Florida Labor Letter – Higher Wages and Ever Shrinking Calendars (Week of 10/2)

Daniel Diaz |

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 10/2. It’s the first week of October, but the scariest thing in our opinion right now is not being registered to vote, and those gas prices (this is the part where you visualize us slapping our knees and laughing.)

Jokes aside, this week’s issue will get straight to business, as we hit the campaign trails this weekend and continue to open up the opportunity for you to participate in road to a Labor 2026 Victory in Florida! Also, a welcome “holiday” of sorts for Florida’s paychecks and a good reason to remember what we’re fighting for. Let’s get into it.

🗳️Electoral News

Voter Registration Deadline October 5th!

This one is short and sweet, check your voter registration! The process of verifying your registration takes less than 5 minutes, and can be done with a number of tools and with a number of sites, including the National AFL-CIO‘s, Make A Plan To Vote, and the State of Florida’s Division of Elections!

Remember, no matter how you vote nor when you vote, you’ll need to be registered to do so, so make sure there is nothing standing between you and your ballot box by checking your registration now! The Final Day to Register to be Eligible to Vote in November’s Elections is Monday, October 5th, only 3 days away!

🍊Florida Labor News

Florida Minimum Wage (Finally) Increases to $15/hour!

Photo Credit: McKenna Schueler/Orlando Weekly

If anyone needed a reminder about the potential impact a working families victory could have for the state of Florida, many this week simply needed to reference their paycheck!

This Wednesday, workers everywhere benefited when the Florida minimum wage finally rose to $15/hr. The long overdue raise arrives just 6 years after 2020, when Florida voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 2 which increased the state minimum wage (previously $8.56/hr) to $10 and then increased it by $1/yr until 2026.

Thanks to the directly applied will of the voters, Florida’s minimum wage is now over double the criminally low Federal minimum wage (which has not increased since 2009), and will continue to increase as a part of our State Constitution, free from the legislature’s restriction (though in the past several sessions, lawmakers have tried to find loopholes.) Moving forward, the state’s minimum wage will be tied closer to inflation and the cost of living, with the next increase coming in 2028 based on 2027 Consumer Price Index numbers.

Florida’s working families endorsed and campaigned hard in 2020 to achieve the adoption of Amendment 2, and this week spoke to Orlando Weekly’s McKenna Schueler for a look back on what the victory means now. Florida AFL-CIO Director of Politics and Public Policy Rich Templin said:

“For the longest time, the misinformation has been put out there that minimum wage only affects, you know, high school kids getting their first job. That’s just not accurate. There are families that are living on that wage, and I hope people celebrate that, but I also hope they realize it wouldn’t even be $15 an hour if it wasn’t for organizing and the people taking a stand, and I think maybe it’s time for them to do that again and raise that wage even higher.”

It’s a good reminder that great change can take shape during election seasons, and that there is still much to do and improve. It’s also a good reminder that the power to drive that change doesn’t rest simply within the legislature (with the minimum wage in fact, it never did), but ultimately is within the will of the voters.

🗓️On the Horizon (NEW EVENTS)

The closer we get to November, the more and more opportunities we have to make a difference in our communities. We are putting on events to make sure you are not just making a plan to vote, but are well equipped to spread the word on our Labor 2026 slate of candidates and more. As always, staying tuned to our FL AFL-CIO Mobilize to allows you to see the latest ways you can get involved in local actions, canvassing efforts, and more! See below for some important dates and visit Mobilize for the full breakdown!

  • Statewide
    • Important GENERAL Election Dates!
      • The primaries are over! On to the general! Wherever you are on the aisle, you should know these important election dates from the Florida Division of Elections:
        • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: September 19, 2026
        • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters:  September 24 2026 – October 1, 2026
        • Deadline to register to vote:  October 5, 2026 <– YOU ARE HERE
        • Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: October 22, 2026
        • Early voting period (mandatory period):  October 24 – 31, 2026
        • Election Day:  November 3, 2026
  • Digital
    • (EVERY WEEK) Tuesday – Thursday: Virtual Phone Bank for Labor Endorsed Candidates + No on 3
      • Join us calling union members and their families to learn about the issues they’re facing in an increasingly costly state and educate them about the pro-working-family candidates that the Florida’s unions have endorsed in November. With shifts available every Tuesday-Thursday and no prior experience required, this is an excellent and easily accessible way to get involved no matter where you are in the state.
      • All you need is a phone, laptop, computer, or tablet!
    • October 2nd: Labor 2026 All Hands on Deck @ 6:00PM
      • Every Monday from now until November, join your FL AFL-CIO family for a Labor 2026 All Hands on Deck call. Receive the latest updates from the campaign front lines, share in victories and stories, as well as hear from some of our Labor Endorsed Candidates about your direct impact on their campaign! This Monday October 2nd, look forward to talking about the state of the race with FL AFL-CIO Endorsed Attorney General Candidate Jose Javier Rodriguez (JJR)! You can attend the meeting via this zoom link.
    • October 7th: Statewide Labor Town Hall with Labor Candidates @ 7:00PM
      • Join us in our second statewide Labor Town Hall to hear from labor endorsed candidates and more on why turning out for this important election is critical to helping Florida’s working families realize a brighter, better way of life. This event will feature several candidates including Gwen Graham, Jose Javier Rodriguez, and Angie Nixon!
      • Union members from all industries in Florida are invited to attend, ask questions of invited candidate and discuss how we can create the change we need. Register at the link above!
    • 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 AM EST, 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 invitation.
  • Regional (By CLC)

🛠️Business Board

Election Trainings from the National AFL-CIO

Resources to Learn More About Amendment 3!

Amendment 3 is one of the most important issues on the November Ballot, with stakes both actually and unfortunately as high as the fate of our local government’s ability to provide basic public services and jobs. That is why the Florida AFL-CIO has partnered with a numbered of organizations in joining the bipartisan Save our Services Coalition against this dangerous amendment.

With an issue as complex as property taxes, it can get a bit confusing, and the way the amendment is written does no favors to Florida’s voters, which is why education on the issue matters most. Resources to learn more about Amendment 3 and it’s impacts, like the above report on how the amendment would eliminate jobs can be found on sosfl.org.

🎯Bonus Bulletin

About those Campaign Messages

There is no shortage of “spam” texts, calls, and more this campaign season, but make sure that as you clear out or ignore the clutter, you’re not ignoring your brothers and sister’s. We’re still phonebanking and just trying to make sure you’re registered, you hear?!

That concludes this week’s roundup! Thank you for reading and as always, In Solidarity!

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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