Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 7/17. It is one month until the Florida Primaries! It’s an exciting time for the 3rd largest state in the union to finally be able to chime in on a political conversation so far dominated by our kin in northern states.

You’ll see us mention it several times this issue, but elections are the most critical part of our democracy and the most directly impactful thing you can do to make your voice as a citizen heard. Primaries are an essential step in that process, where the voters inform their parties and candidates about the direction they want to see their representatives move.

As such, we encourage all of our members, no matter your party registration nor political leaning, to make your voice heard in the primaries and let your parties and candidates know what kind of values, policies, and ideas you want to see represent you and Florida’s working families this November!

🏛️Legislative News

Wait, Who is in the Lead? (A Quick Primer on Polling.)

Though we haven’t spotted any tumbleweeds in the streets here yet, you may have noticed most of the politicos of Florida have shifted much of their attention from the Capitol and its ongoing construction towards coverage of Florida’s many mid-term election campaigns. The hot topic of headlines heading into the primaries has talked a lot around polling and who has the lead heading into August.

Take the Governor’s race for instance. No matter where you look, the common consensus among pollsters is that the two leads in Florida right now are Byron Donalds in the Republican Primary and the FL AFL-CIO Endorsed David Jolly in the Democratic Primary.

If you ask either of them, they’re comfortable in their momentum. Byron Donalds for instance points to polls that show him as the favorite of 48% of Republican primary voters for instance, with competitors like Jay Collins at 9%. But hold on, Jay Collins is saying that his polls show that he’s actually at 20%! So who is actually in the lead here? What does “up 40 points” mean? What’s a point? What’s the point? Should I even bother voting if its decided?

The short answer is that the “lead” doesn’t really matter. Until election day, no one has won. It’s you, the voter, who tells us that. Until then, the candidates will have to earn your vote and their victory.

The long answer is that polls are simultaneously one of the most touted and least explained parts of politics. Even I get puzzled at polls sometimes, and I took classes on them!

Thankfully, we’re not the only ones to feel this way, and the pollsters know that too! That’s why some of them, like the good folks at the infamous Pew Research Center or the New York Times have put together excellent resources to help break down not just the importance of polls, but how to interpret them and what they really mean.

Not all polls are created equal, and things such as the pollster, the size of the sample, and the time frame are all important indicators as to a poll’s reliability. A good golden rule of thumb though is to never put too much stock in a single poll, because after all- a poll is just a measure of how people are feeling at a given point in time. The real decision comes on election day, so to make sure your candidate wins, you gotta vote!

As we head into election season, take some time to familiarize yourself with polls and how they work, so you know how to tell the BS apart from the bellwethers. As we prepare to elect the best Florida candidates for working families, you know we will do the same!

🍊Florida Labor News

Donate to COPE to help Labor 2026 Win!

No matter who leads an election, one thing is for certain, elections cost money! Whether its paying for staff, travel, mail, or even the small things like balloons and stickers, campaigns of every kind rely on money to stay alive and succeed. That includes the Labor 2026 campaign! (Well maybe not the balloons.)

We mentioned it at our COPE Convention, Labor 2026 is a huge opportunity to not just disrupt the stagnant status quo not just in Tallahassee, but statewide! With a slew of candidates running for major offices like U.S Senate and Attorney General, we hope not to just break the state’s supermajority control of both chambers, but shift Florida back into a state that fights for working families at every level! To do that we need your help!

If you are willing and able, please consider a donation to the COPE Action Fund. This fund is 100% dedicated towards executing member to member programming for Labor 2026. Every single dollar spent by this fund is used to turn out the votes of our workers, whether that be through the production of materials for your CLCs, educational information on the candidates running, voter registration initiatives for locals, and more. Every donation helps, no matter how large or small, so please consider donating!

Please scan and share the QR code above or click this link to make a contribution. Together, we win!

✊Solidarity Spotlight

The Fight Continues in a Post SB 1296 State University System

Though we have a little bit of proximity bias (the state federation offices are located in a city with not just one, but three major universities), we are confident to say that no matter where you are in Florida, unions continue to be a critical part of our public universities. By advocating for the better pay and working conditions for the staff and students that run them, they ensure that under all the college sports rivalries and esteemed alumni, our universities are able to continue to meet and exceed their reputations as some of the best in the country.

Since the anti-union Senate Bill 1296 took effect on the same week as Independence Day, unions everywhere have been feeling the pressure. Still, we have been proud to see the resilience of our labor family as they continue to demonstrate their own strength and independence in the face of this adversity. This week we want to give some attention and show solidarity to some of those efforts happening across the SUS.

This week for instance, a significant victory was achieved at the University of Central Florida, where, as reported by AFSCME’s Mark McCullough, the hardworking men and women of AFSCME Local 3345 voted 62% in favor of re-certifying their union. AFSCME Florida Administrator James Spears best put it:

“The University of Central Florida is one of Florida’s premier colleges because of the employees that make it happen. When workers have a union contract they can ensure they have what is needed to do the best jobs possible.“

We’ve also seen our higher education kin empowered after recent judicial rulings struck down unconstitutional measures to police campus speech when the “Stop WOKE Act” was rebuked in federal court last week.

Still, elsewhere the battle continues, such as at Tallahassee’s own Florida State University, where the garnet and gold made headlines this week for all the wrong reasons when the Board of Trustees offered zero salary or merit raises to their faculty and graduate assistant unions of UFF and GAU in recent negotiations, concerning university staff who continue to face rising costs of living in a city and university of increasing demand.

No matter where the fight is, we want to be clear: we will always stand with our working families and support their fight for better labor conditions. In the third most populous state in the country, and the world’s 14th largest economy, with universities whose endowments can reach billions, it should never be about the money.

🗓️On the Horizon

Will you stand with us and help us keep building on the momentum of the labor movement? Visit https://dos.fl.gov/elections/for-voters/check-your-voter-status-and-polling-place/ to check your voter registration, access election information, and make a plan to vote! See below for important dates to note as we head towards primary season.

• 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 <— You are HERE
      • 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
• Digital
  • Thursday, June 23rd: It’s Better in a Union: Labor 2026 Kickoff
    • Join the National AFL-CIO as they kick off their nationwide Labor 2026 initiative. Members of the labor family no matter how large or local are encouraged to attend as to discuss the national’s “Union P.O.W.E.R” training initiative, voter protection program, and upcoming opportunities for engagement.
    • You can RSVP on Mobilize at this link.
  • First Monday of every Month: FLARA Monthly Meetings
    • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their monthly zoom meetings. FLARA meets on the first Friday of every month at 10 AM EST, and features guest speakers and relevant information for retirees from national and state governments as well as important information on demonstrations, partner activities, etc.
    • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the monthly invitation.
• Regional
  • Central Florida
    • Orlando
      • Wednesday, August 5th: Meet and Greet with David Jolly!
        • Join fellow union members and leaders for a private meet and greet with Florida AFL-CIO endorsed candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor, David Jolly and Gwen Graham.
        • This event is space limited, and as such is invitation only, with advance registration required. You can RSVP on Mobilize at this link. The full location and building instructions will be provided via email after you RSVP.
    • Tampa
      • Tuesday, July 28: Protect Our Post Office Action!
        • The Post Office is the beating heart of communities across America. But from the threat of privatization, to mail slowdowns, a postal financial crunch, and the attack on vote-by-mail, our public Postal Service is under attack.
        • Join Local 259 and APWU members across the country on July 28 at 9am in Carrollwood to rally to protect our post office! Sign up on the Action Network!

🛠️Business Board

Let’s Get Medicaid Expansion On the 2028 Ballot!

Attendees of our COPE Convention 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 https://floridadecideshealthcare.org/aflcio/
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

This week’s New Yorker cartoon brought up a great question asked by many workers in today’s world. Though we can relate to the anxieties, rest assured, you can find the answer to this one without a magic ball. “Will robots take my job in a good way or a bad way?” They won’t let them deny you a job if we have anything to say about it.

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 7/10. On the back end of America’s 250th Fourth of July weekend (which we hope you all enjoyed safely and memorably), Florida’s working patriots have returned this week to the summer grindstone ahead of the November midterms. Still, we hope as you aim to beat the heat that you are all taking plenty of breaks and long earned vacation days, staying cool or keeping your cool no matter what the week throws at you. Here is a review of what you may have missed while at the pool.

🏛️Legislative News

Florida’s STOP WOKE Act Struck Down in Federal Court

As our third branch of government, a great deal of us look to our Judiciary as the last means to push back against the excesses of the executive and legislative when they go against will and principles of the people they serve. This is true no matter where you are in the nation, and as the U.S Supreme Court handed down a myriad of mixed rulings last week, upholding essential rights like Birthright Citizenship and potentially stripping others like TPS Status for Immigrant Workers (a great deal of whom have found refuge in Florida), American faith in our courts has been an uneasy one.

This is also true in our Sunshine State, but where some federal rulings have enabled our Legislature to run awry with attempts at discrimination like with the ram-through redistricting done earlier this year, others have allowed Florida’s working families to make the case against some of the anti-worker legislation steamrolled over the past few years and show them for what they really are.

This week, one of those cases was made successfully when a Federal appeals court this week struck down the higher education provisions of the 2022 Stop W.O.K.E Act. The STOP W.O.K.E Act for those in need of a reminder is a piece of culture war classroom censorship that has sought to muzzle our educators from being able to teach about topics such as race and gender in schools and workplaces.

An Orwellian step of government overreach when it passed, the bill’s true face has been revealed in previous rulings striking down its ability to control free speech in the workplace, though this time the court’s ruling cuts through the talking points to the defense of Florida’s higher education teachers, workers, and students:

“Florida’s salary-for-speech rule is a breathtaking assertion of power to ban unpopular ideas from public discourse in the very places the State’s own statutes recognize as centers of inquiry—classrooms where students are trusted to puzzle through ideas that are good and bad, easy and hard, ideally getting ever closer to the truth.”

As noted by the ACLU, who served as Plaintiff in one of the cases:

“this decision the first time an appellate court has considered the constitutionality of this censorship movement, with implications for educators nationwide who are subject to related.”

The Governor for his part ironically pouted that the ruling is an example of judicial overreach, though we struggle to see the part where our system of checks and balances working to preserve our first amendment right is doing anything but preventing overreach. This is what government looks like when it works for the people, but we wouldn’t blame him for not being familiar.

🍊Florida Labor News

Workers Continue to Stand as TPS Status Still Lingers in South Florida

As mentioned earlier, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Immigrant Workers continues to stand on shaky ground in Florida made further so after the U.S Supreme Court ruled that Homeland Security’s decision to revoke and assign it is immune from review from the courts. For workers in South Florida, the removal of TPS could be devastating to the stability of the South Florida community and economy and more importantly, the lives of over 150,000 Haitian workers seeking refuge from a dangerous crisis at home.

Since February, we’ve spoken of how working families including those with UNITE HERE 355 and SEIU32BJ have gathered in solidarity to call for extensions since February, with minor reprieves given. This week, that trend continues, with U.S Immigration services today further extending the expiration deadline until July 24th hours after a rally in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood on Thursday and one today at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

The ongoing situation underscores not just the strength and tenacity of South Florida’s labor community, but also the need for a more permanent solution to the problem. We stand in solidarity with our kin as they navigate towards that end.

✊Solidarity Spotlight

WLRN Public Radio Ratifies First Union Contract!

Almost a full year after the federal government cut billions in funding for public media like NPR and its affiliates, and after months of bargaining in the state and environment that wrought SB 1296, the staff of WLRN-FM has proven that despite the pressures, public media continues to be an essential part of our local communities and its workers deserve to be considered and compensated all the same.

This Tuesday, Miami’s public radio, represented by SAG-AFTRA, ratified their very first union contract with a loud and clear 100% of the bargaining unit in approval. As best put by the workers themselves in a statement:

“At a time when public media and the journalism industry as a whole are under increasing pressure, it’s more important than ever to have a seat at the table. We’re much stronger with our contract in effect, and we can focus on the important work that South Florida relies on.”

Now I am biased as a product of public media myself, but I think its safe to say that Florida’s working families everywhere are glad to see another successful effort at Florida workers getting the pay, respect, and support they deserve. Locals can tune into WLRN at 91.3 FM in Miami, and in Palm Beach County on 104.7 FM.

🗓️On the Horizon

Florida AFL-CIO President Urges Members to Register to Vote for 2026 Midterms

Direct from the desk of Florida AFL-CIO President Kimberly Holdridge:

There’s a lot at stake in the 2026 midterm elections for working families. Protecting the right to organize, expanding collective bargaining rights to build a more equitable work environment, and the education of our children are all on the ballot. In order to do that, we need to break the super-majority in Tallahassee and elect candidates willing to fight for our values!

Will you stand with us and help us keep building on the momentum of the labor movement? Visit https://dos.fl.gov/elections/for-voters/check-your-voter-status-and-polling-place/ to check your voter registration, access election information, and make a plan to vote! See below for important dates to note as we head towards primary season.

• 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
• Digital
  • 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

Summer Movie Recommendation: I Love Boosters

Looking for a movie to get your organizing blood flowing or just wind down after a day in the heat? Here’s a recommendation! (Note: This suggestion reflects the recommendations of the author and author alone and not the movie tastes of the entire FL AFL-CIO staff.)

It’s not often that a movie hits a chord with organized labor so resonantly, but that’s what Boot’s Riley’s latest film I Love Boosters did when it flew under the radar earlier this May! Though its premise seems simple, following exploits of community activists shoplifting clothes from a major fashion retailer, it grows into a much more broader narrative on where the real thievery takes place between corporations and their workers. It’s best summarized by Dominic Griffin of the Baltimore Beat:

“the beauty in “Boosters” is how magnificently it illustrates the sum total of these gripes as one multipronged struggle that can only be overcome through solidarity and collective bargaining amongst the aggrieved.“

On top of the core message, it also features some absurdist comedy and visuals that inspire the viewer as much as they emphasize the looney-tunes like relationship between some companies and the people that make them run (and what can be done to change it.)

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 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