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

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

🏛️Legislative News

The Budget Finally Passes (Out of the Legislature)

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

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

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

What’s Next?

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

Special Session F Adds ANOTHER Inning to the Legislative Ballgame

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

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

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

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

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

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

🍊Florida Labor News

Florida AFL-CIO Endorses Jose Javier Rodriguez for Attorney General

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

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

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

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

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

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

✊Solidarity Spotlight

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

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

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

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

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

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

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • Week of June 1st: Budget Special Session “F” on Property Tax
    • We’ve officially gone farther in the special session numbers than last year! Next Monday, as explored above, we will find out whether this special session actually lasts the week, or whether the Florida House intends to reject the Senate and Governor’s attempt at property tax elimination in the same way they received in March. Stay tuned!
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • First Monday of every Month: FLARA Monthly Meetings:
    • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their monthly zoom meetings. FLARA meets on the first Friday of every month at 10 AMEST, and features guest speakers and relevant information for retirees from national and state governments as well as important information on demonstrations, partner activities, etc.
    • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the monthly.
• Regional
  • South Florida
    • Saturday, May 30th – 2nd Annual Broward Teacher’s Union 5k Run for Education!
      • Join the Broward County Teacher’s Union in Hollywood, FL for a day of fun in the sun with a cause! This 5K aims to fundraise crucial dollars for the Broward School Community, with all money raised going directly back to Broward County’s Public Schools, funding programs and resources that help students thrive! You can learn more, register, and donate here!

🛠️Business Board

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

📸Bonus Bulletin

Conan Repairs the Commencement Speech: AI Cannot Replace Us!

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

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

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

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

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org

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

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

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

🏛️Legislative News

It’s Too Quiet in Tallahassee

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

Budget Talks Continue Behind Closed Doors

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

Appointees and University Presidents Decided Outside the Sunshine

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

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

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

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

🍊Florida Labor News

South Florida Labor Reminds Candidates: Working Class Frustration is Firepower

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

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

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

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

✊Solidarity Spotlight

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

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

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

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • May 25th: Memorial Day
  • Week of May 29th: Budget Special Session “E”Part Two
    • Following this week’s joint budget conferencing, the remainder of the budget work to be done will be by the House and Senate Appropriations Chairs between now and after Memorial Day. That week, the Legislature will reconvene to debate and vote on the final product.
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • First Monday of every Month: FLARA Monthly Meetings:
    • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their monthly zoom meetings. FLARA meets on the first Friday of every month at 10 AMEST, and features guest speakers and relevant information for retirees from national and state governments as well as important information on demonstrations, partner activities, etc.
    • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the monthly.
• Regional
  • North Florida
    • Saturday, May 23rd – Big Bend Labor Chapter May Day Picnic!
      • Rescheduled originally due to inclement weather in North Florida, the Big Bend Labor Chapter invites you to join in celebrating International Worker’s day with food, fun, and solidarity- no matter the time of year!
      • 1PM – 3PM @ J Lee Vause Park in Tallahassee, FL
  • South Florida
    • Saturday, May 30th – 2nd Annual Broward Teacher’s Union 5k Run for Education!
      • Join the Broward County Teacher’s Union in Hollywood, FL for a day of fun in the sun with a cause! This 5K aims to fundraise crucial dollars for the Broward School Community, with all money raised going directly back to Broward County’s Public Schools, funding programs and resources that help students thrive! You can learn more, register, and donate here!

🛠️Business Board

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

📸Bonus Bulletin

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org

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

🏛️Legislative News

Budget Session Part One (In Brief)

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

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

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

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

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

So What’s Left?

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

🍊Florida Labor News

Terminated Spirit Employees File Lawsuit After Sudden Closure

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

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

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

✊Solidarity Spotlight

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

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

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

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

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

🗓️On the Horizon

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

🛠️Business Board

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

📸Bonus Bulletin

Has Labor Gone Vintage?

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

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

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

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org

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

🏛️Legislative News

Florida Legislature To Reconvene (Again) For Budget Work

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

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

A Brief Run Down of the Budget Process

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

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

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

🍊Florida Labor News

FEA Files Suit Against State Over School Funding

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

✊Solidarity Spotlight

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

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

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

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • May 12th – May 29th: Budget Special Session “E”
    • As the legislature’s redistricting effort (and AI/Vaccine re-attempt) concluded earlier this week, the way is paved for the legislature to finally pass the only bill that they constitutionally must: the State Budget.
    • With a brief break before the Budget work begins, we will see what role the House speaker’s defiance against the governor has on redistricting negotiations with the executive and Florida Senate.
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • First Monday of every Month: FLARA Monthly Meetings:
    • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their monthly zoom meetings. FLARA meets on the first Friday of every month at 10 AMEST, and features guest speakers and relevant information for retirees from national and state governments as well as important information on demonstrations, partner activities, etc.
    • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the monthly.
• Nationwide
  • May 9th – National Letter Carrier’s Food Drive
    • This Saturday is the NALC Food Drive!
    • You can prepare to participate in next month’s Food Drive by visiting the NALC Website to find your nearest participating food bank or NALC branch!

🛠️Business Board

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

📸Bonus Bulletin – In Memoriam

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

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

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

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

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

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org

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

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

🏛️Legislative News

A Quick & Dirty 48-hour Redistricting Effort

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🍊Florida Labor News

Florida Celebrates Organized Labor on May Day, Governor Targets It

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

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

You can read our official statement in response below:

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

✊Solidarity Spotlight

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

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

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

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

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • (!!NEW!!) May 12th – May 29th: Budget Special Session “E”
    • As the legislature’s redistricting effort (and AI/Vaccine re-attempt) concluded earlier this week, the way is paved for the legislature to finally pass the only bill that they constitutionally must: the State Budget.
    • With a brief break before the Budget work begins, we will see what role the House speaker’s defiance against the governor has on redistricting negotiations with the executive and Florida Senate.
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • First Monday of every Month: FLARA Monthly Meetings:
    • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their monthly zoom meetings. FLARA meets on the first Friday of every month at 10 AMEST, and features guest speakers and relevant information for retirees from national and state governments as well as important information on demonstrations, partner activities, etc.
    • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the monthly.
• Nationwide
  • May 1st – 2nd International Worker’s Day / May Day Celebrations
    • For worker’s everywhere, May Day and Worker’s Memorial Day represent days to remind us that the wealth of our community comes from the labor of everyday people. Fair wages, safe workplaces and the right form a union aren’t just ‘worker issues’; they are issues that affect everyone, and they inherit a long history of solidarity, action, and leadership across industries.
    • As we approach these historic days in the Labor movement, you can find a nearby event at the National AFL-CIO’s May Day Mobilize Center here or on our May Day Central Hub!
  • May 9th – National Letter Carrier’s Food Drive
    • Each year, letter carriers across the country head out on their routes on the second Saturday in May to collect donations of non-perishable food items to benefit local food pantries. Since launching in 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has grown into the nation’s largest one-day food drive, helping to fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns throughout the United States.
    • You can prepare to participate in next month’s Food Drive by visiting the NALC Website to find your nearest participating food bank or NALC branch!

🛠️Business Board

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

📸Bonus Bulletin

Graduation Weekend features another FSU Alum turned House Speaker

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

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

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

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org

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

🏛️Legislative News

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

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

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

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

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

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

• The majority of Florida voters believe that mid-decade redistricting is a bad idea, as evidenced by polling as recent as this month.
• The majority of Floridians believe that gerrymandering is a bad idea, as evidenced in 2010 when Florida voters overwhelmingly passed the Fair Districts Amendment to the Florida Constitution, which bans partisan gerrymandering statewide.
• In addition the reality of the prior two points, the attitudes between the national GOP and state GOP are very uneven on redistricting, with several members of Florida’s current congressional delegation warning that such an attempt at redistricting could risk backfiring by making more seats competitive and at risk of losing. With a supermajority already not on the same page, one can only speculate as to whether the momentum to push through a map will even materialize.

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

2026 State Budget Finally has a Calendar Date

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

🍊Florida Labor News

May Day & Workers Memorial Day Florida Hub

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

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

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

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

✊Solidarity Spotlight

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

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

🗓️On the Horizon

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

🛠️Business Board

• 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: Dog-gone work to be done

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

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

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org

Since its inception, May 1st, also known as International Worker’s Day, Labor Day, or May Day, has represented a an opportunity to celebrate the solidarity of all working people, acknowledging that no matter where we were born, where we live, or what kind of work we do, we all deserve to have safe working conditions, fair treatment, a fair and living wage, and to go home safely to our families at the end of the day.

Immediately preceding this show of solidarity, organized labor across the world remembers April 28th as Workers’ Memorial Day, in which solidarity and remembrance is shown for the many treasured lives lost, disabled, or injured in or because of the workplace, highlighting the need for continued workplace reform and a shared promise to remember the dead, and fight for the living.

This year, as the AFL-CIO celebrates these historic holidays nationwide, the state federation wanted to put together an easy to use hub to stay tuned to the latest labor actions, events, and more taking place in Florida across. Please see below for a list of events going on by region in recognition of these historic days.

NOTE: The following list does not represent the totality of labor and solidarity actions taking place this week and is updated frequently.

Have suggestions or additions? Please email info@flaflcio.org with your event details. Other useful platforms for finding and organizing events this week/weekend include Mobilize.us and maydaystrong.org.

North Florida

• Tuesday, April 28th
  • Jacksonville – Worker’s Memorial Day Rally
• Friday, May 1st:
  • Pensacola – May Day: No Wars, No ICE, No Billionaires Rally
  • Tallahassee – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally
  • Panama City – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally
  • Jacksonville – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally – 10AM
  • Jacksonville – International Worker’s Day & Immigrant Rights Rally – 6PM
    • Location: Duval County Courthouse
  • St. Augustine – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally
  • Palm Coast – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally
  • Gainesville – May Day Rally – 5PM
    • Location: Bo Diddley Plaza
• Saturday, May 2nd:
  • Tallahassee – May Day Picnic – POSTPONED to May 23rd

Central Florida

• Thursday, April 30th
  • Orlando – May Day Town Hall: What’s the Cost of Magic? Labor & Immigration spotlight
• Friday, May 1st
  • Ocala – May Day – Together We March For Our Futures! Workers Over Billionaires!
  • Ormond Beach – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally
  • Lakeland – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally
  • St. Petersburg – NNU FL Nurses March and May Day Rally
  • Melbourne – May Day Rally & March (Brevard)
  • Vero Beach – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally
• Saturday, May 2nd
  • Tampa – International Workers Day: Defend Workers and Immigrants Rights Rally

South Florida

• Tuesday, April 28th
  • Miami – Worker’s Memorial Day
• Friday, May 1st
  • Coral Gables – May Day Film Screening: Without Shade, Without Rest
  • Naples – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally and Donation Drive
  • Fort Myers – May Day Workers Over Billionaires Rally
  • Lake Worth Beach – FAU Graduate Student Workers International Workers Day Potluck BBQ
  • Miami – May Day Miami: March for Planting Justice Rally
• Saturday, May 2nd
  • Miami – UNITE HERE! Local 355 Mass Canvas for a Better, More Affordable Miami

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 4/17. In this edition, we’ve finally got some news on Special Session, as well as some recent labor actions and prep ahead of May Day! Let’s get into it.

🏛️Legislative News

Special Session Pushed Back…and Expanded?

This week, Florida’s politicos received news all too common these days- more delays! With the soon due state budget confirmed as still not ready and the U.S Supreme Court still silent on the Louisiana redistricting case ahead of the Governor’s planned April 20th Redistricting Special Session, many Floridians were awaiting the cancellation or indefinite delay of the plan, as so many other issues have proceeded this session. Instead, the Governor surprised (and confused) many when he issued a proclamation not just kicking back the Special Session one more week, but ADDING two more issues to the Special Session Agenda: Revitalizing the “A.I Bill of Rights” and “Medical Freedom” bills passed by the Florida Senate but rejected by the House this year. For a quick refresh, these were:

• SB 482 – Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights by Senator Leek (now to be taken up by Senator Brodeur)
  • This bill received our cautious support early on this session for its proactive consumer and child protections from Artificial Intelligence chatbots and more, but ultimately lacked the adoption of any worker protections as it moved throughout the Senate. Though we still favor some of its provisions, we are cautiously watching what the re-vitalization of this bill will look like as it relates to worker protections and data privacy.
• SB 1756 – Medical Freedom by Senator Yarborough
  • As put eloquently by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, this unfriendly bill sought to weaken school-entry immunization requirements and move state policy away from established, evidence-based childhood immunization schedules, including allowing for conscience-based exemptions and allowing for the over the counter sale of controversial medications such as Ivermectin without a prescription. We continue to be opposed to this measure and the risk it poses to public safety shift away from evidence backed treatment across all of our workplaces and our schools.

As it relates to the original lofty goal of redistricting, the Senate President Ben Albritton stated that “It is our expectation that pursuant to the proclamation issued by the Governor and consistent with the process undertaken during the 2022 Special Session on Congressional Reapportionment.”

So will any of it work or get done? Great question! You may have noticed a certain voice absent in all of this announcement, that of the Florida House of Representatives, which rejected taking up either of the aforementioned Senate bills during the regular session, and (at the time of writing) has been silent on this announcement. House Speaker Perez has continually been positioned opposite the Governor and Senate President on an number of issues throughout session such as expressing alignment with President Trump’s position on refusing to introduce state regulation on AI, the now absent Property Tax discussion that the House passed into uninterested arms, and the perpetually unfinished State Budget A.K.A The ONLY bill that the Legislature MUST pass. As next week rolls into view, we will be sure to keep you posted of any new developments from the professional stewardship of our legislative leaders.

🍊Florida Labor News

South Florida Unions Give Voice to Working Conditions and Fair Pay Ahead of FIFA World Cup

This week in South Florida, as covered by NBC 6, The Miami Herald, WLRN, and more, over two dozen labor unions and community groups like the Florida Immigration Coalition joined forces to hold a press conference at the Miami-Dade County Government Center, where they demanded that FIFA, governing body for the World Cup, and its Miami-Dade Host Committee provide more safeguards and better worker protections. Despite the tournaments arrival in just a few months, South Florida AFL-CIO President Jeffrey Mitchell told the press

“What we are seeing points to blatant violations and intentional efforts to circumvent the committments and ethical processes that FIFA promised to South Florida taxpayers”

Union leaders have met with the Host Committee over 12 times so far and have not yet secured guarantees for the tournament’s workers. Though the Host Committee refused to comment on their actions so far, the workers brought needed pressure to city hall, where the Mayor’s office re-affirmed its support for Florida labor’s seat at the table following local organizer’s critiques of their cooperation so far.

We stand in solidarity with our siblings in South Florida in their fight calling for safer work and better pay. As one of the biggest sporting events in the world, drawing in millions of attendees and viewers worldwide, there is no excuse for an organization like FIFA to not be able to compensate their workers in South Florida fairly or guarantee their safety.

Union Busters Receive a “Warm” Welcome in Central Florida

This weekend, CUE, better known by its former name of the Council on Union-Free Environment is congregating in Tampa for its Spring Conference brainstorming session on “Strengthening Positive Employee Relations.” Don’t let the buzzwords buy you though, as Tampa Bay Creative Loafing’s McKenna Scheuler helped detail this week: the gathering is actually a three-day exercise for anti-union employers on how best to combat the growing popularity of organized labor. West Central FL CLC President Stephanie Yocum put it best that one:

“only needs to look at the agenda and keynote speakers to see that this event is a gathering of union busters, a $400 million industry of parasites who earn a living making the lives of working families more difficult.”

Friendly reminder that despite all the legislative efforts and narrative spins against workers organizing, labor unions are still favored and approved by 68% of U.S Adults as of last Labor Day. Despite this, anti-union activity continues to be a million dollar industry bankrolled by billionaires and companies like Amazon and Starbucks that prioritize profit over the people who bring it in. Despite their best efforts at this weekend’s CUE conference, Floridians know that no matter how much they spend or scheme, the power will continue to rest in the workers, and when workers unite in solidarity, they win.

✊Solidarity Spotlight

IUOE Fight Off Decertification in Tampa Bay

Speaking of worker efforts and wins, this week’s Solidarity Spotlight highlights the efforts of IUOE Local 30, whose workers help power and maintain facilities across New York, Connecticut, and Florida! In Tampa Bay this week, IUOE members at the Tampa Bay Water Facility voted again to protect their union and their new contract in the wake of continued attempts by our legislature to squeeze them out. You can give them some support and solidarity over at @IUOELocal30 on Instagram and Twitter!

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • NEW DATES: April 28th – May 1st: Expanded Special Session
    • As announced earlier this year, the Governor seeks to convene the legislature back in April for an attempt at redistricting and gerrymandering the state’s congressional districts, despite it not being a census year. Despite a lack of hard enthusiasm by legislators, we will see if the appetite for this issue even pans out as the U.S Supreme Court waits to make the final the decision on Louisiana v. Callais, the budget lingers unfinished, AND two new action items are added in AI and Vaccination Law.
  • June 13th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • First Monday of every Month: FLARA Monthly Meetings:
    • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their monthly zoom meetings. FLARA meets on the first Friday of every month at 10 AMEST, and features guest speakers and relevant information for retirees from national and state governments as well as important information on demonstrations, partner activities, etc.
    • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the monthly.
• Nationwide
  • April 28th – Worker’s Memorial Day
  • May 1st – International Worker’s Day / May Day
    • For worker’s everywhere, May Day and Worker’s Memorial Day represent days to remind us that the wealth of our community comes from the labor of everyday people. Fair wages, safe workplaces and the right form a union aren’t just ‘worker issues’; they are issues that affect everyone, and they inherit a long history of solidarity, action, and leadership across industries.
    • As we approach these historic days in the Labor movement, you can find a nearby event at the National AFL-CIO’s May Day Mobilize Center here.
    • Are you or your local interested in hosting an action? You can use this mobilize template to get started!
  • May 9th – National Letter Carrier’s Food Drive
    • Each year, letter carriers across the country head out on their routes on the second Saturday in May to collect donations of non-perishable food items to benefit local food pantries. Since launching in 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has grown into the nation’s largest one-day food drive, helping to fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns throughout the United States.
    • You can prepare to participate in next month’s Food Drive by visiting the NALC Website to find your nearest participating food bank or NALC branch!

🛠️Business Board

• 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

FSU Holds Moment of Silence, Reflects on Shooting One Year Later

Tomorrow marks 1 year passing since Florida State University was the subject of a tragic school shooting near the Oglesby Student Union that killed two and injured six. FSU President Richard McCullough took the time this week to address and appear with students to pay their respects to the lives lost and endangered on that dark day, lighting the university’s symbolic three torches in tribute to those impacted by the tragedy.

On a personal note, some readers may know that as your Labor Letter author and Communications Coordinator, I am also an FSU Graduate Student, and I can recall clearly the increasing sirens and more that rang across campus that day and the stillness that befell it for the remainder of that semester. I am proud to be an FSU student, and despite the troubling history of gun violence facing schools across our union, I am deeply thankful to the university’s response, staff, faculty and students alike for their resolve, care, and solidarity during this week, as well as all of those across Florida who have displayed the same. Go Noles. 💛❤️

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 4/9. As the national headlines this week continue to shock and awe, throwing many of our heads into a whirlwind, it can get easy to get lost in what has happened at home here in Florida. Thankfully, we are here to recap the latest for you on what’s been happening in the Sunshine State with Labor. Let’s get into it!

🏛️Legislative News:

Special Session Looms, Budget Still Lingers

Those looking for our Florida legislature to convene and finish their overdue business on the budget any sooner than the very last minute should look elsewhere. This week, Senate President Albritton and House Speaker Perez both released memos to legislators communicating that there was not yet sufficient budget agreement between the chambers to warrant meeting next week ahead of the April 20th Special Session. Instead assured the public (as the House bluntly put it) that “When we have an update on the timing of the budget, we will notify you.” Take your time guys! No rush on funding the third biggest state!

Those monitoring their calendars will note that we are now 11 days away from a April Special Session on Redistricting, though as we mentioned last week, after recent special election results and continued silence from the U.S Supreme Court on the gerrymandering case that inspired the special session, we’ve little clarity on what it will actually look like. In their detailed memos, both chambers indicated that they will share further news and a schedule sometime next week, so…the wait continues!

“Ideologies Inconsistent With American Values” Bill Receives Governor’s Signature…And Heads To Court

The Governor continued his bill signing grand tour this week. Readers last week will recall last week’s tour stop in Tampa, passing the Florida SAVE Act and subsequently getting sued by the Florida NAACP and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans.

This week, Governor DeSantis returned to Tampa to boast the passage of the HB 1071, a bill that Working Family Lobby Corps members may know better by its Orwellian Senate name of “Ideologies Inconsistent with American Values.“ The bill, which allows the state to designate any group as “domestic terrorist organizations” via the executive appointed “Chief of Domestic Security” was a point of fierce contention this past session, with many members of the public and legislature highlighting its vague definitions and threats to free speech, especially in the shadow of dangerous national misuse of terms like “Domestic Terrorist” to justify the killing of American civilians during ICE Protests earlier this year.

With its many implications on freedom of speech of groups everywhere and lack of real appeal or transparency to the process of being designated as a domestic terror organization, the bill faces significant court battles by groups such as the the Center for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) (who were previously attempted to be declared as terrorist organizations by the Governor) and even DeSantis’ own supporters, such as Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini, who fear the bill’s implications in hands beyond this Administration’s.

🍊Florida Labor News & Solidarity Spotlight✊

Stadium Success Stories from Florida’s Union Workers!

As Floridians look forward to the spring thaw and the return of cheering/booing for sports in the sun rather than protesting with signs in the street, here are some upbeat stories for you from the past 2 weeks of Florida workers helping build the future of some of Florida’s biggest franchises!

Tropicana Field Brought Back into Play Thanks to Ironworkers!

The 2026 Baseball season has made its long awaited debut this year, and for fans of the Tampa Bay Rays, this has meant the end to an even longer wait for players and fans wishing to return to their Tropicana homefield in St. Petersburg. Following damage to The Trop’s famous roof during Hurricane Milton, the team was forced to temporarily relocate for the 2025 season, but returns to operations this year thanks to the incredible work of union workers like Christopher Torres, an Ironworker originally based out of Local 48 in Oklahoma, who was featured in this week’s Tampa Bay Times as a part of the over 60 workers who made possible the reconstruction of the Tropicana Roof in time for the Ray’s home opener on Monday. You can read the story and see the viral footage of construction Torres shared in the article here!

SMART Local 435 Kick off Contracts and More in Future Jaguars Stadium!

Meanwhile, North Florida’s own Jacksonville Jaguars are facing a relocation of their own as construction begins on the remodeling and expansion of their signature EverBank Stadium. While cheers of “DUUUUVAALLL” will have to be made from Orange County for the 2027 season, (to be played from Camping World Stadium in Orlando), the cheer may still be heard from members of SMART Local 435, who kick off their contract work on the EverBank expansion this month. Last year, Local 435 and the North Florida Building and Construction Trades Council made headlines when they secured a monumental victory after lobbying for participation and representation in the EverBank Stadium expansion. Their work:

• Established mandatory apprenticeship and local hiring requirements for city-funded projects.​
• Secured a commitment for up to $675,000 to expand and support union apprenticeship programs in Jacksonville.
• ​Maintained a consistent presence of 50+ building trades members (primarily Local 435) at public meetings.​
• Won union contracts officially for the HVAC ductwork and exterior architectural metal of the new stadium.​

Whether you’re a Central Florida sports fan glad to be cheering at home or a slightly confused North Florida fan wondering whether cheering a county name in a different county is appropriate, all Floridians can cheer knowing that our teams’ successes and iconic venues are all made possible by Florida Labor.

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • April 20th – April 24th: Congressional Redistricting Special Session
    • As announced earlier this year, the Governor seeks to convene the legislature back in April for an attempt at redistricting and gerrymandering the state’s congressional districts, despite it not being a census year. Despite a lack of hard enthusiasm by legislators, we will see if the appetite for this issue even pans out as the U.S Supreme Court waits to make the final the decision on Louisiana v. Callais, an important case on the influence of race and party on congressional redistricting, and a budget still lingers unfinished.
  • June 12th – June 14th: 2026 Florida AFL-CIO COPE Endorsing Convention
    • Another election year means another COPE Convention! As the 2026 mid-terms fast approach, so does our excitement to gather and debate the best direction for Florida’s working families. Look forward to screening and endorsing candidates, debating issues, resolutions and more amongst your labor siblings statewide!
    • Head over to our newly updated COPE 2026 page on our website for more information on credentials for delegates, travel booking, resolution submission, and more!
  • First Monday of every Month: FLARA Monthly Meetings:
    • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their monthly zoom meetings. FLARA meets on the first Friday of every month at 10 AMEST, and features guest speakers and relevant information for retirees from national and state governments as well as important information on demonstrations, partner activities, etc.
    • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the monthly.
• Nationwide
  • April 28th – Worker’s Memorial Day
  • May 1st – International Worker’s Day / May Day
    • For worker’s everywhere, May Day and Worker’s Memorial Day represent days to remind us that the wealth of our community comes from the labor of everyday people. Fair wages, safe workplaces and the right form a union aren’t just ‘worker issues’; they are issues that affect everyone, and they inherit a long history of solidarity, action, and leadership across industries.
    • As we approach these historic days in the Labor movement, stay tuned for more news on how to get involved in local actions, events, and more!
  • May 9th – National Letter Carrier’s Food Drive
    • Each year, letter carriers across the country head out on their routes on the second Saturday in May to collect donations of non-perishable food items to benefit local food pantries. Since launching in 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has grown into the nation’s largest one-day food drive, helping to fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns throughout the United States.
    • You can prepare to participate in next month’s Food Drive by visiting the NALC Website to find your nearest participating food bank or NALC branch!

🛠️Business Board

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

📸Bonus Bulletin: Pets in Protest

Though No King’s is a few weeks behind us now, we couldn’t help but wish to thank some of our canine companions who continue to join and show solidarity with us no matter the time, place, or protest.

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