Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 7/2. With this weekend marking the United States Semiquincentennial (how’s that for a scrabble word?), we wanted to begin by wishing you all a safe, happy, and enjoyable Fourth of July Weekend. It’s a once in a lifetime occasion, with 250 years of American History to look back on! Ours is a nation built on a complex and groundbreaking history too broad to summarize in a simple blurb, at times full of conflict and contradiction, but also undeniable growth, ambition, and progress. We are proud to have a national history and citizenry so dedicated to the pursuit of a different and better future built on the values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We are grateful to be able to push for that future with each and every one of you every day. Happy Independence Day!

Before you get into the fireworks and cake, just a quick recap of the week’s news.

🏛️Legislative News

The State Budget is Signed

“So the budget that I’ll sign today, after doing my line item vetoes, will represent the fourth straight year in Florida that we’ve actually reduced our state budget. Who else is doing that?”

So boasted Governor DeSantis this week as he put the finishing touches on his final state budget. We’ve been tracking this for some weeks so we know we don’t need to fill in the gaps about the several delays and special sessions that led us here. Instead, let’s talk about what’s finally in it- and more notably, what’s not.

A number of different parties have taken a deep dive into some of the 117 Billion Dollars worth of spending plans, allocations, member projects and more. Florida TaxWatch for instance put out its annual “Budget Turkey” List, documenting some of the millions in final appropriations and projects that snuck their way in the budget outside of the normal process and behind the closed doors of legislators. They, among others, noted that the majority of these final appropriations were member projects, where funds are set aside for projects within a specific legislator’s districts and counties, such as new/updated facilities at colleges across the FCS, parks and rec, public safety programs, and more.

We mention these projects because as we have written, member projects and the budget represent the final pieces of political capital spent by legislators and the Governor in the personal game of politics– often at the expense of spending where Floridians actually need it. And despite any statements to the contrary, Governor DeSantis has been clear about what the means.

Our siblings over at the Florida Education Association (FEA) gave a closer look into how some of the budget politics played out with education funding and for teacher pay, with private school vouchers receiving over 4 billion dollars of taxpayer funds, while increases to public school teacher raises and base student spending were below keeping up with inflation, failing to meet the needs of our public educators, families, and students.

Independent investigative reporter Jason Garcia gave an even deeper look behind the curtain, contrasting what was cut, such as $700,000 for United Way of Florida to provide free tax-prep services to working class families across the state, versus what was deemed responsible spending, like $1.4 Million earmarked for an anti-communism course produced by a faith-based company linked to Mike Huckabee that has produced hits such as “The Kids Guide to DOGE” and “The Kid’s Guide to Ron DeSantis” (not a joke). So much for catching Waste, Fraud, and Abuse!

🍊Florida Labor News

Senate Bill 1296 Goes Into Effect, But Our Unions Will Remain Undeterred

It was our least favorite moment of this past legislative session, when the Florida House was joined by the Florida Senate in passing the union-busting attack on our public sector workers, SB 1296. The out-of-state, billionaire backed bill built on the horrible work of 2023 SB 256, and further expands registration and renewal requirements for unions, including more reporting, higher membership thresholds, the possibility of decertification if membership density in a bargaining unit falls below 60 percent, and requiring 50% of the unit to participate in the election. The bill was signed crudely on May Day, but now officially takes effect as of July 1st.

Let us be clear: Florida’s Unions will endure. Despite the many attempts to restrict it or constrain it, whether in 2023 or now, all Floridians have made clear their constitutional right to collectively bargain. We have repeatedly demonstrated (and will continue to demonstrate) solidarity and strength in our conviction to exercise that right, no matter how much the bar is raised. As we organize, whether for the first time, or for the next time, our working families continue to show every single day that worker power is real power.

Buses don’t move without the people that build them and drive them. The stores don’t sell without the people to run them, and the next generation of Florida’s brightest can’t learn to shine without teachers to guide them. Whether it is Starbucks employees cracking the corporate hold on Red Cup Day, university employees forcing management back to table for new and fairer contracts, or workers putting together the stadiums we celebrate in, Florida’s unions continue to succeed because they are always by and for the people that make them work. As long as corporate interests or the legislators that they fund continue to fail to realize that, Florida’s working families will continue to be here to remind them.

We will organize and stand and raise hell- in solidarity always.

✊Solidarity Spotlight

Florida Teamsters Authorize Strike and Win!

Speaking of organizing and standing together, that’s just what Penske workers represented by Teamsters Locals 79, 512, 541, 618, and 769 did this week!

Per an official release from the International Teamsters on Monday, Teamster Locals in both Florida and Missouri authorized a work stoppage amidst tense negotiations with the multi-billion dollar Penske transportation company. The escalation was taken after Penske management attempted to renege on previous tentative agreements on health plans and proposed to freeze pensions and deny fair wage increases. Put nicely by Brother Mike Schanuth, a Penske Teamster from Local 541 and member of the bargaining committee:

“It’s long past due for our employer to get serious. The clock is ticking.”

Then, they got serious! The strike authorization action helped pressure management towards a more fair deal, resulting today in a tentative agreement for our southern region locals, with the Teamsters Facebook breaking the news and announcing unanimous support from negotiators. The move now goes to the membership for final ratification.

We are proud of our Teamsters siblings, and are thankful for them providing us with a timely reminder of the strength of (and results that come from) working people when they stand together.

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • Important Primary Election Dates!
    • Ahead of the general, Florida’s registered voters must first decide their candidates in the primaries.
      • NOTE: As a closed primary state, only registered partisans can vote in a party primary here in Florida.
      • NPAs should not count themselves down and out though, as they can participate in a number of races across the state involving primaries for non-partisan office such as school board officials and judges.
      • Every voter is encouraged to check with their local supervisor of elections to find out what races are happening near you to ensure you can make your voice heard.
    • Wherever you are on the aisle, you should know these important primary dates from the Division of Elections:
      • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: July 4, 2026
      • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: July 9 – 16, 2026
      • Deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation: July 20, 2026
      • Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: August 6, 2026
      • Primary Early Voting (mandatory period): August 8 – 15, 2026
      • Primary Election Day: August 18, 2026
  • 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.

🛠️Business Board

Let’s Get Medicaid Expansion On the 2028 Ballot!

Attendees of our COPE Convention last month may recall one of our signature workshops by the Florida Policy Institute’s Chief Strategy & Development Officer, Holly Bullard, on the important topic of Medicaid Expansion in Florida. Off of the positive reception to her workshop, we wanted to make sure that all of you knew about the important and growing fight to finally get it done in Florida.

Over 15 years, Medicaid Expansion bills have been filed in the Florida Legislature, and have gone nowhere. This is all despite the fact that 75% of Florida voters support expansion, including a majority of Republicans. All the while, years of inaction have left over 3.5 million Floridians in a growing gap with no healthcare, increasing premiums, and billions left on the table in federal funds that could easily alleviate the issue. It’s time to change this un-necessary and awful reality, and Florida’s working families are key to getting it done.

Florida Decides Healthcare is leading a citizen-led ballot initiative to expand Medicaid and cover over one million Floridians who fall through the cracks: workers who earn too much for Medicaid but too little for private insurance. These are our siblings who show up every day and still can’t afford to see a doctor. With an unresponsive legislature, it’s time the voters forced action on the issue themselves. Since the legislature cracked down on citizens having a say in their own constitution last year, we’re hitting the ground early on this effort for 2028. Here’s how you can help:

Here’s the ask. It takes one minute:

1. Request your petition at MedicaidFlorida.org
2. It arrives by mail. Sign it.
3. Mail it back. That’s it.

Your signature moves Medicaid expansion one step closer to Florida voters, and one step closer to healthcare for a million of your fellow Floridians. In a state that seeks to silence its voters, every single signature counts, so feel free to share the link with your coworkers, family, neighbors, and union siblings statewide.

All Florida workers deserve affordable healthcare. This is how we show up and make it happen.

• P.O.W.E.R Trainings and Pledge: Labor 2026 represents not just a statewide, but a national opportunity for change to build a better future for all of those in organized labor. To achieve victory, we’ll need as much help as we can get! Ahead of November, take the P.O.W.E.R pledge to:
  • Protect: Protecting the vote and ensuring every member can safely cast their ballot.
  • Organize: Organize new labor strongholds led by workers.
  • Win: Win crucial races that determine the future of workers’ rights.
  • Engage: Engage our baseline through authentic peer-to-peer contact.
  • Right Now: Mobilize Right Now. Action today creates victory tomorrow.

• FREE Trainings from the National AFL-CIO: The National AFL-CIO provides free virtual training sessions leaders and members of all of its State Federations, Area Labor Federations, CLCs and Affiliates. This list of training courses is updated regularly and covers a myriad of topics such as honing political skills, issue specific communications, and more. This page is updated regularly, so please visit and bookmark this link to stay informed and learn more about what is currently available to sign-up for in order to take your labor skills and knowledge to the next level!

📸Bonus Bulletin

Furry Friends of Labor!

Last week we sent out an all call for some of our furry friends of Labor across the state and you responded! We end this week spotlighting the good vibes (and definitely not bad breath) of Bruiser, the furry friend of IBEW Local 108’s own Jennifer Bettancourt. Brutus is known as “the Tiny Terror of the Trades”, or so I personally think would be a cool nickname for him at least. Thank you Sister Bettancourt for sharing Bruiser with us!

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

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 6/26. This week marks the final full one of June, and as July approaches, so too do the infamous “dog days of summer.” As we prep for the road to November, make sure that in between all of your hard work you stay hydrated and cool. The path to a brighter Florida requires solidarity AND sunscreen. All protected? Good, let’s get into the week’s news.

🏛️Legislative News

Governor DeSantis Receives the Budget for the Last Time

This Tuesday, Governor Ron DeSantis received his final slew of bills from the legislature, including the 2026 General Appropriations Act A.K.A The Budget. The bills also reflect the final slew of bills he may ever receive (knock on wood without another special session) from the legislature in his now 8 year long career as Florida’s Governor. With a career of backing some of the most restrictive and harmful anti-worker bills in Florida’s history such as 2023’s SB 256 and this year’s SB 1296, as well as a tenure dominated by culture wars, increasing school privatization, and personality politics, we hope that November’s elections signal the return of a more restrained and courteous politics, one that puts working families above corporations, rather than below them. Remember though: that outcome is going to be dependent on us, the voters!

As we have been making regular note throughout this year’s unusually slow budget process, you’ll remember that despite the legislature being done with the politics of this session, the governor and his line-item veto will ultimately get the final say on the funding that affects Florida’s working families. We can expect his office and staff to spend the next week or so carving out member projects of those opposite him and other spending areas that he deems unnecessary. Rest assured though, we will be watching this step closely to make sure further damage to key areas like education funding does not go unnoticed or unopposed.

🍊Florida Labor News

Endorsements Are Out, Labor 2026 is In!

Last week, we released our first batch of endorsements by the FL AFL-CIO for candidates and campaigns across the state. Coming out of COPE 2026, we emerged with our first slate of endorsements for statewide offices like the campaign of David Jolly and Gwen Graham, congressional seats like that belonging to friend of labor Representative Darren Soto and even races for our state legislature like our newly elected union member brother and defending incumbent, State Senator Brian Nathan! We are excited by what this field of races represents in the opportunity to not just take back Florida for working families, but build a brighter Florida for all of us.

To see the full list of affirmative endorsements as chosen by our delegates and COPE committee, you are encouraged to check out the full list of campaigns on our website under our endorsement press release.

For members seeking for a full list or outcomes of all considered seats and actions, you are encouraged to get in touch with your local CLC field staff for more information! Remember, the road to November is long, and as primaries resolve and campaigns develop, we’ll be sure to notify you of new endorsements and more as they arrive!

✊Solidarity Spotlight

FL AFL-CIO President Kim Holdridge Recognized in AFL-CIO’s Pride Month Profiles

President Holdridge, left, flanked by Secretary-Treasurer Maira Rivera at the recent FL AFL-CIO COPE Convention.

Credit to West Central FL’s Alec Wilcosky for the following write up on this special recognition!

For Pride Month this year, the National AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. This week, Tuesday, June 23rd featured the profile of President Kimberly Holdridge of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE):

Kimberly Holdridge serves proudly as the president of the Florida AFL-CIO. She has been an IATSE Local 631 organizer and leader in the labor movement for over 35 years following service in the U.S. Air Force. Within a state whose government continues to attack, minimize and restrict the freedoms of LGBTQIA+ individuals, Holdridge has remained undeterred and unabashed in her pride.

On behalf of the FL AFL-CIO family, thank you Kim for your leadership, and happy pride to all of those who have been celebrating love, in whatever form and shape it takes for you whether this month or all year!

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • Important Primary Election Dates!
    • Ahead of the general, Florida’s registered voters must first decide their candidates in the primaries.
      • NOTE: As a closed primary state, only registered partisans can vote in a party primary here in Florida.
      • NPAs should not count themselves down and out though, as they can participate in a number of races across the state involving primaries for non-partisan office such as school board officials and judges.
      • Every voter is encouraged to check with their local supervisor of elections to find out what races are happening near you to ensure you can make your voice heard.
    • Wherever you are on the aisle, you should know these important primary dates from the Division of Elections:
      • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: July 4, 2026
      • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: July 9 – 16, 2026
      • Deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation: July 20, 2026
      • Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: August 6, 2026
      • Primary Early Voting (mandatory period): August 8 – 15, 2026
      • Primary Election Day: August 18, 2026
  • 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.

🛠️Business Board

• FREE Trainings from the National AFL-CIO: The National AFL-CIO provides free virtual training sessions leaders and members of all of its State Federations, Area Labor Federations, CLCs and Affiliates. This list of training courses is updated regularly and covers a myriad of topics such as honing political skills, issue specific communications, and more. This page is updated regularly, so please visit and bookmark this link to stay informed and learn more about what is currently available to sign-up for in order to take your labor skills and knowledge to the next level!

• P.O.W.E.R Trainings and Pledge: Labor 2026 represents not just a statewide, but national opportunity for change to build a better future for all of those in organized labor. To achieve victory, we’ll need as much help as we can get! Ahead of November, take the P.O.W.E.R pledge to:
  • Protect: Protecting the vote and ensuring every member can safely cast their ballot.
  • Organize: Organize new labor strongholds led by workers.
  • Win: Win crucial races that determine the future of workers’ rights.
  • Engage: Engage our baseline through authentic peer-to-peer contact.
  • Right Now: Mobilize Right Now. Action today creates victory tomorrow.

📸Bonus Bulletin

A Call To Action for Friendly and Furry Faces

Did you know that today was #TakeYourDogToWorkDay? What better time to kick off the dog days then with dogs themselves! Still, you’ve seen some of the furry friends marching ans sniffing around Tallahassee, and we want to see some of yours. We end this week putting out a call to you: Got a fluffy friend of labor of your own? Send us a photo at info@flaflcio.org and we may spread their kindness and solidarity statewide in our next newsletter!

Note: This call is not put out to just dogs. Our labor leadings Cats, Rodents, and Lizards are all welcome too!

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

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 6/19! Returning from a short week hiatus, we’re back with a special edition to recap the 2026 FL AFL-CIO COPE Convention. Over the last weekend, over 200 member delegates from across all of our CLCS and unions met in Lake Buena Vista, FL to make their voices heard, meet candidates, and voting on resolutions and endorsements as part of our biennial endorsement process. Let’s get into how it went below!

Solidarity in Central Florida

Gathering in the gorgeous Lake Buena Vista Palace Hilton that held our biennial convention last year, over 200 member delegates met on Saturday, June 14th, to kick off a weekend of discussion, screenings, workshops, and solidarity. FL AFL-CIO President Kimberly Holdridge led the ceremonies with a presentation of the colors by Scout Troop 957 from nearby Clermont, FL and an invocation by Reverend Steve Rosebrock

The Convention featured a number of guest speakers this year, including Central Florida CLC President Brother Eric Clinton, Florida House Representative/Mayoral Candidate Dr. Anna Eskamani, Senate Minority Leader Pro Tempore Tracie Davis, and an in-depth political presentation by our own Director of Politics and Public Policy, Dr. Rich Templin on Saturday. The political presentation also featured some much needed clarification on Florida’s best Football team. Hint: They come from Duuuuvaaalll!

Workshops, Conversations, and Catching Up!

In between all the deliberation and business of the day, COPE served another role all weekend: bringing the Florida labor family together! Over meals, drinks, and endless conversations, we caught up over the year at large, what’s to come, and the universal truth: that it’s always better in a union.

We also featured robust workshops on some of the most important issues to face this upcoming election, Changes in Election Law and the need for Medicaid Expansion in Florida. A special thanks to Amy Keith, Executive Director of Common Cause Florida and Holly Bullard, Chief Strategy & Development Office of the Florida Policy Institute respectively for setting up these workshops and spending time with us this weekend to discuss these critical issues for Florida voters.

Candidates, Candidates, and More Candidates!

It wouldn’t be an endorsing convention without anyone to endorse! Saturday night’s festivities concluded with our 2026 COPE Candidate Reception, which featured over 150+ attendees and political candidates and elected officials from across the political spectrum eager to meet Florida’s working families. Highlights included Gubernatorial candidates like the now endorsed David Jolly & Gwen Graham, Congressmen Darren Soto & Maxwell Frost, and even state leaders such as Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell and Representative Dotie Joseph.

The campaign turnout and interest wasn’t for each other either. All candidates, whether incumbent or not, were eager to meet with our delegates and members, signaling strongly that despite all the attempts at union busting from Tallahassee, Florida’s organized labor continues to remain among the state’s most consistent and formidable political forces. That’s all thanks to YOU!

Endorsements and Excitement for the Future

On Sunday, we kicked things off with some words from Florida House Representative Leonard Spencer and keynote speaker Jose Javier Rodriguez, the FL AFL-CIO’s early endorsed candidate for Florida’s Attorney General. Both speakers filled us with motivation as we looked forward to an election not just to undo the damage done in recent legislative cycles, but build a coalition of labor advocates who will build a brighter Florida for all of us.

After their openings, delegates cast their final votes on a slew of different resolutions, amendments, and endorsements! To see the full list of the latter, see our recent announcement of the state federation’s first slate of congressional, statewide, and state legislature candidates for the 2026 election!

A Moment of Thanks

As we take the time for a moment of breath after a busy convention, we wanted to take this moment to thank some of the unsung heroes who helped organize this incredible weekend! You know them, you love them- our state federation staff! A huge thanks to Dana Shumate, Danielle Thomas, Alec Wilcosky, Stephan Rahmdor, Trevor Sweet, Danny Diaz, Carlos Jimenez, Pablo De Leon & Addie Britt from the National AFL-CIO, Rich Templin, Maira Rivera, Madame President Kimberly Holdridge, Laverne Davis and William Lawson- Convention Manager and Organizer extraordinaire

The future of Florida is bright, and we are so excited to work towards it with you this Election year!

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

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 6/5. This week marks the beginning and end of the legislature’s final* special session, appropriately given the letter “F” to pass Property Tax. Also, COPE is just a week away! As your state fed and its delegates prepare to head to Lake Buena Vista, FL for a weekend of solidarity, screenings, endorsements and more, that means that The Florida Labor Letter will be on a brief hiatus next week. We will return the week of 6/12 after the conclusion of our COPE Convention with news on endorsements and more! Before that, let’s recap this week’s news and more!

🏛️Legislative News

Special Session “F” As in “Final”

Last week we wrote about the last minute addition of another inning to the legislative ballgame in a surprise special session called by the Governor to address the issue of Property Tax Removal. Property tax was previously efforted by the House in the form of the disastrous HJR 203 and then promptly ignored by the Governor and Senate during the regular legislative session. With that history in mind, speculation was open as to whether the Florida House would even consider the issue at all, refusing to file any bills and keeping up the suspense right up until the lower chamber gaveled in Monday morning and confirmed they were to entertain the issue of stripping local governments of funds once more.

As has been the routine this year with special sessions, the political action occurred brutally and swiftly- with a lengthy single committee appearance in each chamber for then newly christened HB 1F/SB 2F and HB 3F/SB 4F before proceeding to their respective floors. Despite allocating time all the way until Saturday, legislators moved to pass the bills and gaveled out Tuesday, but not before the quick adoption of a number of amendments changing the governor’s original proposal. (Remember: Joint Resolutions from the Legislature do NOT need the Governor’s approval to proceed to the ballot)

The End Product

With a 75-26 vote in the House and 30-9 vote in the Senate, the legislature officially passed House Joint Resolution 1F — Save our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes and Senate Bill 4F — Property Tax Administration to put before the voters this November.

This amendment, if approved by at least 60% of voters in November, would primarily lift homestead exemptions for those who own primary residences in the state by the end of this year to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and tie further increases in the exemption to the Consumer Price Index.

Unlike the governor’s original proposal however, this final version of the amendment comes with a few unique changes.

• First, school taxes would not be subject to the increased exemption limit, and would stay at $25,000, following concerns from legislators like incoming House Speaker Sam Garrison, who feared the cost to public schools and education.
• Also, the definitions of what local governments could spend money on has also been slightly expanded to include constitutional officers, courts, special districts, and county commissions, who the governor’s staff had coincidentally left out.
  • When legislators made note that this definition is still too narrow, defenses of the amendment said that items like libraries and parks were included under the broad definition of terms like “education.” This begs the question though, as put by others: why have these restrictive definitions at all?
• In addition, the original amendment’s false promise to have a trust fund from the state to supplant lost revenue in counties was removed as it, best put by Senator Erin Grall,“put the expectation forth that there would be a trust fund when there isn’t in fact a dedicated funding source for the trust fund,”
• Finally and notably, following the disastrous HOPE Florida scandal and use of state funds and agencies to campaign against 2024 Amendments 3 & 4, the governor and state agencies will not be given the $5 million dollars to spend on promoting this property tax amendment as originally envisioned.

Though helpful in exerting accountability on our executive and slightly reducing the scope of this initiative though, the chief impact of this constitutional amendment still remains: by removing a key pillar of local and county government revenue, this exemption of property taxes would fundamentally upend and restructure what government is in the state of Florida at every level.

As analysis develops on this issue, we look forward to bringing you more information about what that looks like for Florida’s working families in the coming months.

🍊Florida Labor News

The Sun Also Rises for COPE 2026!

This week, your state federation staff, CLCs, and more have been hard at work ironing out the final details ahead of putting together the next chapter of our election year tradition: The 2026 FL AFL-CIO COPE 2026 Endorsing Convention!

It’s been “On The Horizon” for the last couple months, but the time is almost near for our delegates and members to gather in beautiful Lake Buena Vista, FL. With our Convention theme of For a Brighter Florida, we can’t wait to gather in solidarity to discuss the best ways to advocate, organize, and vote for a brighter future for all Floridians. We look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide as we carve out the best way to ensure that this November represents a sea change for Florida’s working families!

In case you haven’t already, head over to our Convention 2026 Page to see the agenda for the weekend and more. Delegates and more can look forward to receiving more detailed invitation early next week! We look forward to seeing you there!

✊Solidarity Spotlight

National AFL-CIO Convention Kicks off a Week ahead of Florida!

A bit of upward Solidarity this week, as just ahead of our own COPE Convention, the National AFL-CIO is preparing to kick off their own 30th Annual AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention. A great way to stay up to date as to the latest developments in Washington and from our siblings across the state. Direct from the national, see below:

On Sunday, union leaders and activists from around the country will gather in Minneapolis for our 30th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention. We’ll do the work to define a labor movement agenda that empowers working people, changes lives and builds an America that works for all of us.

In the three days following the start of the convention, we will hear speeches from workers, leaders and allies. We will feature panels and trainings on crucial issues like AI, immigration, organizing, worker safety and much more. We’ll talk about what’s happening in Minnesota, and how labor and allies have come together to fight injustice and oppression, and to stand up for working people. Will you tune in?

WATCH SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET

We’ll be streaming the convention live on aflcio.tv and our social media platforms: Sunday, June 7: 2–6 p.m.Monday, June 8: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.Tuesday, June 9: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.Wednesday, June 10: 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.We can’t do this work alone. That’s why the theme of our convention is “With You.” Our solidarity is critical. We know the power unions have to change lives. Our labor built America, and our unions have kept it strong and will continue pushing it forward. With you, we can. Will you join us?

In solidarity, 
Team AFL-CIO

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • 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.

🛠️Business Board

• FREE Trainings from the National AFL-CIO: The National AFL-CIO provides free virtual training sessions leaders and members of all of its State Federations, Area Labor Federations, CLCs and Affiliates. This list of training courses is updated regularly and covers a myriad of topics such as honing political skills, issue specific communications, and more. This page is updated regularly, so please visit and bookmark this link to stay informed and learn more about what is currently available to sign-up for in order to take your labor skills and knowledge to the next level!

📸Bonus Bulletin

Emotional Labor Law

This week the New Yorker’s Humor section covered an often understated and super serious aspect of labor we don’t get to cover often: Emotional Labor Law! As laid out by writer Zoey Pearl:

Just as the Department of Labor protects workers’ rights, promotes workplace safety, and advances job opportunities, the Department of Emotional Labor seeks to insure that vulnerable groups, such as customer-service employees, eldest daughters, and anyone whose co-workers think that D.E.I. is an outdoorsy retailer, are not exploited by being forced to take on an undue amount of work to make employers, customers, or emotionally immature parents more comfortable.

In states like ours and in years like this, we all could use a friendly reminder that our emotional labor is just as important to account for as much as our physical labor. What does the Department of Emotional Labor say on Unions? Well, good to keep in mind ahead of COPE is that:

All union disputes must be resolved before attending weddings, funerals, or birthdays where you will be forced to act like everything is fine while quietly wondering, “Is this it—is this the fight that breaks us?”

I think we could add that this can also apply to elections!

That concludes this week’s roundup! As a reminder, The Florida Labor Letter will be on hiatus next week as our COPE Convention gets underway. We look forward to seeing you again in a few weeks with news of endorsements and more! 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

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 5/28. This week marks the end of May, meaning that it is almost the official start of the Summer Season! Students and educators rejoice for hopefully some more alarm-less sleep!

We hope you are ready to kick back and relax in the sun wherever you are reading from! I’m sure not (I’ve still got summer school), and our legislators aren’t either (they’ve still got summer work surprisingly), but we hope that somewhere in there you’ve got some time scheduled away for a good beach read. Here’s the week’s news to get you started.

🏛️Legislative News

The Budget Finally Passes (Out of the Legislature)

Long overdue and long anticipated, the legislature has finally passed the negotiated 2026 General Appropriations Act A.K.A The State Budget!

After ironing out the details over the last week, the bill was finally “laid on the table” for public review and analysis on Sunday, March 24th, totaling a whopping $114.4 Billion dollars of appropriations. The actual spending total though is several billions higher however, following additional authorizations for things such as state worker health insurance and more.

After its 72-hour designated “cooling off” period, both chambers reconvened today to debate the budget and vote on its final passage, where the budget passed 99-6 in the House and 35-0 in the Senate.

What’s Next?

Passed out of both chambers, the budget now heads to the Governor’s desk, where Governor DeSantis may carve out or reduce specific budget items such as member’s individual local projects with the power of the line-item veto. This is worth mentioning as despite the budget being the usual legislative finish line, our legislative leaders have other plans…

Special Session F Adds ANOTHER Inning to the Legislative Ballgame

We got any baseball fans in the audience? A fun fact about baseball is that contrary to popular belief, not every game goes to 9 innings. Depending on the league or situation, America’s pastime has rules where players and fans can save themselves some time and energy by having a clearly decided game end early, or in the cases of a real nail-biter, add extra innings until a winner is declared. No matter the extension or the reduction though, fans and players can at least leave having attended a full effort ball-game with a clear winner and ending.

The Florida legislature is not supposed to operate like a baseball game, but this year it has started to feel like one, without the fun of a clear winner, equal effort, or ending. Since March, we’ve watched extra innings added for all sorts of matters, like sudden and un-democratic redistricting, failed revivals of AI regulation and “vaccine freedom,” and most frequently to add time to pass the now long overdue Budget, which thankfully comes to a close today.

But despite now checking off their only mandated duty and a campaign trail eagerly calling, another special session has been added to the calendar, pushing the finish line away at the last minute. This extra inning was added courtesy our Governor who announced this week he is finally ready to take up the issue already efforted by the House and rejected by the Senate and Governor this last session: Property Tax Removal.

Set to start run from Monday, June 1st to Saturday, June 6th, legislators have been called to consider a new Senate and Governor endorsed SB 2F and SB 4F. There’s a lot at work in these bills, which we look forward to breaking down next week, but here are the key considerations to keep in mind for right now:

• The Old
  • The proposed measure continues the legislature’s attempt to phase out all property taxes on primary residences, a key source of revenue for local governments to be able to provide public services like parks, transportation, education, emergency services, and more.
  • Recent analysis from the Florida Association of Counties puts the total cost to local government services across the state to be 3.6 Billion dollars in the first year alone, almost doubling in the subsequent year.
• The New
  • The governor’s latest proposed initiative also seeks to mandate and restrict how local government would be able to spend their money to a select few categories, stripping local autonomy from counties and further violating their home rule.
• The Political
  • The FL House has already made eight previous attempts at property tax reform during the regular legislative session, ultimately only passing the ill fated HJR 203, which was declared dead on arrival and left unconsidered and criticized by both the Florida Senate and Governor.
    • Property tax was a keystone issue that exemplified the lack of co-operation and communication between the legislative chambers and governor, and the House Speaker continues to be positioned opposite Governor DeSantis as recently as during redistricting.
  • Adjourning without comment today on the newly called Special Session, The House has remained silent and has not yet filed any companion bills on the Senate and Governor’s new initiative.

3 months after its original session conclusion, things still have yet to cool down with this legislature, and it remains as unpredictable as ever, and though they are set to return next Monday, we will have to see see if this issue becomes one of the most important of the campaign trail or if it finally fizzles out amidst frustrated fueding.

🍊Florida Labor News

Florida AFL-CIO Endorses Jose Javier Rodriguez for Attorney General

ICMYI: Your state federation received headlines when we officially kicked off our Labor 2026 campaign with an endorsement of Jose Javier Rodriguez for our next Attorney General!

You can read more about the endorsement in depth on our website post, but in summary, Javier Rodriguez (better known by his initials of JJR) is running against incumbent Attorney General, James Uthmeier, and his early endorsement was made after screening and consideration by the members of our FL AFL-CIO COPE Committee earlier this week.

As it relates to JJR’s credentials as a fighter for our workers, our Director of Politics and Public Policy Rich Templin put it best:

“JJR has one of the strongest and most proven records of service for Florida’s working families.  He was a staunch ally and champion in the Florida House and Senate and as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training of the United States and as an accomplished lawyer in his professional career defending thousands of workers in the courts. Florida’s workers and consumers couldn’t ask for a more qualified or principled Attorney General.“

We are excited to get behind JJR as the first of many candidates on the ballot who we will work to get elected this year, and we look forward to our Upcoming COPE Convention, where our labor family will together aim to make sure that working families are mobilized behind the candidates that will best represent and fight for us this election.

Want a preview of what’s to come? Head over to our Convention 2026 page to see the latest general agenda for the weekend at large!

✊Solidarity Spotlight

Florida’s AFSCME Flight Paramedics Land a Big Victory in Grievance Filing

Looking for a good story of Solidarity this week? Here’s one from our brothers, sisters, and kin in AFSCME Green! As reported by AFSCME’s own Mark McCullough this week:

For four members of Local 260 (AFSCME Florida), their first union contract helped them get the compensation they earned over years of missed meal breaks. 

Over the years, [Paramedic Heath] Schmidt said management told him and his team not to even bother clocking out for lunch. That would have been fine except they discovered earlier this year that the time was still being deducted from their paycheck — though they never took those meal breaks. They also discovered that, over the years, similar issues were found and resolved at other sites in Florida.  

Schmidt and the three other members brought in Local 260 President Paul Tucker and AFSCME Florida staff to find a solution. Ultimately, they filed a grievance requesting lost pay for three years of unpaid meal breaks — well over $5,000 for each of the four members.  

After reviewing the grievance, UF Health agreed with Local 260 and the four members will see the money in this month’s paychecks. And they are not done — Local 260 is already pursuing problems found in shift differential pay and more.

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • Week of June 1st: Budget Special Session “F” on Property Tax
    • We’ve officially gone farther in the special session numbers than last year! Next Monday, as explored above, we will find out whether this special session actually lasts the week, or whether the Florida House intends to reject the Senate and Governor’s attempt at property tax elimination in the same way they received in March. Stay tuned!
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • 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.
• Regional
  • South Florida
    • Saturday, May 30th – 2nd Annual Broward Teacher’s Union 5k Run for Education!
      • Join the Broward County Teacher’s Union in Hollywood, FL for a day of fun in the sun with a cause! This 5K aims to fundraise crucial dollars for the Broward School Community, with all money raised going directly back to Broward County’s Public Schools, funding programs and resources that help students thrive! You can learn more, register, and donate here!

🛠️Business Board

• FREE Trainings from the National AFL-CIO: The National AFL-CIO provides free virtual training sessions leaders and members of all of its State Federations, Area Labor Federations, CLCs and Affiliates. This list of training courses is updated regularly and covers a myriad of topics such as honing political skills, issue specific communications, and more. This page is updated regularly, so please visit and bookmark this link to stay informed and learn more about what is currently available to sign-up for in order to take your labor skills and knowledge to the next level!

📸Bonus Bulletin

Conan Repairs the Commencement Speech: AI Cannot Replace Us!

Last we we ended with the hilarious schadenfreude from footage of wealthy billionaires facing boos as the result of trying to use graduation commencements to praise or include the arrival of AI in the workplace to an audience of newly graduated workers facing increasingly scarier futures from AI’s potential and use to supplant them.

Though it is always rewarding to see the working class shock reality into the faces of the wealthy interests, the commencement circuit this week took a lighter turn when Harvard University grads received a much more empathetic and lighthearted view from comedian Conan O’Brian, who shared his own uncertainties on AI by letting them know “Despite your fears, AI can not replace you.” His warm speech aimed to inspire the workers of tomorrow to focus on humility and embrace solidarity with each other rather than embrace the trend towards more narcissistic and pessimistic attitudes that tend to dominate the media. Now that’s a message we can get behind! You can watch the speech on C-SPAN here.

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

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 5/22. As the legislature continues to retire until after the long weekend, we wanted to begin by highlighting the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.

On behalf of your FL AFL-CIO family, we would like to recognize the sacrifices and efforts of all of our members who have lost loved ones in service to this great nation. Whether you are reflecting on your current or prior service, or remembering the lives of those no longer with us, we are proud to walk side by side and in the footsteps of so many who have been willing to put their very lives on the line for our freedom. We will never take that for granted. Thank you for all you do.

With that, here are the week’s latest updates in Florida Labor.

🏛️Legislative News

It’s Too Quiet in Tallahassee

This week, as The Capitol undergoes construction and legislators stay home for the Memorial Day weekend, the running theme this week in Tallahassee has been one of things being too quiet and little transparency or communication in our “Sunshine” State. Here are a few examples:

Budget Talks Continue Behind Closed Doors

Following last week’s conclusion of the first part of budget negotiations, the legislature at large has taken the week off, letting the final negotiations on the $115 Billion State Budget continue to hashed out between House & Senate Appropriations chairs McClure and Hooper. These discussions though, have largely been a matter of mystery to the public, as this part of the process usually occurs behind closed doors. Still, as capitol reporters have been noting, we err dangerously close to due dates on the budget, with the Legislature planning (and needing) to have voted by next Tuesday in order to finish by the end of the month as planned.

Appointees and University Presidents Decided Outside the Sunshine

It’s reward season for many of the Governor’s favorite allies as he takes inventory of who assisted and who defied him in his final legislative session. Some of the favored are already seeing their loyalty pay off, like Rep. Persons-Mulicka, House sponsor of the anti-union SB 1296/HB 995 this past session and recently passed re-districting maps, who was appointed by the Governor this week to serve as the Lee County Supervisor of Elections.

Elsewhere though, observers have been taking note of the DeSantis Administration’s continued trend of political allies finding themselves in the fortunate positions of becoming university presidents across our State University System. This week our current Education Commissioner and former DeSantis Deputy Chief of Staff Anastasios Kamoutsas found himself this week with the fortunate position of being the sole finalist for the Presidency of Polk State College, following the recent footsteps of former Education Commissioners Richard Corcoran (New College) and Manny Diaz (UWF), and former Lieutenant Governor Jeannette Nuñez (FIU), all of whom found themselves aligned with our Governor and his political ambitions over the years.

That said, longtime politicos have begun to notice and monitor this trend of political influence around how our state universities find themselves with new presidents, including Florida Senator and Former Governor Rick Scott, who this week sent a letter to SUS Chancellor Ray Rodrigues criticizing the University of Florida for its announcement of a sole final presidential candidate in former University of Alabama President Stuart Bell. Bell’s candidacy will result in a multi-million dollar payout to outgoing interim president Donald Landry, which Scott derided for its cost and lack of transparency in the candidate selection process, even going so far as to criticize the controversial 6 figure salary and part-time hiring of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

The noteworthy end to this was that Senator Scott concluded by calling for the repeal of 2022 SB 520, the state law passed under DeSantis which pushed the university hiring processes out of the sunshine and allowed them to operate in the dark, and which the House Speaker and Florida House attempted to repeal this past session, before it died in the gubernatorial-friendly Senate. As we see the sun set on Governor DeSantis’ reign, this issue is one of many we may see resurface after his departure, which could hopefully put an end to the cronyism that has plagued Florida’s top universities for the past four years.

🍊Florida Labor News

South Florida Labor Reminds Candidates: Working Class Frustration is Firepower

As our labor movement builds towards COPE Convention in June ahead of the November elections, we’re so excited to see our Central Labor Councils across the state taking the lead in mobilizing our working class brothers, sisters, and kin to electoral enthusiasm and action. Last weekend, our family in the South Florida CLC kicked off their “Labor 2026” political campaign in Opa-Locka, FL, showcasing our strength and reminding candidates of the formidable voice of organized labor.

As covered by local outlets such as WLRN and the independent Political Cortadito, members of the South Florida Labor community filled the hall of Pipefitters Local 725 for a breakfast with what reporter Elaine de Valle eloquently called:

“… an unusually eclectic Miami political mix: Democrats, Republicans, union leaders, county commissioners, candidates, community activists — and the occasional politician trying very hard to look comfortable near actual working people before campaign season fully kicks into gear.“

Top of the issue list for the event was housing affordability, an issue that, as anyone in South Florida (or anywhere in Florida) will tell you, continues to squeeze the pockets and livelihoods of anyone looking to live there, and continues to evade substantive action from current lawmakers (see: this past session.) Average rent in Miami-Dade County has climbed to more than $3,100 per month, a cost burden that will remain at the forefront of voter’s minds come November and which organized labor will not let any electoral hopeful ignore if they want our votes.

✊Solidarity Spotlight

Florida’s Own Highlighted for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

May represents Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and the National AFL-CIO has been highlighting members from across the United States all month long, one of which hails from our very own state!

Tihda Vongkoth is president of AFM Local 427-721, representing musicians across Florida. They are also an organizer with the West Central Florida Labor Council’s Coalition of Manasota Unions, having organized annual Labor Day celebrations to show labor solidarity in Sarasota. They are also a founder of Modern Marimba, a nonprofit that presents concerts, lectures and exhibitions with the explicit goal of combating racism and other forms of discrimination. Shoutout to Tihda and all of those in the FL AFL-CIO who help continue to showcase our diversity as one of our biggest strengths!

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • May 25th: Memorial Day
  • Week of May 29th: Budget Special Session “E”Part Two
    • Following this week’s joint budget conferencing, the remainder of the budget work to be done will be by the House and Senate Appropriations Chairs between now and after Memorial Day. That week, the Legislature will reconvene to debate and vote on the final product.
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • 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.
• Regional
  • North Florida
    • Saturday, May 23rd – Big Bend Labor Chapter May Day Picnic!
      • Rescheduled originally due to inclement weather in North Florida, the Big Bend Labor Chapter invites you to join in celebrating International Worker’s day with food, fun, and solidarity- no matter the time of year!
      • 1PM – 3PM @ J Lee Vause Park in Tallahassee, FL
  • South Florida
    • Saturday, May 30th – 2nd Annual Broward Teacher’s Union 5k Run for Education!
      • Join the Broward County Teacher’s Union in Hollywood, FL for a day of fun in the sun with a cause! This 5K aims to fundraise crucial dollars for the Broward School Community, with all money raised going directly back to Broward County’s Public Schools, funding programs and resources that help students thrive! You can learn more, register, and donate here!

🛠️Business Board

• FREE Trainings from the National AFL-CIO: The National AFL-CIO provides free virtual training sessions leaders and members of all of its State Federations, Area Labor Federations, CLCs and Affiliates. This list of training courses is updated regularly and covers a myriad of topics such as honing political skills, issue specific communications, and more. This page is updated regularly, so please visit and bookmark this link to stay informed and learn more about what is currently available to sign-up for in order to take your labor skills and knowledge to the next level!

📸Bonus Bulletin

Wealthy Interests Struggle to Read the Commencement Room: No AI!

Here’s something straight from the “you can’t make this up” generator that I definitely have in my office. This week, the next working class graduating from Arizona’s Glendale Community College almost achieved pandemic level disappointment when the University administration decided to outsource the traditional reading of all graduate names to an Artificial Intelligence, which promptly stopped working and left hundreds without the recognition so many students spent years building towards. University President Tiffany Hernandez interrupted the ceremony to address the issue, telling the audience it was caused by the new technology and called it “a lesson learned” before allowing students to walk again after initially claiming that they would not be able to.

We wish we could say the same for the Billionaires and wealthy figures this year who have taken to the trend of using the once unifying and inspiring commencement podium speech as a sales pitch for AI as one of the great advancements of our time. Predictably, these have been increasingly met with the fierce boos of a generation of future workers increasingly fed up with the technology’s current actual use to cut entry level jobs and reduce the cost of labor across industries.

We stand with the many graduates who have shared their feelings with Ex-Google CEOs, real estate executives, and more that the very last thing tomorrow’s workers want right now is those with deep pockets telling them to get excited about an unregulated technology that threatens to displace them. Until then, speakers should expect the boos to continue until executive morale improves!

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

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 5/15. This week saw legislators return briefly to Tallahassee for budget talks (often behind closed doors). Meanwhile, unions made gains and good trouble across the state! Let’s get into it.

🏛️Legislative News

Budget Session Part One (In Brief)

This week both chambers of the Florida Legislature re-convened in Tallahassee to begin work on the long-overdue General Appropriations Act, their only constitutionally mandated bill that ideally should’ve been done in March- but you know all about those delays by now.

Last week we gave you a breakdown of the state budget process and schedule and this week the initial process largely unfolded as predicted, with short notice joint committees appearing and updating the public as to the ongoing closed door negotiations between chambers. If you want to view some of these blistering fast committees yourself (and the press interviews follow them right after), the Florida Channel has an entire State Budget page dedicated to them! In those videos you’ll see a lot of questions from capital reporters investigating evolving details on issues such as funding for higher education, as pictured below.

We mention these videos partially because they are pretty informative and interesting opportunities for the public to see their government in action (thanks Florida Channel!), but also because the keen eyed members of our fourth estate will use these opportunities to peer into the politics behind the scenes and spotlight questionable spending that would sneak by otherwise, like this

Originally identified and reported by investigative journalist Jason Garcia, one of the latest budget offers from the Florida Senate quietly included a proposal for Florida taxpayers to continue paying for the Governor’s security detail for 12 months after he leaves office. Nationally, the U.S Secret Service has a similar protocol for outgoing Presidents, but at the state level, such practice would mark the first time ever used for state officials, and raises questions about safety and who ought to foot the bill for it for individuals no longer in office.

The proposal comes at a noteworthy time, emerging from the more governor-aligned Senate the same day as a press conference in which Governor DeSantis took extended aim at the Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez, suggesting he gave orders to House members not to file any bills supportive of his recent attempt to re-introduce the AI Bill of Rights or “Vaccine Freedom” for personal political reasons. Opining on his own role/influence on the Senate’s new security detail proposal for him, The Governor declined to take a position or ownership, stating he has “no idea” what security he’ll need after leaving office, and shifting the decision to FDLE instead.

So What’s Left?

After the legislature leaves today, the budget moves into its “bump” phase as we outlined last week, with Senator Ed Hooper (who announced his retirement this week!) and Representative Lawrence McClure taking until Memorial Day to resolve the outstanding issues leftover by committees this week. The Legislature will return to present, “cool,” and vote on the Budget in two weeks, where we will see the final totals on state funding before they head to the Governor.

🍊Florida Labor News

Terminated Spirit Employees File Lawsuit After Sudden Closure

Earlier this month, after bailout negotiations between its creditors and the Trump administration collapsed, low-cost airliner Spirit Airlines abruptly announced the cessation of all of its operations, resulting in the sudden termination of over 17,000 jobs and cancellation of thousands of flights nationwide. Based in Dania Beach, the company cited unsustainable rising jet fuel prices related to the 2026 Iran war as the final nail in a coffin of weakened financial positions. Whatever their financial forecasts were though, the company’s termination was so brutally sudden that everyone from pilots to passengers, and even other airliners, were sent scrambling across the US to deal with the sudden instability of canceled flights and more.

This week, as reported by the Miami Herald, NBC Miami, and others, those former employees, which span pilots who were told to ignore media warnings all the way to union workers in the middle of contract negotiations, are now filing a class-action lawsuit against the company claiming it violated the Federal WARN Act, which requires employers give 60 days advanced written notice before mass layoffs. Amidst the sudden loss of benefits, jobs, and yet unpaid sick leave and vacation pay, the case is strong that Spirit management misled their employees and left them in free-fall, and we hope that this measure provides some accountability and relief on the horizon.

In the meantime, those impacted from the layoffs may benefit to learn that per the U.S Department of Transportation, other major airliners such as American Airlines and United have begun to offer preferential employment interviews to those former Spirit Employees impacted by the closure. You can find more resources on the business board below.

✊Solidarity Spotlight

Action Update 2: USF Campus Service Workers Head Towards New Contract Ratification!

In a story ongoing since April, we’ve been following up on the activism of SEIU 32BJ service workers at the University of South Florida, who after a hard fought re-certification battle in the wake of SB 256, have been enduring a dispute with an increasingly unresponsive and distanced management company that was seeking to cut benefits and give inadequate raises.

Since then, this labor community has been hard at work campaigning both for awareness and pressure to force management company SSC services back to the bargaining table to demand for fairer wages and preserve hard earned benefits. Beginning initially with Solidarity calls and petitions in the community, members of the USF Labor Community ramped up to public media events that brought even Tampa City officials into the fray. The end result-as of this week-is a new, fairer contract with SSC that is currently undergoing ratification by bargaining unit members. Said best by SEIU 32BJ Brother Sean Armill in an address to the community

“We couldn’t have gotten here without the amazing community support. Media coverage, rally attendance, and petition signatures showed SSC that you have the workers’ back and that a fair settlement was their best option.“

In a state where so often the stories from Capitol Hill can seem to communicate a labor movement on the defensive, stories like this from right at home in our communities demonstrate the profound resilience and tenacity of Florida’s working families. Not only that, but their success continues to demonstrate that no matter what may be touted on X or from the legislative bully pulpit, Organized Labor is alive in Florida, and it will continue to work by and for the people, with solidarity and success. A huge congrats to these workers!

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • May 25th: Memorial Day
  • Week of May 29th: Budget Special Session “E” Part Two
    • Following this week’s joint budget conferencing, the remainder of the budget work to be done will be by the House and Senate Appropriations Chairs between now and after Memorial Day. That week, the Legislature will reconvene to debate and vote on the final product.
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • 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.
• Regional (NEW!)
  • North Florida
    • Saturday, May 23rd – Big Bend Labor Chapter May Day Picnic!
      • Rescheduled originally due to inclement weather in North Florida, the Big Bend Labor Chapter invites you to join in celebrating International Worker’s day with food, fun, and solidarity- no matter the time of year!
      • 1PM – 3PM @ J Lee Vause Park in Tallahassee, FL
  • South Florida
    • Saturday, May 16th – South Florida AFL-CIO Labor 2026 GOTV Campaign Kick-off Breakfast
      • Join the South Florida AFL-CIO this weekend and get excited to mobilize this upcoming November election! From GOTV and voter-registration education, there is no shortage of ways to make sure that pro-worker candidates are elected at every level to support Florida’s working families.
      • 10AM – 12PM @ Pipefitters UA Local 725 in Opa-Locka, FL
    • Saturday, May 30th – 2nd Annual Broward Teacher’s Union 5k Run for Education!
      • Join the Broward County Teacher’s Union in Hollywood, FL for a day of fun in the sun with a cause! This 5K aims to fundraise crucial dollars for the Broward School Community, with all money raised going directly back to Broward County’s Public Schools, funding programs and resources that help students thrive! You can learn more, register, and donate here!

🛠️Business Board

• FREE Trainings from the National AFL-CIO: The National AFL-CIO provides free virtual training sessions leaders and members of all of its State Federations, Area Labor Federations, CLCs and Affiliates. This list of training courses is updated regularly and covers a myriad of topics such as honing political skills, issue specific communications, and more. This page is updated regularly, so please visit and bookmark this link to stay informed and learn more about what is currently available to sign-up for in order to take your labor skills and knowledge to the next level!
• (NEW) Rapid Response Portals for Displaced Spirit Airline Employees:
  • With thousands left stranding a sudden and unexpected transition, the Department of Labor has put together a list of resources for former Spirit Employees including how to file unemployment insurance, training opportunities, and more
  • Alongside Federal assistance, Florida Spirit Employees can make use of assistance offered by FloridaCommerce and CareerSource Broward

📸Bonus Bulletin

Has Labor Gone Vintage?

Spotted in a Thrift Store in Tallahassee, we recently stumbled upon this “1980s Voting Poster” from the AFL-CIO reminding us that in America, we count every vote. Very true at the time. Still, despite the classic lettering and its presentation among clothes from decades prior, there is a timeliness to the message, which makes us wonder…when does something become vintage? You let us know, but whether you call something like this a timepiece or timeless, you can’t argue that since it arrived on the scene, organized labor will seemingly never go out of style.

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

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 5/8. With a week of quiet on Florida’s Capitol Hill between special sessions, there is still plenty going on across the state. As Lawmakers prepare to return next week, let’s get into what we can expect, and more!

🏛️Legislative News

Florida Legislature To Reconvene (Again) For Budget Work

Following the legislature’s quick and dirty 3 day redistricting ram through of new congressional maps ahead of the mid-terms in Special Session “D” last week, the legislature sped home last Wednesday to let the courts deal with the fallout and resume their waiting on news of when they could reconvene to finish passing the only bill that they are required to- The General Appropriations Act A.K.A The State Budget. This week, legislative leadership in both chambers sent out memos to members filling in the gaps since their announcement several weeks ago that they had finally agreed on top lines and were now ready to do the actual work of negotiating how it is spent. For reference, those top lines are below.

With a due date of July 1st before the current budget expires (risking a partial government shutdown), Senate President Albritton and House Speaker Perez announced to members that members should expect to return to Tallahassee next Tuesday May 12th, where they will participate in budget conferencing via joint committees created for each of the above categories. Here is, in brief, how the budget work- well, works:

A Brief Run Down of the Budget Process

Unlike a regular session committee, Florida’s Appropriation Committees are composed of members from both chambers in order to negotiate over differences in their preferred budgets. Most negotiations are done in between committee appearances by lawmakers behind closed doors, and committees are noticed as short as an hour in-advance in order to update the public as to what progress has been made, and which issues have yet to be resolved. The public, for their consideration, also still receives updated numbers frequently via conference committee reports to track how money is being allocated and is permitted to attend these committees like with all other bills.

All issues not resolved by the committees become bumped to the overall Senate and House Appropriations Committee chairs, who make the final calls on the budget before laying it on the table. For 72-hours, the budget “cools off” to allow for public review before the chambers take their final vote and pass it along to the Governor, who’s line item-veto allows him to carve out specific appropriations at his sole discretion, that would need 2/3 of the legislature to vote to overturn. This happened as you may recall last year, when the Governor’s office vetoed funds essential to both chambers being able to operate, and was the first and only time the majority overturned the Governor.

Why the state civics lesson? Well, partially because all Floridians deserve to know how their money is being moved and spent, but also because in the wake of all the political drama surrounding the Governor’s final session and the approaching mid-terms, the budget process serves as the final place where the political rivalries of the session come due. With the line-item veto,the Governor may (and has historically) punish representatives who have opposed him through cuts to projects in their districts or counties. Things like arts, public works, public schools, and infrastructure funding are all fair game in the final tit for tat politics of the budget. As a result, we will be keeping a close eye on the budget process next week and advocating for workers, to ensure that you are informed and to make sure that working families don’t suffer at the hands of petty personal politics and egos.

🍊Florida Labor News

FEA Files Suit Against State Over School Funding

Educators made headlines again this week when the Florida Education Association (FEA) filed suit against the State of Florida over education funding. Following last week’s teacher misinformation rally and signing of the anti-worker SB 1296 on May Day of all days, our teachers have responded this week by going on the offensive.

As reported by WCTV’s Cody Butler, FEA President Andrew Spar:

pointed to several areas, including the money in the universal school choice program, with different transparency requirements. He said Florida ranked 41st on per-student spending and last in average teacher pay, forcing many to leave.

According to the lawsuit, approximately $5 billion a year of public tax dollars are taken away from public schools to charter and voucher systems. Nearly a quarter of the state’s education budget goes to voucher programs.

The FEA said Florida ranks 50th in the nation in average teacher salary, and over 60% of education staff professionals make less than $35,000 a year, forcing many to leave.

“That’s a disruption in learning. That’s way too common in the state of Florida. Too many students, hundreds of thousands are impacted by this constant churn and by the teacher and staff shortage,” Spar said.

The suit also reflects the ongoing resilience of our teachers and educators statewide who refuse to show fear or back down in the face of continued attacks by our legislature and state leaders. No matter the attempted spin by the Governor or Education Commissioner, the truth is in the facts, and the facts are clear: our educators deserve better!

✊Solidarity Spotlight

National Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Arrives!

Though it’s been “On The Horizon” for the last several weeks, this Saturday marks the 2026 Annual National Association of Letter Carrier’s “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive! For over 30 years, letter carriers and NALC have proudly led what’s become the largest one-day food drive in America by heading out on their routes every second Saturday of May in order to collect donations of non-perishable food items to benefit local food pantries!

We are proud to support this amazing day every year and part of the achievement is in how easy it is for anyone to participate in! This Saturday, all you need to do to help is place a bag of nonperishable food next to your mailbox, where a letter carrier will come by and handle the rest! It is important to note though that NALC Branch and Post Office participation in the food drive is voluntary, so to ensure that your donation will be received you can contact your local post office or use this NALC branch lookup tool to make sure your home and mailbox are covered! If your home isn’t covered, you can also look up your nearest regional food drive to donate as well. All collections stay and contribute to your local community, so if you’re looking for an easy way to make a difference this weekend, we encourage you to participate and spread the word!

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • May 12th – May 29th: Budget Special Session “E”
    • As the legislature’s redistricting effort (and AI/Vaccine re-attempt) concluded earlier this week, the way is paved for the legislature to finally pass the only bill that they constitutionally must: the State Budget.
    • With a brief break before the Budget work begins, we will see what role the House speaker’s defiance against the governor has on redistricting negotiations with the executive and Florida Senate.
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • 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
  • May 9th – National Letter Carrier’s Food Drive
    • This Saturday is the NALC Food Drive!
    • 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

• FREE Trainings from the National AFL-CIO: The National AFL-CIO provides free virtual training sessions leaders and members of all of its State Federations, Area Labor Federations, CLCs and Affiliates. This list of training courses is updated regularly and covers a myriad of topics such as honing political skills, issue specific communications, and more. This page is updated regularly, so please visit and bookmark this link to stay informed and learn more about what is currently available to sign-up for in order to take your labor skills and knowledge to the next level!

📸Bonus Bulletin – In Memoriam

This week, the FL AFL-CIO joins the Central Florida Labor Community in remembering the life of the beloved community fixture, brother William H. “Bill” Barnes, who passed away this week.

Bill began his union tenure as a stagehand at Walt Disney World before leading a life and career spanning decades and across venues such as on Broadway productions and Orlando’s famous Bobb Carr Theater, before turning to teaching at Jones High School. Within his IATSE Local 631, he was elected to a number of executive positions, most recently as their Secretary-Treasurer, and was known as a passionate advocate for working families and under-served communities wherever they could be found, as well as a humorist, with a love of puns, and Hawaiian shirts.

Bill is survived by his wife, Carol; his brother, Bradley, and a large extended family, who have asked that in lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s memory be made to The Orlando Pet Alliance and Shelter or online to IATSE mutual aid. We extend to his family our deepest condolences.

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

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 5/1. Starting off today’s issue by wishing you all a very happy May Day/International Worker’s Day from your FL AFL-CIO family. On this day we don’t just remember the legacy of worker pride and solidarity across history, we honor its continuation each day. A huge thanks and applause to each and every one of you who continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with us to take part in the forever fight for a better, more equitable quality of work and life for all of us.

With that, let’s get into the week’s news.

🏛️Legislative News

A Quick & Dirty 48-hour Redistricting Effort

As we stated in our Labor Letter last week, this week’s Special Session “D” on Redistricting was sure to be a dramatic one, with the Senate and Governor putting forward schedules and the new additions of AI and “Vaccine Freedom” on the agenda, all with a Florida House completely quiet on the other side of the Capitol and no maps even being presented.

That silence was broken on Monday, when newly drawn congressional maps were presented first not to the legislature, but Fox News, where despite the Florida Voter approved Fair District Amendment explicitly banning gerrymandering for partisan gain, the maps were spun as a net gain of 4 GOP congressional leaning districts for the upcoming mid-terms, colored in red and blue.

After that, the drama continued to unfold, as following the legislature’s receiving of the maps , the formerly silent Florida House was convened ahead of the Senate, where House Speaker Daniel Perez announced that while they were going to take up and present the GOP’s maps for consideration the next day, they would be refusing to take back up the AI Bill of Rights and Medical Freedom bills that were denied in the regular session and re-inserted into the special session by the Governor and Senate.

Drama unfolded quickly over the next 48 hours in an almost countless number of unpredictable ways, whether from the Governor’s public critique of the House Speaker, retirement of Congressional Republican and critic/former architect of redistricting Dan Webster , the last minute arrival of the long awaited U.S Supreme Court Decision on Racial Gerrymandering Louisiana v. Callais– the basis for this special session, and even a bullhorn on the House Floor during voting!

With that much occurring in such a short time span, it could be easy to get lost in the noise and mayhem of redistricting. The Bottom Line/Key Takeaways are this:

• The Governor’s new and sudden maps passed both chambers successfully, with notable opposition in the Senate from several members of the majority forcing the vote total to a narrow 20-17.
  • Though it was only a day long, members asked lengthy questions and received extended explanations on the new districts, including the open admission of partisan data considered in them
• The newly adopted maps break apart and target 5 main parts of Florida
  • District 14 currently held by Rep. Kathy Castor (D)
  • District 9 currently held by Rep. Darren Soto (D)
  • District 22 currently held by Rep. Lois Frankel (D)
  • District 23 currently held by Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D), and broken into 3 new districts.
  • District 25 currently held by Rep. Wasserman-Shultz (D)
• The new maps are bound for court as a result of the complex interplay between the recent Louisiana vs. Callais decision, Florida’s own racial protection requirements, and its Fair Districts Amendment approved by voters in 2010.
  • The Governor’s Side has argued that the supreme court ruling is favorable to their maps and permits the override of the Fair Districts Amendment, overturning the wishes of the vast majority of Florida Voters who don’t want any parties rigging elections in their favor.
  • Opponents argue however that the Supreme Court’s ruling was far narrower than what the governor’s staff had hoped, and that the maps are blatantly unconstitutional and should be shut down by the Florida Supreme Court.

In any scenario, this story is far from over, and while we hurtle towards COPE and the Mid-Terms, our finger is on the pulse of these maps and how they may be impacting candidates and races later this November.

🍊Florida Labor News

Florida Celebrates Organized Labor on May Day, Governor Targets It

While today is being celebrated across the world as a day to lift up and honor worker’s role in society, our esteemed Governor instead took the opportunity of International Worker’s Day to put his signature to the billionaire backed attack on our public sector workers that is SB 1296.

Readers and 2026 Working Family Lobby Corps members may remember this nefarious bill from earlier this year during the recent 2026 Legislative Session. The subject of intense and continual scrutiny in the face of postponements, embarrassing bill testimonies, misinformation campaigns against teachers, and backdoor dealings lying to members and the public in order to get it across the finish line, SB 1296 finally arrived across the governor’s desk yesterday and was quickly whisked to a press conference in Fort Myers this morning. There, the Governor, Education Commissioner, and bill sponsors open faced admitted the bill’s true intention to bust our teacher’s unions, spread misinformation against our educators, and ignored any mention of the bill’s widespread impact across all of our public sector workforce.

You can read our official statement in response below:

Meanwhile, Florida’s working families remain strong this May Day, and have been active across the state showing out for the legacy and future of organized labor! Remember that the celebrations and events do not conclude today either, and that you can visit our May Day in Florida Page or visit Mobilize to see some of the weekend’s solidarity events taking place.

✊Solidarity Spotlight

UPDATE: USF Labor Community Ramps Up Actions vs. SSC Services

You might recall from last week, we highlighted a story of the USF Workers seeking solidarity in their efforts to fight for fairer wages and improved benefits in the face of an increasingly distant and unresponsive management. This week, those same workers of SEIU 32BJ ramped up their efforts, protesting on Wednesday and increasing coverage of their fight across Tampa, and forcing a response from management company SSC Services. SSC said they aim to “…continue discussions through the established bargaining process and remain committed to negotiating in good faith with the Union to reach an agreement that is fair to all.” but union members say if such negotations do not materialize, they will consider bigger, bolder actions. We stand in solidarity with their efforts and hope for a favorable resolution for these critical workers at USF!

Orange County Unions Team Up for Huge Town Hall, Kick off May Day, and More!

This week, our unions have been active in getting in the spirit of Solidarity, and we wanted to highlight some of the great actions put together by our folks in and around our Central Florida AFL-CIO such as Unite Here Locals 727 and 326, and the Orange County Classroom Teacher’s Association. This week they gave voice to a number of issues, hosting a collaborative townhall with over 180 members of the community to speak out on rising costs of living, canvassing operations, ongoing property tax lawsuits against Disney, and more! You are encouraged to check out their great work here! Photo credits to UNITE HERE! Local 362 Facebook

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • (!!NEW!!) May 12th – May 29th: Budget Special Session “E”
    • As the legislature’s redistricting effort (and AI/Vaccine re-attempt) concluded earlier this week, the way is paved for the legislature to finally pass the only bill that they constitutionally must: the State Budget.
    • With a brief break before the Budget work begins, we will see what role the House speaker’s defiance against the governor has on redistricting negotiations with the executive and Florida Senate.
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • 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
  • May 1st – 2nd International Worker’s Day / May Day Celebrations
    • 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!
  • 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

• FREE Trainings from the National AFL-CIO: The National AFL-CIO provides free virtual training sessions leaders and members of all of its State Federations, Area Labor Federations, CLCs and Affiliates. This list of training courses is updated regularly and covers a myriad of topics such as honing political skills, issue specific communications, and more. This page is updated regularly, so please visit and bookmark this link to stay informed and learn more about what is currently available to sign-up for in order to take your labor skills and knowledge to the next level!

📸Bonus Bulletin

Graduation Weekend features another FSU Alum turned House Speaker

Though we aren’t biased towards any one of our Florida Universities, it’s undeniable in Tallahassee to ignore the scores of people arriving in town this week to gather for graduations at Florida State, FAMU, and TSC. This weekend though, an unusual appearance will be made at FSU by none other than House Speaker Daniel Perez himself, marking another notable appearance of a Florida State Alumni turned House Speaker, after former university president John Thrasher. While we don’t have any immediate staff attending graduation this semester (that might have to wait until Summer), we can only ponder what the Perez might advise to the future graduates of tomorrow…How to run a branch of government, or stop one?

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