Welcome to a special edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 9/4! Labor Day is upon us! Though many students and other professionals often look forward to the occasion for the extra time off, Florida’s working families know that this incredible holiday has a deep history and proud tradition across the country.

Beginning in the late 19th century, as the burgeoning movement of organized labor grew across the U.S, a day was proposed to celebrate the strength and power of organized labor, all that it had achieved and secured for the working class, and all that it could do for them in the future. Since then, on the first Monday of September, Americans everywhere celebrate this proud history, and in an era that has created the world’s first Trillionaire, the need for organized labor could not be greater. We are excited to get into the many ways in which you can celebrate this year and how some of you have already kicked things off!

📝From The Desk of the President

🍊Florida Labor News

Angie Nixon Endorsed by The Florida AFL-CIO!

This week, the Florida AFL-CIO is proud to announce its endorsement and support of Angie Nixon for Florida’s next U.S Senator! With her experience as a union organizer and a proven track record in the Florida House as a fighter for the working class, the choice before Florida’s working families this November couldn’t be clearer! We are excited to work to educate and get out voters this November as we vie for not just a brighter Tallahassee or Florida that works for us, but a Washington D.C as well!

The Labor Day Lowdown!

We are happy to see a slew of Labor Day events taking place across our Sunshine State this weekend, so as promised, here is a lowdown of all of the CLC events being put on across the state! No matter where you are, there’s a community in Florida Labor for you. You can see all of these events and more from this Labor Day weekend on our Mobilize! Whether you are canvassing, cooking, or just plain celebrating, we want to see how you are commemorating your Labor Day! Don’t forget to tag our socials @flaflcio on Instagram and X, and @FloridaAFLCIO on Facebook!

✊Labor Day Solidarity Spotlight!

Labor in Southern Florida Gets Ahead of the Labor Day Action!

Since our last issue, Several of our CLCs down south have been busy not just prepping, but already putting into action several big events for Labor Day and Labor 2026!

Yesterday, the South Florida CLC itself put on an early Labor Day action when it held a Press Conference ahead of the Miami-Dade County Budget hearing and the Labor Day weekend. Labor leaders, workers, community organizers, elected officials, candidates and others came together to address a host of issues facing the Miami-Dade and South Florida communities including the impact of proposed local, state and federal funding cuts and policies on working people, the potential devastating impact of the Amendment 3 ballot initiative, escalating ICE raids and federal attacks on South Florida immigrants communities, and the growing affordability crisis on workers and families across the region. The event drew over 30+ organizations and leaders, and was helmed by South Florida CLC President Jeffrey Mitchell and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Also active this past week was the Broward County Central Labor Council, which put on their 2026 Labor Ball. CLC President Andy Madtes and Secretary/Treasurer Dana Shumate and so many others helped organize a very successful event that showcased the size, power, and resilience of the Broward County Labor community! The ball also drew a number of recognizable names in elected officials and candidates for seats as local as city commissioners all the way to U.S Senate including Angie Nixon, Gwen Graham, Jose Javier Rodriguez just to name a few! You are encouraged to visit the Broward County CLC Facebook Page to see a number of great photos, moments, and more from the evening!

📸Bonus Bulletin

Remembering Legendary Women’s Rights Activist and Journalist Gloria Steinem

This week America received more news of the sudden passage of another legendary figure in activism- critically acclaimed Journalist and Feminist Gloria Steinem. Known as a leader and pioneering figure in the second wave of feminism, Steinem was a columnist for New York Magazine and co-founded the influential Ms. Magazine as well as a number of feminist advocacy organizations including the National Women’s Political Caucus, Women’s Action Alliance, and Women’s Media Center.

Despite gaining notoriety first in the 1960s, Steinem was known for her lifelong activism well into the present day and a number of achievements far too long to list in a newsletter entry. Instead, we thank her for her profound role in pushing and gaining ground in the everyday fight for a more equitable and equal America for everyone. As we kick off a weekend commemorating the progress of organizing and work left to do, we leave you with some of the legendary activist’s last words of advice, as written in a final essay published this week in the New Yorker:

People often ask me: What should we do? No one person could answer that for everyone. I will say that we must work together to make sure that equal laws and customs become normalized. While there are many external gestures, the biggest leaps are those that we make within ourselves. Standing up for your own full humanity is an example you can give to others. Bring equality into your workplace and home—and follow the sense you probably had as a child, before gender roles took shape, about fairness.

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

Introduction

As 2025 draws towards it’s close, we wanted to take a look back at the many members, moments, milestones, and more that helped define life for Florida’s Working Families. Let’s take a tour of some of the highlights that made 2025 one of the most important for Florida’s Working Families and give you a sneak peak into what more transformative changes the new year may hold!

Labor Regroups and Rallies in the 2024-2025 Session

Florida’s unions need few reminders of the devastation brought on by the 2023 Florida Legislative Session. Whether the result of the Governor’s presidential ambitions or wealthy donors and think-tanks funding a culture war, working families in Florida lost collective bargaining rights and long standing pro-worker local ordinances amidst an increasingly privatized voucher-led school system and passage of divisive culture war bills. To put it lightly, Florida labor walked into the 2025 March Legislative Session battered but unbroken.

Thankfully, in the 2025 Legislative Session, the tides began to change. Following his disastrous failed bid for the presidency, Ron Desantis’s grip on the legislature has begun to slip, with each day leading the self-styled emperor to increasing irrelevancy as the legislature re-orients itself towards the 2026 election and the real issues that matter to working families. The new political atmosphere and steadfast resilience of Florida’s labor community led to us winning eight out of ten of our most serious defensive fights for Florida’s workers last session including:

• Successfully stopping further attacks on the collective bargaining rights of our public sector workers.
• Successfully protecting Florida’s child labor laws from further erosion.
• Successfully defended Florida’s existing minimum wage rights.
• Successfully protected over a million temporary workers by saving the Labor Pool Act from attempts at repeal.
• Successfully preserved easier access to what is left of Florida’s vital unemployment insurance system.
• Successfully stopped the special interests and the legislature from imposing term limits on our school boards and county commissions.

Though progress makes perfect, the damage done over the last few years will take more than one session to undo and repair. Florida’s labor community has survived the onslaught but remains vigilant and will never back down. In 2026, we look forward to continuing to marshal the collective power of workers to fight back against the attacks on working families. If you haven’t committed to doing so already, we hope you will join us as part of the Working Family Lobby Corps in 2026 to be part of a brighter Florida for everyone.

Meeting the Moment at the 2025 Florida AFL-CIO Convention

Following the late Sine Die of the legislative session, the Florida Labor Federation turned its sights towards Orlando, FL, where on September 6th and 7th, we held the 2025 Florida AFL-CIO Biennial Convention! We hosted almost 300 delegates, as well as local labor leaders, activists, and lawmakers such as U.S Representatives Darren Soto (FL-09) and Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), as well as State Representative Dr. Anna Eskamani (HD-42).

We elected new leadership to our Principal Offices and Executive Board, including the unanimous election of Interim President Kimberly Holdridge to a full term, and welcomed Maira Rivera as the new Secretary-Treasurer of the Florida AFL-CIO!

In addition, members made resolutions on everything from Artificial Intelligence to protecting Federal Worker’s Bargaining Rights, and took part in detailed workshops on how to better show solidarity on the front lines of Immigration and Nonviolent Action. For a more detailed breakdown, make sure you take a look at our 2025 Convention Highlights from earlier this year.

Actions & Events

No King’s Day

As part of one of the largest single day demonstrations in U.S History, Florida’s working class took part in opposing growing government authoritarianism across the sunshine state, showing that whether on the steps of the Florida Capitol or in the National Mall, the voice of the American people will never be silenced! Take a look at some highlights below, and view the full gallery on our post documenting the big day!

A Government in Shutdown

When the federal government shutdown on October 1st of this year, few predicted that it would go on to become the longest government shutdown in U.S History. As roughly 900,000 federal employees were furloughed and millions more were forced to work without pay, Florida Labor answered the call and was motivated to act—even when congress wasn’t.

Whether on the picket line, participating in patch-through calls, or donating to food banks, union members across the state joined in solidarity with affected workers to not just provide for and support each other, but to call attention to looming threats to healthcare, SNAP, and other benefits put on the line by the shutdown. Take a look at our full coverage of actions on our web post from earlier this year!

Other Actions Statewide

Throughout the year, we were proud to stand in solidarity with the countless actions put on by unions and CLCs across the state. Whether it was UAW members in Orlando securing a new and fairer contract with Lockheed Martin this summer or Starbucks workers in West Palm Beach leading the way for Florida to join Starbucks Workers United’s Red Cup Rebellion this fall, we are proud of Floridians everywhere this year for their indomitable spirit for a brighter future. Let’s continue to make good trouble in the new year!

New Year, New Resolutions: A Look Ahead to 2026

Speaking of New Year’s, we wanted to not just highlight the moments and milestones from this past year, but also look ahead to our resolutions for 2026! Here are some major moments to keep on the calendar and look forward to in 2026!

2026 Regular Legislative Session: January 13th – March 13th*, 2026

With an election on the horizon, the Florida Legislature begins their annual regular legislative session in January next year. With a host of already announced legislative proposals surrounding AI Regulation and attempts to reduce property taxes despite heavy criticism from local government, there are no shortage of issues sure to arrive in 2026. We’ve got our finger on the pulse of the legislative chambers, ready to let you know of the latest developments this upcoming session, so make sure you are following our YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and newly re-launched Instagram for the latest legislative updates and more!

As you may have seen us say elsewhere, we repeat with emphasis:

The biggest threats to Florida’s working Families come from Tallahassee, not Washington D.C

If you haven’t already, consider joining the fight come next session as part of the Working Families Lobby Corps 2026. The bills defeated in years past will return, but this session we are not just playing defense. In addition to your powerful action, we will be pushing for new and proactive policies to reverse the damage done to education, worker protections, and support new protections in areas such as AI. Your solidarity is key in achieving these victories and so much more in 2026. Together, we win!

COPE Endorsing Convention 2026: June 12th – June 14th, 2026

Another election year means another COPE! Though further details and information will be revealed next year, make sure to follow our FL AFL-CIO social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and sign up for our emailing list to ensure that you stay up to date as we get closer to convention!

Please note that following the conclusion of next year’s 2026 COPE Convention, all future conventions will be held as a combined full session of both the Biennial and COPE Endorsing Convention. Starting in 2028, delegates will be able to convene to both elect new leadership and vote on endorsements, key issues, constitutional amendments at one unified event every two years. This move is expected to reduce staffing costs and produce significant savings for the FL AFL-CIO and our members, allowing us to better be able to allocate resources to do what we do best: fight for working families!

The November 2026 Midterm Election: November 3rd, 2026

The November Midterms are right around the corner! Below is an additional list of Florida specific deadlines and election dates worth keeping in mind as we near the next opportunity to make clear the priorities of workers everywhere and elect representatives who fight for the people!

• Primary voter/party registration deadline: July 20, 2026
• Primary Election Day: August 18th, 2026
• Voter registration deadline: October 5th, 2026
• Deadline to request a mailed ballot: October 22nd, 2026
• General Election Early Voting Period: October 24th – 31st, 2026* (dates may vary by voting district)
• General Election Day: November 3rd, 2026

For more information on Florida and District specific election dates in 2026, make sure you visit the Florida Division of Elections website!

A Final Note From the Desk of The President

Dear Sisters, Brothers, and Kin:

Together we have achieved something remarkable. Your dedication, resilience, and actions throughout 2025 remind us that there is strength in numbers. Is it cliché? Absolutely not! The road of the 2025 legislative session—federally and statewide—presented a full slate of anti‑worker and anti‑human rhetoric: attempts to roll back child labor laws, continued attacks on public sector workers, dismantling of the Department of Education, restructuring of the military, and actions taken against our immigrant families. I could go on and on.

And yet, our union family continued to fight. Why? Because we know that an injury to one is an injury to all.

We stood shoulder to shoulder in the halls of power, in our workplaces, and in our communities. We testified, we organized, we marched, and we made sure that the voices of working people could not be ignored. Every phone call, every rally, every late‑night strategy session was proof that solidarity is not just a word—it is our lifeline.

As we look ahead to 2026, we know the challenges will not disappear. But neither will our resolve. We will continue to defend the dignity of work, protect our families, and demand justice for every worker. Our strength lies in our unity, and our unity is unbreakable.

Thank you for your courage, your persistence, and your unwavering belief in the power of collective action. Together, we are not only resisting—we are building a future where workers thrive and communities flourish.

In solidarity,

Kimberly Holdridge,

President, Florida AFL‑CIO

As the federal government shutdown nears its fifth week, organized labor and working class advocates have been continuously mobilizing across the nation and the state to argue for not just an end to the congressional stalemate, but also solutions to the crisis that has caused it. Here’s a closer look at the shutdown’s impact on Florida and how Floridians everywhere have responded with solidarity and action.

Overcast for Workers in the Sunshine State

As cloud coverage and lower temperatures breeze across the sunshine state this week, the continued government shutdown has cast an extra layer of cold on Florida’s federal workers. Over 154,000 federal workers live in our state , and as negotiations stall in D.C, stories of their struggle span the length of the state. Floridians working for essential agencies such as the TSA and U.S Customs and Border Patrol continue to effort to keep Floridians and travelers safe in communities like Palm Beach, Miami, and Orlando despite missing entire pay periods. As a result, these critical workers have found themselves increasingly reliant on community aid for essential relief in the face of a lack of paychecks and means to support their families. Thankfully, their calls for support have not gone unanswered.

Solidarity Shines Through

In communities across Florida, unions, advocacy groups, and even congressional members have joined forces to provide for Florida’s federal workers and call attention to the realities they are facing to urge for solutions and an end to the Shutdown.

In Palm Beach County, Congresswomen Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Lois Frankel partnered with Feeding South Florida and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 558 to collect and distribute food to struggling federal workers, showing even small actions can have meaningful impact.

In Broward County, AFGE Local 2014 and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans (FLARA) were joined in solidarity by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schulz to line the streets of the Plantation, FL Social Security Office to draw attention to the importance of continued funding to critical programs like Social Security for Florida’s Veterans and Retirees.

Union action has not just been towards aiding struggling workers either, but towards holding congressional leadership accountable. In Polk County, your West Central Florida Labor Council partnered with Indivisible Polk County to gather outside of the office of Representative Scott Franklin to call on him to use his voice to compel congressional leadership and his colleagues to return to Washington and put working families first in addressing the looming healthcare crisis. You can watch the press conference in its entirety on the West Central Florida Labor Council Facebook Page and read the full letter to Rep. Franklin here.

The Work Continues; The Shutdown Must End.

As mentioned earlier, as of today the government continues to remain shutdown, but as laborers continue to stand together, politicians are feeling the pressure from the people to bring this ongoing crisis to a conclusion. Whether through protests and press conferences outside of congressional offices or food banks and resource collection to help each other endure, Florida’s working class is standing in solidarity to support each other and drive change. As the clock keeps ticking, paychecks continue to be absent, and further essential programs like SNAP and food stamps are set to expire, the state and the nation are making the statement to congress loud and clear: The people will not sit still while the government continues to. The work must continue. The shutdown must end.

This past weekend, hundreds of thousands of Floridians joined the chorus of an estimated 7 million Americans nationwide who gathered peacefully on Saturday in defiance of growing government authoritarianism, affirming that whether on the steps of the Florida Capitol or in the National Mall, the voice of the working class will not be silenced.

As part of the over 2,700 nationwide protests that took place, Floridians mobilized across all of our counties, from the streets of Broward to the bridges of Duval and of course, to the footsteps of Florida’s lawmakers at the Florida Historic Capitol. Here are some photos from members and protests across the state that your FL AFL-CIO was a part of, who continue to give voice to the working class and let stagnant lawmakers know that the work is far from over.

At The State Capitol

Gathering downtown at the heart of the Florida Capitol, citizens, workers, and activists alike lined the city’s busiest intersections to let all travelers know that lawmakers serve the people, not the party!

Across The State

Tallahassee was not the only city of activists. Here are some photos from union members and more across the state from Northwest Florida, Palm Beach, Broward and our other Central Labor Councils getting out to do the work of making good trouble! Special thanks to our CLC leadership team for providing these great photos!

A big thank you to all of our many members, unions, families, and more that got out this past weekend that were not pictured here but made their voices heard loud and clear. Unions continue to prove that together, there is little that the working class can’t do.

In Solidarity!