can use this page to find a list of activities, actions, and events taking place all throughout next week, no matter what part of the state you are in.

NOTE: This page is non-exhaustive and will be updated regularly as more events are organized and found! If you see something you would like to add to it, email us at info@flaflcio.org!

✊Solidarity Spotlight

USF Labor Community Seeks Solidarity to Stand with the Contract Workers Who Keep it Running!

One of the many unions to fall victim to the 2023 Legislature’s union busting SB 256, workers in the University of South Florida community rallied with SEIU 32BJ to re-unionize and gain back valuable representation for their workplace. Now those same workers are facing an increasingly unresponsive and distanced management, who are attempting to cut benefits once promised to stay the same and give meager raises outpaced by inflation. In order to get management back to the table and hold them accountable, the workers are calling on the university and labor communities to show support for them and these workers demands. You can sign their petition by scanning the QR code or visiting this link for further details on the action.

🗓️On the Horizon

  • Statewide
    • NEW DATES: April 28th – May 1st: Expanded Special Session
      • As discussed at length in this issue, there’s a lot to look forward to next week. Even with the Senate’s enthusiasm and Governor’s big asks, a lack of hard enthusiasm by the House will see if the appetite for this issue even pans out as the U.S Supreme Court continues its silence on its final decision in Louisiana v. Callais, the case that could give a slim opening to GOP efforts to avoid violating the Fair Districts Amendment.
    • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • First Monday of every Month: FLARA Monthly Meetings:
      • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their monthly zoom meetings. FLARA meets on the first Friday of every month at 10 AMEST, and features guest speakers and relevant information for retirees from national and state governments as well as important information on demonstrations, partner activities, etc.
      • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the monthly.
  • Nationwide
    • April 28th – Worker’s Memorial Day
    • May 1st – International Worker’s Day / May Day
      • For worker’s everywhere, May Day and Worker’s Memorial Day represent days to remind us that the wealth of our community comes from the labor of everyday people. Fair wages, safe workplaces and the right form a union aren’t just ‘worker issues’; they are issues that affect everyone, and they inherit a long history of solidarity, action, and leadership across industries.
      • As we approach these historic days in the Labor movement, you can find a nearby event at the National AFL-CIO’s May Day Mobilize Center here or on our May Day Central Hub!
      • Are you or your local interested in hosting an action? You can use this mobilize template to get started!
    • May 9th – National Letter Carrier’s Food Drive
      • Each year, letter carriers across the country head out on their routes on the second Saturday in May to collect donations of non-perishable food items to benefit local food pantries. Since launching in 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has grown into the nation’s largest one-day food drive, helping to fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns throughout the United States.
      • You can prepare to participate in next month’s Food Drive by visiting the NALC Website to find your nearest participating food bank or NALC branch!

🛠️Business Board

📸Bonus Bulletin: Dog-gone work to be done

This week’s bonus bulletin goes out to Andy, the friendly English Sheepdog who paid the state fed a visit this week and kept us plenty company with his stretches, office inspections, and yelling at the mailman. Thanks Andy!

Got any tips, actions, or messages you’d like to see in this email?

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org

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