Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 3/6. As we approach what would usually be the second to last week of the Florida Legislative Session, many in the state are going…”is this still going on?” to which we humbly reply “I guess so!” With no budget agreement in sight, only an astonishing 15 bills actually making it to the governor’s desk so far, and one week left until the scheduled Sine Die, an extended session and/or several special sessions are all but certain. Let’s get into what that means for Florida’s working families and the issues below!

🏛️Legislative Session: Week of 1/30

All Eyes on SB 1296

Last week, our Special Edition of the Florida Labor Letter made a statewide call to action on SB 1296, a dangerous piece of anti-union legislation that has been pushed all session long not by Floridians, but out of state interests dead set on erasing working families constitutional rights to collectively bargain and speak for themselves. Thankfully, our working families answered the call! Bolstered by the actions of our labor family statewide last week, media coverage over the weekend of SB 1296 ahead of its Monday committee hearing shot up, with a lengthy investigative report by CBS Miami’s Jim Defede, who took a deep dive into the forces behind SB 1296, the Freedom Foundation, and their true motives. To quote what is now obvious:

“The Freedom Foundation has never been shy about what its real intention is – which is to eliminate public sector unions. On their website – under a banner that reads “Why We Fight” – they argue that “government unions are a root cause of every growing national dysfunction in America.”

Meanwhile, while the public was beginning to take notice, Working Families Lobby Corps members and more took advantage of the momentum to gather in force in Tallahassee for Monday’s Senate Fiscal Policy Committee, where SB 1296 faced its final stop before the Senate Floor. Beginning at the crack of Dawn, members across Florida’s public sector gathered in the FEA offices to learn about the bill and plan for testimony.

Thanks to the tireless work of our organizers over the weekend and graciousness of city officials, we held a massive Press Conference in front of Tallahassee’s City Hall right before the committee, where the Capitol Press Corps and local news outlets covered our message that SB 1296 is an attack on all of our rights and that amidst a serious cost of living crisis and host of other issues, infringing on Floridian’s ability to pursue and advocate for a better life is not on the list of things lawmakers need to be working on. You can watch the full press conference on our Facebook here.

From city hall, our members marched to the Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy, where we packed the room all day in solidarity. The pressure from Working Families made clear the displeasure of the public on SB 1296, and their passionate testimony not only forced an amendment on the bill to lower the election threshold for unions to certify, but also gave powerful experiences that Senators would go on to cite in opposition in the Senate Floor later on in the week. (but more on that in a second)

Week 8 at Large

With the postponement of Property Tax Reform until after session, Re-districting in April, and no budget certainty, our “unified” majority has provided alarmingly little clarity on the direction of where things head next, but based on past experience, we can predict this session to be extended in some form or called for special session again. For Working Families this has two sides to the coin.

• The Cons: Lawmakers continue to postpone addressing the ACTUAL issues, and let political egos dominate the conversation, conveniently forgetting there is an election in November.
• The Pros: Special Sessions are often narrowly tailored and strictly timed, and do not traditionally allow the introduction or revival of formerly dead nefarious issues. Though we knock on wood, there is hope that with campaigning still to do and the bad optics of a supposed supermajority struggling for two years in a row to finish on time, that lawmakers will finally kick it into high gear and let what has been buried stay buried.

Following an extremely eventful Monday, WFLC settled into the rest of the week 8, using their initial momentum to continue in their fierce advocacy on the remaining living issues left in the process as the budget pressure leads to more and more bills dying. Here are some of the highlights:

• On the Ground Letter Actions
  • Responsive to the dynamic movements of bills, WFLC members in Week 8 stayed on their feet as we completed several one-page letter drops off to members of the Florida Senate and House on different bills like SB 1296 and HB 1451- which was silently amended to overwrite the decision of voters in Gainesville to control of their own utilities. Though these bills continued to see progress, our actions made clear that there was no hiding from these issues in the Capitol building, and illuminated the shady forces behind them.
• Ideological Differences Emerge on the Chamber Floors (SB 1632/HB 1471)
  • The bills allowing a political appointee to designate any organization a “Domestic Terror Organization” are one of the few to persist in these closing weeks, having passed the Florida House swiftly on Tuesday and arriving in the Senate on Thursday.
  • As has been the trend of the session, members of the upper chamber were far more troubled with the bill than the House by its vague definition of terms like “Promote” and the many freedom of speech issues with the bill. Senate Sponsor Erin Grall took up an amendment to the House version in an attempt to ameliorate some of these issues, offering narrowed definitions around promotion on college campuses and elsewhere, but the bill was still bitterly contested in its final vote, passing along a barely held party line in the majority.
  • What’s Next: Having taken up and amended the House version, the bill returns to the lower chamber for either re-approval and passing along to the governor, or re-amended and tossed back. As the deadline of next Friday looms, we are watching this bill Week 9 approaches.
• SB 1296 Faces the Heat on the Senate Floor
  • Having narrowly passed Fiscal Policy with promise and adoption of the amendment discussed above, Senators across the aisle were blindsided on Thursday by the bill sponsor’s sudden filing and adoption of new amendments on the Senate Floor rolling back the amendment negotiated in Monday’s committee.
  • In an extensive and intense Q&A session in which bill sponsor Jonathan Martin once again struggled to explain his new changes and defend the reveal of the bill’s Freedom Foundation influence, the bill was chastised by even Republican Senators who (thanks to YOUR public efforts on Monday) voiced frustration with having to support something their constituents so clearly and deeply opposed earlier and with changes not discussed with them.
  • What’s Next: The public pressure and coverage of this bill and the political behind the scene pressure on Senators continues to force this bill into uncertainty even at the time of writing, debate continues on even taking up the issue again for its actual final vote. As the House (and public at large) await the Senate’s decision, we will be watching this bill over the weekend. As long as SB 1296 still hasn’t been voted on, you can still use your voice to help push it back from the finish line, and we encourage you to write or call your Senators to OPPOSE SB 1296
• Amending the Florida Labor Pool Crosses the Senate Finish Line (SB 1112)
  • One of the most remarkable and encouraging things to happen this session has been the continuously unanimous passage of a rare Pro-Labor piece of Florida legislation throughout the committees of the Florida Senate. As has been the trend all session long, the full Senate chamber today gave praise and unanimous support for this bill and its effort to make Lobby Pools more transparent and remove their ability to gate keep temp workers from full time jobs with exorbitant placement fees.
  • What’s Next: Eyes remain on the House to take up or work this bill with the time remaining, and with the Senate’s enthusiasm, our members are working actively to chart the path for it in the days left or in next session.

🍊Florida Labor News

1296 in the Spotlight Statewide!

We won’t continue to ramble on SB 1296 beyond the above. You get it. BUT we do want to give a huge thank you for helping the public get it over this past week! Here are some of the stories on SB 1296 this week made possible entirely by your actions and solidarity. Take credit for below!

• WCTV (Tallahassee): Hundreds rally against restrictions on public employee unions in Florida
• Tampa Bay Times: Hundreds pan Florida anti-union bill in final Senate Committee
• CBS Miami: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis backs a new bill targeting unions; those who support him won’t be affected
• WMNF (Tampa): Demonstrators rally in Ybor against Senate bill targeting unions
• Orlando Weekly: Florida bill targeting unions inches closer to final passage despite some GOP concern

✊Solidarity Spotlight

United Teachers of Dade & More Celebrates Black History!

This last weekend, our siblings over at the United Teachers of Dade partnered with Florida Rising, the South Florida AFL-CIO, and APRI to put on the “Black in the Day Miami” event mentioned on the calendar our Labor Letter from February. Attendees celebrated a powerful evening of music, speeches, spoken word performance, discussions, and more reflecting on the history of Black union power in Miami-Dade County and the endurance of community, solidarity, and action. As put best by UTD President Tony White in his remarks:

“We have been on the brink of disaster many, many times as a people. And I can assure you of one thing, we’re still standing. We will continue to stand.”

🗓️On the Horizon

• Legislative
  • March 13th: (Planned) Sine Die for the Regular Legislative Session
    • As we approach this date, the pressure will be put to the legislature to end on time after last year’s multiple extended regular session. This will be doubly important given that it is an election year, and so long as legislators are in the building, they are unable to spend their time on or participate in Fundraising for their re-election campaigns.
  • 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 grows beyond his office closer to April, as relationships continue to evolve during regular session and 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.
• Statewide
  • Friday, March 20th: Annual Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
    • The Annual Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is returning this May. The registration deadline for interested participants is March 20th, with posters, orders and payments due by April 17th. https://www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive/food-drive-toolkit
• Central FL
  • March 19th: AFA-CWA United Member Action Day (MAD) at Tampa International Airport
    • Stand in solidarity with United flight attendants in bargaining! As we approach the end of negotiations, our fight isn’t over, it’s time to get MAD! On March 19, as we prepare to enter the final session, we must stand together and demostrate that our collective strength can bring these negotiations to a close and secure an Agreement that we can ratify. Make your voice heard! RSVP today and join us system-wide on the informational picket line.

🛠️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 Photos: Week 8’s WFLC attendees chanting “In Solidarity” ahead of our Solidarity in the Sunlight Shoot, and the Capitol Press Corps gathers ahead of our Monday Press Conference.

We would like to conclude by thanking the following sponsors of this year’s WFLC! Thank you for your continued support and solidarity and for making the last 8 weeks possible!

• AFT Local 7448
• ATU 1464
• ATU Local 1267
• BLET (Locomotive Engineers)
• Broward County AFL-CIO
• CWA 3101
• Florida Building and Construction Trades
• Florida Education Association
• Florida Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council
• Florida State Building Trades
• Florida State Council of Machinists
• IAM District Lodge 166
• IBEW 606
• IBEW 606
• IBEW 728
• IBEW 756
• IBEW 824
• IBEW 915
• Ironworkers 397
• IUOE 487
• IUPAT National
• North Central FL Central Labor Council
• Palm Beach/Treasure Coast AFL-CIO
• TWU 291
• TWU 291
• UFCW 1625
• West Central Florida Federation of Labor
• IATSE Local 631

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 2/26. We’ve got another Special Edition here as Week 7 of the Florida Legislative Session has been one of absolute momentum. Working families were responsive to the sudden schedule changes and extensions rampant throughout committees this week. As the budget makes no moves this weekend as a result of continued disagreement, we appreciate the tenacity and resolve of our Working Family Lobby Corps and other advocates as they keep their foot on the gas to prevent the passage of bad bills.

Meanwhile, actions have begun across all of our affiliates to raise awareness statewide in response to the continued push for union busting to be on the legislative menu. As the final two weeks emerge, the stakes are increasing, but so is our momentum and resolve.

🏛️Legislative Session: Week of 1/30

Children’s Week at the Florida Capitol led to the best and brightest of Florida’s future blessing the halls of the Capitol with art, singing, and smiles as lawmakers, officials, and working families all took a much needed beat from the chaos. Outside of that though, the shot clock on the remaining time in the legislative session is getting smaller while the communication is getting messier than wet paint on a baby’s hands. Just this week, major shifts such as the governor’s anticipated postponement of property tax reform until after session occurred just days after the Florida House finally reached the conclusion of its year long solo effort into the issue when it passed an immediately shut down 13 billion dollar property tax exemption idea. In the storm, the ship of working families held steady though, and navigated the winds to be ready for whatever arrived. Here is some of what they encountered:

• Ideological Inconsistencies Emerge on Policing Ideology (SB 1632/HB 1471)
  • In perhaps the second most surprising committee appearance of this session (See: Senator Martin’s SB 1296 performance from Week 5) , the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice became a dramatic affair when it finally took up the Orwellian titled Ideological Inconsistent with American Values, after a brief postponement last week.
  • After an intense and clinical question and answer portion, public comment on the dangers associated with a government appointee given authority to designate anyone a domestic terrorist became impossible for the Senators to ignore. The committee chair and majority members engaged in frequent dialogue with members of the public fearing the Weaponization of such a designation, and though despite voting the bill up, the chair and members of the majority noted serious concern and opposition for final passage of this bill on the Floor if left unchanged.
• The Offensive on our Elections Continue (HB 991/SB 1334)
  • Mirroring the national political atmosphere and federal re-emphasis on the SAVE America Act, the Florida legislature continues to push this state-level version of this unfriendly, voter suppression bill ahead of the 2026 mid-terms. This week, the house floor debated the issue, with a bevy of amendments filed by the opposition meant to combat its many, many flaws. Despite debate highlighting the already present inability of non-citizens to vote in Florida and the threats to voter registration that this poses, it was passed along party lines before moving into Messages. The Senate, meanwhile removed this bill’s final committee stop (and chance for public comment) in order to bring it before the Senate Floor soon.
• The Labor Pool Act Crosses the Senate Committee Finish Line (SB 1112)
  • For a bit of good news, working families received the final stamp of approval from the Senate Committee process this week when the Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy gave unanimous approval of this friendly, pro-labor effort. Though its house counterpart has not seen much movement this session, the continued presence and universal success of this good bill in the upper chamber bodes well for its future revival and those workers who need it most.
• Union Busting Makes its Final Attempts in Committees (HB 995) (see photos below)
  • As we’ll get into below, out of state backed union busting efforts are making their big play for the finish line in these past weeks, with HB 995 passing its final House committee stop in an effort to make up for the embarrassing display put on by its Senate counterpart just weeks ago. With a surprise agenda and re-scheduling of the House State Affairs Committee appearing earlier this week, Working Families were quick to mobilize on Thursday morning, forgoing breakfast in order to meet this anti-union and anti-freedom bill at the top of the day. We knew to expect this bill to move forward in the Florida House, but their testimony and the powerful words of members in opposition made sure that it did not go quietly, and left a warning for the senate we’ll get into below…

🍊Florida Labor News – Statewide Call to Action Against SB 1296

Tell Your Senators – Vote NO on SB 1296!

This week, we are calling on all members of the Florida AFL-CIO family, in order to raise awareness, write letters, and ask legislators to OPPOSE SB 1296. The companion bill to the nefarious HB 995 mentioned above, this anti-worker, anti-union, and anti-freedom piece of legislation we’ve been tracking all session has been pulled back from the grave and put on the Senate agenda for it’s final pit-stop in Monday’s Senate Fiscal Policy Committee at 12:00PM.

The WFLC has been putting in non-stop effort from the earliest days of this session to ensure that the Florida Legislature understands that this poorly veiled attempt to “help teachers” is really just a guise to hide the fact that these bills are an attack on the rights and freedoms of all of Florida’s Public Workers and their constitutional freedom to collectively bargain. Workers in Week 5 dealt a lethal blow to SB 1296 when its disastrous committee performance put the bill’s chances beyond the grave. But motivated by the anti-union lies parroted on social media by Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas and the Governor last week, the bill has received one more bite at the apple, and it is up to all of us in these critical weeks to #KillTheBill.

How to Get Involved:

Share David’s Story

WFLC member, Veteran, and IUPAT member David Jimenez has been amazing in the past 3 weeks of Working Family Lobby Corps by continually speaking in committee, encouraging our siblings, and spreading word against SB 1296 across the state. Last week, he sat down with us to give his personal testimony on why SB 1296 is not just bad for all Florida Workers, but is also an attack on their freedoms, even if they put their life on the line for them. Share David’s story wherever you can! We would like to also thank David for his service and his continued passion and presence throughout the past several weeks of Lobby Corps.

Share David’s Story: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18ApjXqYaE

Share YOUR Story

As we mentioned, SB 1296 affects all of Florida’s public service workers. To drive that home, we want you to share your personal story on how SB 1296 can impact your life, your rights, and more. To make things easy, our national partners have helped us develop this Toolkit to allow you to easily post to whatever your preferred social media and raise awareness against SB 1296. Whether on phone, computer or whether a camera or a photo, these templates are made to help you spread the word on the attack on personal freedoms going on in Florida. Feel free to share as far and wide as you can among your labor siblings, and when posting make sure to tag us so we can amplify your efforts!

Write the Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy and tell them to vote NO on SB 1296

This Monday, March 2nd at 12PM the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee will be the last place for public input on this dangerous bill. We encourage that all able members write a letter to a member of this committee to urge them to vote NO on SB 1296. Directions and a selection of letter prompts are available at our letter action here, which can help you select a member of the committee to tell your story to.

✊Solidarity Spotlight – Our CLCs join the Fight!

Earlier this week, we put out the action call to our Central Labor Councils across the state to help us defend our rights and to raise alarms across the state as to the shadowy anti-worker efforts of the legislature in Tallahassee, and they answered! This week we want to give a special spotlight to all of the many local unions and workers who we have seen amplify the message of solidarity across the state.

Whether its our Big Bend siblings mobilizing workers to Tallahassee, our Broward County siblings spreading the word across South Florida, our West Central siblings throwing a massive rally (seen pictured above), or the legions of workers from our coalition such as FEA, IUPAT, UNITE HERE, SEIU, AFSCME, FLARA, and more who have been relentless sharing and mobilizing for Monday’s Committee, we are so proud to see the solidarity amongst all of our working families in Florida. This bill makes one thing perfectly clear, whether it passes or not: an attack on one is an attack on all, and working families will always stand together in pursuit of a better future and life for all Floridians.

📸Bonus Bulletin – Long Legacies and Bright Futures

As we prepare for the final sprints of session, we wanted to finish by reflecting on two special moments that happened in the blur. Week 7 saw the appearance and advocacy of longtime legend, retiree, and relentless activist of Teamsters Local 512, Preston Drummer, with who we were grateful to be able to celebrate the birthday of this week at our WFLC Social. With a storied career of activism over decades, we were encouraged and inspired by the passion and wisdom he gave us this week, and his reminder of how far so many have of us have come on this journey, and how much we have and can achieve in time.

We also had Children’s Week at the Capitol, with thousands of children throughout the week from across the state reminding legislators and all of us of the scale and importance of the future we fight for, in Tallahassee and everywhere.

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 2/20. With the conclusion of Week 6, we reach the end of the beginning of the second half of the regular session. Was that a bit confusing to read? Yes! And so has been this week, as an out of sync House and Senate continue to move bills out of chamber with little promise or knowledge if they will be taken up by the other side, and both debut budgets with a $1.4 billion dollar gap to make up between them. Let’s get into what that means for the working families and what your WFLC got up to this week below!

🏛️Legislative Session: Week of 2/20

As mentioned in last week’s Labor Letter, the 2026 General Appropriations Act (referred to as “the GAA” or “The Budget“) has begun to take the spotlight in the Florida Legislature this week, putting legislators across the chambers into fierce negotiations as they evaluate what policy issues this session are really worth reaching the finish line and which should fall to the side. In these disagreements lie the opportunity for working families (and special interests) to make their final case to legislators on the real importance of the issues, and in case it wasn’t clear last week, the House Speaker reminded us this week that there is plenty of disagreement to go around, opening this Thursday’s session with the remarks that “What happens in the days ahead will decide if we will be here another three weeks or another three months.” With that comforting note, let’s get into some of how this played out with regards to the issues this week.

• The House Passes its Nail in the Coffin in Florida’s Unemployment Insurance System (HB 191)
  • We are well familiar with the progress made by this unfriendly bill’s Senate counterpart (SB 216), as well as the great progress made by working families in prior weeks to convince members of the Senate majority of its dangerous harms on those most struggling part in Florida’s workforce.
  • The Florida House pre-empted these efforts, taking up this disastrous bill in last year’s pre-session committee meetings before Working Families and others even got to Tallahassee. This week, they finally took it up on the floor, passing it quickly along party lines despite concer
    • What’s Next: Working families have put great effort towards advocating against this bill in committee stops in the Senate this session, and even reinforced that effort with a letter drop off campaign to all Senators last week. Though it has not appeared on the Senate floor agenda yet, we are doing everything to keep it that way, emphasizing that this bad bill does nothing to reduce fraud, and does everything to ensure that what is already rated as the worst Unemployment Insurance System in the nation stays that way.
• The Senate Temporarily Postpones Attacks on “Ideologies Inconsistent with American Values (SB 1632)
  • Working Families gained good ground against this unfriendly and anti-free speech bill this week just by showing up. In the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice, Committee Chair Ileana Garcia Temporarily postponed hearing SB 1632 at all this week, citing the sheer volume of public comment and inability to hear the bill fully without running out of time allotted to the committee. The effort of the public in showing their concern was well received by the committee regardless, with Senator Garcia reading all of the public comment cards into the record upon the suggestion of Senator Smith, who spoke for us all when he said “I’m all for TPing Senate Bill 1632”
    • What’s Next: Senator Garcia postponed the bill with a verbal commitment to ensuring that it gets heard next week (Week 7), though as evidenced by the committee’s execution this week and the decreasing time remaining in regular session, this bill and it’s ability to allow an un-elected bureaucrat to identify unions as “terrorist organizations” is in peril as we get closer to the end of session.
• The House Passes their worst Property Tax Bill, and the Senate is not enthused (HJR 203)
  • Arguably the top story in Florida’s political class this week is the passage of HJR 203, the final decision from the House’s year long exploration of seven different ways to remove property taxes and endanger Florida’s local public services. This unfriendly and by far most costly amendment would see the now near immediate elimination of all non-school property taxes, decimating the budgets of many of Florida’s most fiscally constrained counties and mandating they still somehow match public safety budgets made before those cuts. The proposed loss in revenues statewide totals an estimated $13.3 billion dollars.
  • We could go on about the extreme dangers this poses to public services like after school care, transportation, infrastructure, and more, but the Florida Senate and Governor were ahead of us this week, expressing doubt about hearing the bill any further while instead endorsing a still yet to be announced property tax initiative of their own out of the senate.
    • What’s Next: Who knows! The political machinations and discussion on Property Taxes have been at the forefront of Florida Politics for over a year, and even now still finds itself with startlingly little consensus among each of the three branches. But Working Families should enjoy a brief victory in the knowledge that through their concerted efforts and testimony in the committees leading up to now, they have ensured that the bill with the most monstrous appetite for cutting more and more essential public services and jobs has not grown outside of the House Floor.
• The Florida “SAVE” Act Continues its Attack on the Right to Vote (SB 1334 & HB 991)
  • Modeled after and similarly to the nefarious federal legislation that is currently working its way through Washington, this deeply unfriendly Florida-specific version of the bill requires ALL Florida voters to re-verify their citizenship status to continue to be able to vote while simultaneously raising the standards and burden of proof of doing so on the part of voters. One example is the new requirement that voters must have ready access and presentation of a passport or original birth certificate— even if you’ve been voting for years as an eligible voter and proven citizen.
  • This week, this voter suppression legislation muscled its way through its second committee stop in the Senate and final committee stop in the House, passing on party lines despite the rigorous and overwhelming public comments from working families, voting rights groups, and concerned citizens that highlighted the various issues with the bill such as its unfunded mandate on local supervisors of elections, costs and barriers to accessing proof-of-citizenship documents, and the fact that it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in Florida, with harsh existing penalties.
    • What’s Next: The bill awaits a final Floor vote in the House and one more committee stop in the Florida Senate. Though no major commitments have been made by chamber leadership on its unified passage, this is still a top priority for your Working Families Lobby Corps in the coming weeks. Make no mistake: This bill is about making voting harder for Floridians so that our officials are not held accountable. We will not let them forget that.

🍊Florida Labor News

FEA Addresses Misinformation by Department of Education

This week, our teachers were the subject of a fierce misinformation campaign at the hands of twitter warriors and the Florida Department of Education, a sentence we didn’t think we would have to type this year. After a clip of an FEA Press Conference that highlighted the real problems facing Florida Teachers was cut out of context and went viral on twitter, the Florida Commissioner of Education took the opportunity to ignore any good faith critiques and instead amplify a narrative that Florida’s teacher’s unions were endorsing ICE Walkouts across the nation, which was further weaponized by the Governor and legislators to justify the blatantly unconstitutional public sector union busting bills SB 1296/HB 995 (which has nothing to do with walkouts at all.)

Our teachers did not take the attack lightly, and used the opportunity this week to host a media availability to clarify against the misinformation campaign and poor attempt to pivot from the reality that this is misinformation stirred up against teachers in order to distract from the fact that SB 1296 is nothing but an unconstitutional attack on the freedoms and rights of ALL of our public workers.

Defending Florida’s teachers, President Spar said, per Florida Politics:

“Spar said teachers will not encourage such demonstrations. Moreover, he stressed that Florida educators represent a range of political views.

“For the past several years, at the direction of our more than 120,000 members, the FEA has worked with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to strengthen Florida’s public schools,” Spar said in the more recent press conference.”

Broward County Teachers Union Protest Cuts To Weight-Loss Medication Coverage by School District

Meanwhile, in South Florida, our educators are waging a different battle. Per The South Florida Sun Sentinel:

“The Broward school district will no longer cover popular weight-loss medications on its insurance plans, leading to complaints that the district is putting its financial health ahead of employees’ health.

The School Board recently decided to stop covering GLP-1 medications, such as Wegovy and Zepbound, for employees using them for weight loss. The drugs will still be covered for diabetes use, district officials say.”

“Anna Fusco, president of the Broward Teachers Union, described the board action as “backdoor garbage” during Wednesday’s committee meeting. The union filed a grievance on Tuesday, alleging violations to a collective bargaining agreement.

“We have people that say, ‘I go to my medical doctor, and it’s saving my life,’” Fusco said at the insurance committee meeting. “I want the medicines back. And I want the Broward County Public Schools to figure out a … way to save money other than on the backs of their employees.”

✊Solidarity Spotlight

Nurses protest ICE in Largo

Coming out of Central Florida this week, members of National Nurses United joined their siblings nationwide this week in protesting ICE and advocating for Congress to stop funding ICE, as well as advocate for hospitals to better protect patients and their information from ICE

Per Creative Loafing in Tampa Bay

“A lot of hospitals … they’re either encouraging or just not creating policies to protect their patients that are in the hospitals.” Chief Nurse Representative, Keosha Morris told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

“We have HIPPA that protects patients from being known about their whereabouts and confidentiality, but it seems like all of that is going out of the window in certain areas just to aid ICE’s agenda to lock up people who are essentially seeking help or even are citizens just ’cause they look a certain way.”

🗓️On the Horizon

• Statewide
  • Friday, March 20th
    • The Annual Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is returning this May. The registration deadline for interested participants is March 20th, with posters, orders and payments due by April 17th.
    • https://www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive/food-drive-toolkit
• North Florida
  • Saturday, February 21, 8AM-4PM
    • This Saturday, February 21, 2026, The Leon County Teachers Association will be a vendor at the National MagLab Open House at the Shaw Building (2031 E. Paul Dirac Drive) from 8AM-4PM. During this time, they will be hosting a Book Giveaway to support students and families in the community and highlight STEM Programs in Leon County ahead of School Choice deadlines.
• South Florida
  • Saturday, February 28 – 6:30 PM, “Black in the Day in Miami” Event
    • Joseph Caleb Community Center, 5400 NW 22nd Ave., Miami, FL 33142
    • United Teachers of Dade, Florida Rising, South Florida AFL-CIO, and APRI are hosting a powerful evening reflecting on the history of Black union power in Miami-Dade County.
    • 🔗 RSVP 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

This week’s Bonus Bulletin features photos of much needed downtime in the middle of the week’s legislative business, with members from week 6 pictured above after taking part in our Solidarity in the Sunshine Photo Shoot and Penguins from the Florida Aquarium that waddled their way around the capitol to lobby legislators for budget funding allocations for storm restoration, reef restoration research, and likely some more sardines 🐧.

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 the latest edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly e-newsletter: The Florida Labor Letter! Building on the good work that went into our prior E-messenger program, we hope to use this newsletter to provide you a weekly roundup of the latest and greatest from the Florida labor community, as well as keep you engaged with the latest events, resources, and actions taking place from across the Sunshine State and nation at large! As the 2026 Legislative Session rolls on, what better time to start getting involved than now? Without further ado, let’s get into this week:

🏛️Legislative Session: Week of 2/6

Week 4 was an impactful one in Tallahassee. As we near the midpoint of the legislative session, (when issues that want to go the distance usually must make an entrance by) we saw the deep-pocketed interests in the Florida Capitol push for the sudden re-introduction of anti-worker and culture war issues once thought dormant, and still deeply unpopular. Thankfully, your Working Family Lobby Corps was just as responsive, ensuring that none of these bill went through committee smooth sailing, educating lawmakers and highlighting serious flaws unforeseen to both bill sponsors and committee members. Let’s get into it:

• Don’t Say Gay – At Work (SB 1642 / HB 641)
  • Like Pennywise arisen from his long slumber, so too has the culture war returned to Tallahassee. Billed as the so called “Freedom of Conscience in the Workplace Act,” both of these unfriendly bills arrived in committees this week, and seek to impose unto all public sector workers the same free speech restrictions that 2023 legislation put upon school employees, that established they can’t ask students for their preferred pronouns and restricting school staff from sharing their pronouns with students if they “do not correspond” with their sex. In committee, supporters argued it’s a matter of preserving rights to personal beliefs, citing a former Miami-Dade city commission employee who was fired upon posting what he called simple “disagreement with gender ideology” and a refusal to attend anti-discrimination training. Working families and member of the public though made sure to reveal this wolf in sheep’s clothing message, with one legislator clarifying the true harmful language cited as “disagreement”, and reminding us that the dangers of this bill revolve not around personal consciousness, but the potential proliferation of harmful conduct and harassment in the workplace.
• The Nail in Florida’s Unemployment Insurance (SB 216)
  • Readers may recall that in Week 2 of session, we saw the introduction of this unfriendly bill, which adds impossible new hurdles, reporting requirements, and unreasonable job search mandates to those on hard times who seek to get any assistance from Florida’s already broken unemployment insurance system, which ranks dead last in the nation in terms of benefits, eligibility, payout, and length.
  • On Thursday, the bill reached its final Senate committee stop, where FL AFL-CIO Director of Politics and Public Policy Dr. Rich Templin gave important historical context and information that clarified that the only thing this bill does is ensure that those most in need of essential assistance are given impossible distance from getting it, especially in rural communities. Despite it’s final committee passage before the floor, enthusiasm for the bill noticeably dropped, with several members of the majority making clear in debate their concerns with the bill, and even declaring hesitancy for supporting its final passage out of the chamber in its current form. You can watch the full discussion on The Florida Channel
• Public Sector Union Busting (SB 1296/8 & HB 995/8)
  • Readers from last week remember the sudden appearance of this House Bill towards the end of week 3. This unfriendly and anti-labor bill builds on the nefarious work of 2023’s SB 256, seeking to close the few remaining avenues our public unions have been able to survive following its adoption. With new arbitrary bureaucratic hurdles on recertification and bans on advocacy, the bill also require all union elections to have over 50% of the entire workforce in the bargaining unit voting.
    • In the House, the bill appeared for its second committee stop this week in the House, where working families made clear to highlight the bill’s the compulsory negotiation timeline, its effect on teacher raises (and the incorrectness of talking points against our teacher’s unions), and 50% + 1 workforce requirement.
    • In the Senate, something surprising happened. Despite a surprise assignment for this past Monday, attendees of this week’s Governmental Oversight and Accountability committee discovered that in the Upper Chamber of the legislature, this deeply unpopular bill has remained just that, Temporarily Postponing the bill in its first stop. As both chambers are necessary for the bill’s ultimate passage, this stop marks a noteworthy change that threatens the bill’s survival and one that we are continuing to monitor.
• Private Sector Union Busting (SB 1236 & HB 1387)
  • Because evil never rests, our public sector brothers and sisters are not the only ones under attack by the billionaire interests this session. This unfriendly and anti-labor attacks the ability of our private sector brothers and sister’s ability to collectively bargain by removing the ability of any private employers and subcontractors that receive state money from engaging with unions or union work that is recognized through card check and bars them from entering a (voluntary) neutrality agreement. In both chamber committees this week, the bill’s broad scope led to working families from across the private and public sector highlighting the severe risks this poses to private industry work, eager to inform and fill in legislators as to the true intentions and impact behind a bill like this: to bust unions in the private sector. The testimony was unmissable by members, with legislators and both bill sponsors acknowledging and committing to further conversation from workers impacted. If evil never rests, neither do we.

🍊Florida Labor News

From FEA: A Closer Look at the Opportunities for Better Education in the Sunshine State

This week in the Orlando Sentinel, Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar wrote an extended piece on the many proactive and pro-teacher bills that are moving (or stalling) throughout the session so far and how they could transform not just the lives of educators, but also change the direction of the state’s education outcomes for the better. You can read the full piece here!

Organization and Negotiation Across The State

Though it’s easy to get lost in the session, we always want to remind you that unlike the 90-day legislative session, Florida’s unions are fighting and making progress for you year round, advocating for better pay, fair work conditions, and quality of life for working families- no matter the season or where you are located! Here are some small and always impactful examples:

From our family in West Central Florida:

This week, Creative Loafing reported on restaurant workers’ efforts to organize a union at several different establishments at Tampa International Airport. Workers at Hard Rock Cafe, Buddy Brew, Ulele, and Ducky’s all work for the airport contractor SPP America. UNITE HERE Local 362 represents SSP America restaurant workers at the Orlando Airport. These TPA workers are organizing to get similar benefits that Local 362 won in a recent contract. To start, Orlando SPP employees won a $19.30 per hour wage for bussers and cashiers. Servers currently make $14 per hour at TPA.

Meanwhile in Tallahassee (outside the Capitol):

As reported by WTXL Tallahassee, Leon County Schools and the Leon Classroom Teachers Association are heading back to the negotiating table to discuss teacher salaries, following a November impasse and invoking of third party review. With both sides displaying a willingness to good faith discussion, there is hope that a path forward can be made for teacher raises be made amidst city concerns about budget constraints and a county millage increase planned to help. You can see the full story here

✊Solidarity Spotlight

Action Update: SEIU/Unite Here, TPS Workers in South Florida receive temporary stay against expiration of Haitian TPS

Last Week, readers of our previous Labor Letter will recall that, in Fort Lauderdale, members of UNITE 355 and SEIU 32BJ helped mobilize an incredible coalition of airport, hotel and nursing home workers, community partners, local faith leaders, and elected officials to host a press conference and silent march to raise awareness and opposition of the soon to expire TPS status of the over 100,000 Haitians that are valuable members of South Florida’s community and even contribute billions to South Florida’s economy.

This Week, those same activists and community members, achieved a temporary victory as a result of U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruling on Monday (2/2) to pause the Trump administration’s plan to end TPS for Haitians.

The ruling arrived just in time, one day before the TPS Protections were set to expire. Exploring her reasoning, WPLG Local 10 reported that:

Reyes pointed to the U.S. State Department’s Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory for Haiti. She wrote: “‘Do not travel to Haiti for any reason’ does not exactly scream, as Secretary Noem concluded, suitable for return.”

The ruling represents a temporary, but hard earned victory by the South Florida labor community and their organizing partners, reminding us the importance of and continued value in giving voice to the issues and how that visibility generates the conversations necessary to enact change. You can read more in the WPLG Local 10 Article here or this in-depth piece from the Miami Herald!

🗓️On the Horizon

• February 7th, 2026​ – Young Workers March on Washington!
  • The time to take action for the future is the present! This February, young workers from unions across the united states are meeting in Washington D.C to demand young workers are provided the same opportunities as their parents by raising our long out-dated Federal Minimum Wage, providing for more affordable housing, and more! Learn more about this day of action on the official website for Young Worker’s March!
• March 11 – 13th, 2026 – AFL-CIO Organizing Institute 3-Day Organizing Training in Austin, TX
  • The Texas AFL-CIO and the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute (OI) is welcoming any and all to their 3-Day Organizing Training. The deadline to register is February 18th, and interested parties can register your organizing teams at www.aflcio.org/OI.
  • Below is a brief preview of what to expect:
    • Day 1 – How to have the Right 1-on-1 Organizing Conversation;              
    • Day 2 – Recruiting and Developing Key Workplace Leaders;
    • Day 3 – How to Run Issue Campaigns to Build Momentum!  
• March 28th, 2026 – No King’s Protest!
  • Tallahassee was one of many participants in the recent January 24th “No Kings” protest that marked a year of continued resistance against the Trump Administration’s authoritarian policies. In the wake of the events in Minnesota, organizers are building towards a fourth series of protests in March. Those interested in participating can find out more 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

St. John’s County Day at the Capitol 🐊🦦

This week, North Florida made its voice heard in the Capitol Complex with St. John’s County Day on Thursday, which featured some of the county’s famous Gators, River Otters, Barbecue, and live Jazz! In case anyone was wondering, yes, you could in fact pet both animals, although the barbecue was better with a fork, and the Jazz best left untouched.

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 1/30. As we reach our third week of the legislative session and a massive week of actions in Tallahassee and across the state, working families are relentlessly and impressively meeting the moment! We are so proud of the quick and powerful organizing being done by all members of the Florida Labor community this week, regardless of the issue. This work matters, and with so many news stories to cover this week, we are reminded of the great impact that such demonstrations bring in raising awareness and pushing the conversation for better lives and policies for all of us. Together, we are strong! Now, Let’s get into some of the stories!

🏛️Legislative Session: Week of 1/30

An amazing turnout met us for Week 3 of the Working Family Corps, and whether just in attendance in committee, or in powerful testimony, we saw incredible advocacy take place this week in Tallahassee, and even took away a surprising legislative victory in the universal committee passage of a pro-labor bill! Here’s a quick rundown of some of the issues:

• Improving the Labor Pool Act for Workers and Small Businesses (SB 1112)
  • Why not start off on a great note? This bill, sponsored in the by Republican Senator Ileana Garcia and House Rep. Kevin Chambliss seeks to amend the Florida Labor Pool Act. Florida’s labor pools currently serve an important role in providing temporary work for those in seasonal work, or those recently incarcerated who are trying to get a foot back in the labor market. However, with little current oversight, they have been free to run awry in the shade. This bill brings them into the sunshine, requiring them to register in a state database, and closes the loopholes that currently force a business wanting to take a great temporary worker and make them permanent to first fork over thousands first to the Labor Pools. In it’s first Committee this week, this friendly and proactive Florida labor bill and its coalition of supporters received unanimous and bipartisan praise from members before passing 9-0. (Man, those words are refreshing to read!)
• Weakening Minimum Wage Rights (HB 221)
  • We know better than to expect just roses from the Florida Legislature. This unfriendly bill seeks to create a new class of “work-based learning programs” that would require participants to waive their state constitutional right to an annually adjusted and fair minimum wage, instead paying them the federal minimum wage, which has been unacceptably fixed to $7.25 since 2009. Billed as for the small business or for burgeoning inexperienced workers, members of the WFLC and more were quick to remind legislators that such arguments simply fall flat in the face of the increased cost of living and daily wallet squeeze that motivated voters to raise their state minimum wage in the first place.
• Ideologies Inconsistent With American Principles (SB 1632/HB 1471)
  • Though the house version is more palatably billed as “System of Laws and Terrorist Organizations,” make no mistake: this bill is as bad as it sounds. Heard in Committee for the first time this week, this unfriendly and ominous bill creates a new and unelected position of “Chief of Domestic Security” who would have the ability to designate any organization a “domestic terrorism organization” that seeks to “coerce a civilian population” or “influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.” The definitions of these terms are intentionally vague and—as public comment highlighted—its implications on chilling Freedom of Speech are dwarfed only by the bills inappropriate timing in the same week of the federal government’s flagrant misinformation and misuse of the same terminology.
• Attacks on Public Sector Workers – Collective Bargaining (HB 995)
  • In a surprise notice late this week, this unfriendly and anti-labor bill builds on the nefarious work of 2023’s SB 256, seeking to close the few remaining avenues unions have been able to survive following its adoption. With new arbitrary bureaucratic hurdles on recertification and bans on advocacy, the bill also require all union elections to have over 50% of the entire workforce in the bargaining unit voting. Backed by—and for—Billionaires, the WFLC was quick to mobilize against this bill in its first committee stop. Despite it’s passage, we are aggressively monitoring this union busting issue as it moves along in the session.

🍊Florida Labor News

This week communities across all of Florida rallied to mourn the unnecessarily and tragic loss of AFGE Union brother Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed at the hands of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement this past weekend in Minneapolis, MN. Whether in North Florida protesting at City Halls or in South Florida holding Vigils, Florida’s working families everywhere made clear that we stand in solidarity with the many Minnesotans who continue to protest and advocate against the federal government’s overreach and abuses of power taking place in their state at the hands of ICE. See some highlights below.

Central Florida members mourn Alex Pretti and tell Rep. Anna Paulina Luna to stop escalating tensions and to “Read The Room!“

Seen above: Karena Jimenez – National Nurses Organizing Committee/NNU, Alec Wilcosky – West Central FL AFL CIO, and Carol White – AFGE 547 speaking to the public.

Following the tragic and unnecessary murder of AFGE Brother and Nurse Alex Pretti at the hands of Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE) last Saturday in Minneapolis, union members and working families across Florida joined to stand in solidarity and mourn in his loss. Meanwhile, Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna used the moment to further her political ambition, while claiming that those in mourning or critical of ice were breaking with reality and experiencing “pure cognitive dissonance.”

In response, Union members and constituents of Rep. Luna’s Congressional District 13 in Central Florida held a press conference on Thursday spotlighting the hypocrisy of such a statement, highlighting Luna’s voting record on DHS funding and her use of the immigration issue to instead advocate for her own voter suppression SAVE Act. You can watch the full event here as members gathered outside Rep. Luna’s Seminole, Fla office to call on her to read the room, stop fanning the flames with more incendiary rhetoric, and get to work on things that actually matter for her constituents.

AFGE Local 507 Hosts Vigil in West Palm Beach

Meanwhile, in South Florida, members of AFGE Local 507 organized over a hundred members and fellow community partners to gather for a memorial vigil for Alex Pretti, who was an intensive care unit nurse at a Veterans Administration hospital and a was a fellow member of the American Federation of Government Employees. They were joined by Florida Congresswoman Lois Frankel. You can read the and see the full coverage of their event here, courtesy ABC 25 WPBF News

✊Solidarity Spotlight

Even while standing in solidarity for a number of nationwide issues this week, working families in Florida still also found time to bring attention to the issues that are directly impacting them as Floridians as well!

SEIU/Unite Here, TPS Workers, and Congressional leaders join in Fort Lauderdale to call for extension of Haitian TPS

This Wednesday, UNITE 355 and SEIU 32BJ helped mobilize an incredible coalition of airport, hotel and nursing home workers, community partners, local faith leaders, and elected officials to host a press conference and silent march at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) to demand that the Trump administration halt its cruel plan to end Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) before Feb. 3, 2026.

Per NBC 6 South Florida:

“Ending TPS will be devastating to so many families. We work extremely hard to welcome travelers arriving in South Florida. We will not stand by and watch our coworkers, friends, and neighbors be treated like animals. We are here to call for a permanent solution and an extension of TPS,” organizers said in a statement.

Per the Florida Immigrant Coalition, Haitan TPS Holders represent over 100,000 members of Florida’s workforce and contribute over billions to South Florida’s economy in housing values and state and local taxes. Their removal would not just be cruel, but also economically devastating to South Florida’s labor market. The organizers were supported in person by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and you can read the full story of the event here!

🗓️On the Horizon

• February 7th, 2026​ – Young Workers March on Washington!
  • The time to take action for the future is the present! This February, young workers from unions across the united states are meeting in Washington D.C to demand young workers are provided the same opportunities as their parents by raising our long out-dated Federal Minimum Wage, providing for more affordable housing, and more! Learn more about this day of action on the official website for Young Worker’s March!
• March 28th, 2026 – No King’s Protest!
  • Tallahassee was one of many participants in the recent January 24th “No Kings” protest that marked a year of continued resistance against the Trump Administration’s authoritarian policies. In the wake of the events in Minnesota, organizers are building towards a fourth series of protests in March. Those interested in participating can find out more here.

Anything Else?

🛠️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!

• Minnesota Action Fund: As mentioned, we are amplifying efforts to support our brothers and sisters in the state of Minnesota as they deal with ongoing federal immigration efforts. Able and willing Floridians can help with emergency legal funds and mutual aid for union members detained and sent to other states. As many find themselves without resources to return home even after proving their status, contributions can be made here.

📸Bonus Bulletin

With a fantastic turnout for Week 3 of Working Family Lobby Corps, we were glad to get no shortage of footage for the week’s “Solidarity in the Sunshine” segment of our legislative update videos! Here are some behind-the-scenes of members Michael Woods (Palm Beach County CTA) and Thomas Woods (Brevard Federation of Teachers) talking about their experience as direct legislative advocates for Florida’s working class! Stay tuned for the week 3 legislative update video dropping early next week, and ICYMI, make sure you caught up on the mechanical mayhem that happened in week 2!

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 the new edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly e-newsletter: The Florida Labor Letter! Building on the good work that went into our prior E-messenger program, we hope to use this newsletter to provide you a weekly roundup of the latest and greatest from the Florida labor community, as well as keep you engaged with the latest events, resources, and actions taking place from across the Sunshine State and nation at large! As another week of the 2026 Legislative Session concludes, what better time to start getting involved than now? Without further ado, let’s get into it!

🏛️Legislative Session: Week of 1/22

Rural Counties Day At The Capitol rounded out the end of the 2nd week of the 2026 Working Family Lobby Corp! Besides the sweets, sauces, and shellfish on display in the Capitol Complex, your siblings in Tallahassee were hard at work throughout the week as they met with lawmakers and advocated in Committee on a host of issues including but not limited to:

• The AI Bill of R​​ights (SB 482)
  • ​Heard in committee for the first time this week, this friendly bill offers much in the way of consumer data protections, child protections and safeguards, and more related to AI use both in public and private life. Our public testimony was highlighted by the Florida Phoenix for its support of the bill that also emphasized that among the threats AI poses, the rights of workers, their jobs, and intellectual property should not be forgotten. Read the full story here!​
• Loyalty Oaths for Teachers (SB 430)
  • ​This disastrous bill would see all teachers and administrative personnel in the PreK-20 system forced to subscribe to a new vaguely worded oath affirming support to not just the constitution, but the state as well. Designed to create another level of intimidation and chilling speech across Florida’s already understaffed and overworked teaching population, this ​​unfriendly bill​​ found itself without the support necessary to be taken up in committee, Temporarily Postponing (TPing) the bill until further notice.​ This represents a great job in terms of informing our elected representatives of the truth behind these bad bills. We don’t take a victory for granted though, and will keep monitoring this and other issues as the session rolls on!​​
• The Nail in the Coffin of Florida’s Unemployment Insurance System (SB 1126)​
  • Backed by billionaire private interests, this ​unfriendly bill​​ would see the state’s already broken unemployment system somehow even ​more​ so​. Florida’s unemployment system currently offers the lowest benefits, most difficult eligibility, and smallest benefit payments that run out fastest among any in the union. By adding new hurdles, impossible reporting requirements, and unreasonable job search mandates, this bill see’s those most in need of essential assistance given impossible distance from getting it. This week though, critical testimony by the members of the Working Family Lobby Corps was cited by multiple members of the committee​ as proof positive that the only thing this bill is hurting is not fraud or bad actors, but human beings trying to get by.
• Property Taxes (Part Two!) (HJR 203)
  • More ​unfriendly​ property tax bills were heard this week, including the re-appearance of HJR 203, which gradually eradicates all non-school related property taxes across Florida’s counties, stripping them of critical funding as Florida’s revenue and tax structure finds itself overly reliant on existing property and sales tax for income. Members of the Working Families Lobby Corps and more made clear: Whether through loss of essential services like after-school care and infrastructure or increased sales taxes to compensate, these measures cost Floridians far more than they will ever save.

Note: For an in-depth look at the impactful work and words put together by this week’s Working Family Lobby Corps, stay tuned to our social media and more for our Legislative Updates videos! ICYMI: Here is Week 1’s!​

🍊Florida Labor News

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Just this past Monday, union members, activists, and citizens alike across the nation at large honored the life and legacy of the great civil rights and labor activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Across the entire state, Florida’s working families were happy to be a part of the celebration. Here are some moments (courtesy our North Florida Central Labor Council) captured by our siblings in Jacksonville of the big day!

Each and every day, we hope to carry forward the legacy of Dr. King Jr. by doing what he did best: educating, organizing, and fighting for a better more equal future for us all. We are proud of and thankful for the many of you who have made and continue to make that mission possible.

​​​In Solidarity With Minnesota

As the people of Minnesota join forces today to stand in solidarity on their Day of Truth and Freedom, we want to emphasize our support for our siblings in the Minnesota AFL-CIO and Minnesotans at large who are fighting for the pursuit of justice, due process, and fair treatment under the law. ICYMI: See the official statement from Florida AFL-CIO President Kimberly Holdridge below:

​

✊Solidarity Spotlight

AFGE Members Rally to Support Social Security Workers and Mission

Per ​WLRN:

“Social Security Administration workers and local seniors on Wednesday joined a national day of action in Broward County to demand that Congress address a mounting crisis of underfunding and staffing shortages at the federal agency that manages monthly payments and benefits to tens of millions of older Americans.”

​As congress rolls on towards its next funding deadline on ​January 30th, 2026​, Congressional members and agencies are negotiating avoid another partial government shutdown. We are proud of the proactive work being done by our siblings at AFGE Local 2014 and elsewhere in raising attention to the critical services and role that Social Security plays in the lives of so many working families. Read the full story of their efforts here, courtesy WLRN.​

​🗓️On the Horizon

• ​January 30th, 2026​ – Federal Government Funding Deadline
  • As we near the end of the month, congress must pass an appropriations bill to fund the rest of 2026 in order to avoid another lengthy and unnecessary government shutdown. Stay tuned for more news regarding this in the coming weeks as congressional action takes place!
• ​February 7th, 2026​ – Young Workers March on Washington!
  • The time to take action for the future is the present! This February, young workers from unions across the united states are meeting in Washington D.C to demand young workers are provided the same opportunities as their parents by raising our long out-dated Federal Minimum Wage, providing for more affordable housing, and more! Learn more about this day of action on the official website for Young Worker’s March!

🛠️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!

• Minnesota Action Fund: As mentioned, we are amplifying efforts to support our brothers and sisters in the state of Minnesota as they deal with ongoing federal immigration efforts. Able and willing Floridians can help with emergency legal funds and mutual aid for union members detained and sent to other states. As many find themselves without resources to return home even after proving their status, contributions can be made here.

📸Bonus Bulletin

Happy Birthday Dr. Rich Templin!

Though he is not one to hunt for the spotlight, we would like to take this week’s bonus bulletin to highlight the birthday of the Florida AFL-CIO’s Director of Politics and Public Policy, Dr. Rich Templin!

All who have know or have met him in the Working Family Lobby Corps, FL AFL-CIO, and Florida Capitol at large know Rich to be a tireless advocate for working families and the labor movement of Florida and at large. Often found in public comment and in conversation with legislators, Rich is cited often by members of the legislature for his wit and the depth of knowledge that he brings to the political process when talking about Florida Labor’s most important issues. As an invaluable part of the FL AFL-CIO family, we thank him for all he has and continues to do on behalf of the good people of Florida. We were happy to celebrate his birthday this week with him as part of our Working Family Lobby Corps Social at Proof Brewing! Thank you Rich!

That wraps up our Labor Letter for the week! Stay tuned for next week’s issue as session rolls on!

In Solidarity!

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

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org

Greetings Brothers, Sisters, and Kin!

My name is Danny Diaz, the FL AFL-CIO’s Communication’s Coordinator taking over from Michael Newberger.

I would like to welcome to the new edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly e-newsletter: The Florida Labor Letter! Building on the good work of my predecessors that went into our prior E-messenger program, we at the state federation hope to return to using this newsletter to provide you a weekly roundup of the latest and greatest from the Florida labor community, and keep you alert and engaged with the latest news, resources, and actions taking place from across the Sunshine State and nation at large! As the 2026 Legislative Session kicks off, what better time to start getting involved than now?

Future Florida Labor Letters will likely not have this lengthy of a pre-amble, but I did want to emphasize that this newsletter is built by and for the members of our statewide Florida labor community. If you have anything you’d like to suggest in the way of feedback or actions, events, and news you’d like to share in solidarity with your fellow brothers and sisters, please feel free to contact me at ddiaz@flaflcio.org or info@flaflcio.org for general inquiries. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Legislative Session 🏛️: Week of 1/16

This week marked the official kickoff of the Florida 2026 Legislative Session. Appropriately, it was also the official kickoff of our 2026 Working Families Lobby Corps! Members from FEA, IBEW, APWU, and more joined us in Tallahassee to get right to work, advocating directly to their legislators and speaking on a number of important issues for working families.

Members received in-depth briefings on the early important legislative developments, such as the re-energized push by the governor and legislature to reduce and remove property taxes, all while mandating counties continue to maintain certain spending levels, but with even fewer resources to fund them. With a state over-reliance on property and sales tax, a smaller hose to fund our communities means less water for public services like after school programs, parks and recreation, infrastructure repair and so much more. All the while taxes will increase elsewhere to compensate, squeezing already tight working families even harder.

This effort manifested this week in the second committee passage of HJR 203, which would gradually increase the homestead exemption for non-school-related property taxes by $100,000 each year for 10 years until they are fully exempted. Members of the Working Family Lobby Corps spoke against the bill in House State Affairs week with local communities to emphasize the risks that this legislation poses to working families, emergency and public services, school districts, and more. You can watch the full committee and public comment on The Florida Channel here and stay tuned to our socials for a closer look when our first episode of our Legislative Session Updates begin early net week!

Florida Labor News 🍊

SEIU-FPSU: Remembering Brother Alphonso Mayfield and Honoring His Legacy

​Last week, we heard the news of the sudden and tragic passing of Brother Alphonso Mayfield, President of the Florida Public Services Union. We join the FPSU in mourning this tremendous loss, would like to offer our sincerest condolences his wife, Alexis, and daughter, Eden and ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Born in Mississippi and raised in a working class family, Alphonso Mayfield understood deeply and acutely the plight and troubles of the working class and dedicated his life to the betterment of his community, combating economic and social injustice, and fighting fearlessly for the rights of his SEIU siblings. Mayfield served as Interim President of the FPSU since 2009, officially elected in full in 2010. We are grateful for his unwavering dedication and leadership not just to the FPSU, but also as a respected member of the SEIU International and SEIU Florida State Council.

As the Florida Public Service Union navigates this sudden transition, we welcome the appointment of FPSU Interim President Afifa Khaliq and share in her vision of honoring Alphonso Mayfield’s legacy and vision for the future of the FPSU. You can read her full letter here.

NEW AFFILIATE: IATSE Local 305

Please welcome the members of IATSE Local 305 to the Florida AFL-CIO family! Based in Miramar, Florida, IATSE Local 305 represents highly skilled Television Broadcast Technicians who bring professionalism, creativity, and technical excellence to productions across Miami Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County. Their members play a vital role in ensuring that the stories, events, and broadcasts that inform and inspire our communities are delivered with quality and care.

Local 305 is led by a team of President Wil Trinidad and Business Manager Adam Leifer, whose leadership and commitment to the craft have helped strengthen the local’s presence and impact. Supporting their work are Vice President Tim Mason and Secretary/Treasurer Brent Cohen, whose stewardship and dedication help ensure the local’s continued success.

We are honored to welcome these workers and their leadership into our federation. Their addition strengthens our collective voice and expands the reach of Florida’s labor movement at a time when solidarity and coordination matter more than ever.

To learn more about IATSE Local 305 and the important work they do, please visit https://iatse305.com

Solidarity Spotlight ✊

South Florida Nurses call off strikes after reaching deal with Healthcare Systems of America

Members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) demonstrated the power of solidarity last week when they exercised their authority to issue a strike as part of negotiations over their new contract. Advocating for safer staffing measures, nurses from Florida Medical Center (Ft. Lauderdale), Palmetto General Hospital (Hialeah), and Coral Gables Hospital (Coral Gables) were set to begin the strike on January 9th when members of Health Systems of America (HSA) realized that ironically: labor means business!

“Safe patient care means safe staffing,” said Patrice Aljoe, RN at Florida Medical Center. “…New measures in our contract are going to empower nurses to take even better care of our patients.” Read the full release on their website here!

On the Horizon ⏰🗓️

Here are some key dates and actions to keep on your radar in the coming week(s):

• January 20th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • On this day we celebrate legendary civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In the midst of continued federal and state attacks on voting rights, worker protections and civil liberties state and nationwide, we join our siblings nationwide with a renewed commitment to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King in fighting for a better, more equal life for all.
  • Leading up to the official day, the National AFL-CIO is putting on the 2026 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference from January 15th – 18th. Members can watch the events, speeches, and more online at aflcio.tv or themlkconference.org
• Tuesday 1/20 @ 5:30PM: Labor for Brian Nathan, State Senate Dist. 14: Voter Registration Phone Bank.
  • Join us to call into State Senate District 14 in order to call unregistered union members. We will notify them of their registration status and educate them about their union brother Brian Nathan’s run for the vacant Senate District 14 seat. Brian Nathan is fully endorsed by the Florida AFL-CIO! Learn more about his campaign here!
• CALL: Tell the U.S Senate to Pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act!
  • Thanks to the efforts of union members in Florida and nationwide last December, the U.S House passed Protect America’s Workforce Act. It now resides in the U.S Senate. Join the national call campaign to tell your senators that it’s their turn to fight for their state’s workers and their union rights! Remember: Worker’s rights are a bipartisan issue!

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 to take your labor skills and knowledge to the next level!

Bonus Bulletin 🌅

ICYMI: The FL AFL-CIO Legislative Session Updates return next week! Check out our new Trailer below and stay tuned to our socials and YouTube for the first episode, premiering early next week!

That wraps up your Florida Labor Letter for the week of 1/16! In Solidarity from your Florida AFL-CIO!

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

Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org