Florida Labor Letter – Week of 9/11

Daniel Diaz |

Welcome to another edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 9/11. This week saw Florida’s labor family celebrate and share in another successful Labor Day- but the fight continues as working families kick off their Labor 2026 campaigns and continue the hard work of advocacy in pursuit of a brighter and better Florida. Let’s get into it.

Remembering 9/11

Photo Credit: Alicia Devine, Tallahassee Democrat
Photo Credit: Dave Sanders/New York Times

Before our usual content, we wanted to take a moment to note the important occasion that today’s newsletter falls on. On this day in American history 25 years ago, our state and the nation at large bore witness to the national tragedy that unfolded as a result of the attacks on September 11, 2001. Ever fresh in the American mind, the attacks on the Twin Towers, Pentagon, and United Flight 93 changed the course of history and our nation in countless ways that are still felt and dealt with today. At the core though was the sense of loss, as over 3,000 lives were lost not just in the turmoil, but the lengthy efforts at rescue, cleanup, and recovery to follow, of which a great number of firefighters, law enforcement and other union members assisted in.

On this solemn day, Florida’s unions wish to join the nation in honoring the memory of all of those who were killed on and following September 11, 2001. We are beyond thankful for the brave men and women who put others before themselves in the aftermath, cleanup, and recovery of that day’s tragic events, and whose impacts and sacrifices we still feel to this day. In their memory and the memory of the many lives lost, we stand in solidarity. As we head into the weekend, Florida Politics has organized a helpful non-comprehensive list of a large number of events and memorials being held statewide to commemorate the significance of today’s occasion.

🗳️Electoral News

Amendment 3 Efforts Ramp Up

As election season gets underway, our working families can expect to hear more and more not just about candidates, but Amendment 3, the hastily put together, ill-researched, and misleadingly pitched ballot effort to get rid of all non-homestead property taxes. Property taxes currently serve a critical source of revenue for our local governments that supports and funds everything from public safety and disaster preparedness to infrastructure repair and community programs, but Amendment 3 removes those funds with zero ways to replace them. That means local communities would face either cutting these essential services or charge working families new taxes & fees to pay for them.

For the last several weeks, opposition has grown to these amendments, but this week finally saw its supporters emerge, as per Florida Politics, The Florida Realtors contributed $10 million dollars to their own Yes on 3 campaign. Such an endorsement makes sense, as the passage of Amendment 3 means a huge tax break for the multi-million dollar companies that own and lease thousands of properties across the state. Unfortunately, those savings will not pass down to the average Floridian. Since Amendment 3 offers no replacement for those lost funds, that means working families that are renting or seeking homeownership will ironically find that goal pushed farther away as they either watch their local services get cut or have to foot new higher bills for them in the form of other increased taxes or new service fees.

As we head towards November, we’ll be putting more resources in your hands to help spread the word that Amendment 3 is a scam that will hurt, not help, our working families. Find out more on Amendment 3’s dangerous impacts here, and why more and more Floridians from across the aisle are saying that this November, it’s “No on 3!”

🍊Florida Labor News

Labor Day Successes!

This Monday, we were so happy to spend our Labor Day outside the office and with you, our working families! Whether it was in the Tallahassee at a community panel of organizers and labor-endorsed candidates, or whether it was in Orlando canvassing with elected officials, we were so happy to see a slew of celebrations, music, and advocacy from our labor family. Labor Day is an important occasion every year, but working families know that the cause extends far beyond the holiday. As we put words into action, here are just a few photos from events put on by our CLCs in Big Bend, Palm Beach-Treasure Coast, Central Florida, and West Central Florida, to whom we owe all photo credits!

🗓️On the Horizon

As Labor 2026 gets underway, make sure you are not just making a plan to vote, but staying tuned to our FL AFL-CIO Mobilize to see the latest ways you can get involved in local actions, canvassing efforts, and more! See below for some important dates and visit Mobilize for the full breakdown!

  • Statewide
    • Important GENERAL Election Dates!
      • The primaries are over! On to the general! Wherever you are on the aisle, you should know these important election dates from the Florida Division of Elections:
        • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: September 19, 2026
        • Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters:  September 24 2026 – October 1, 2026
        • Deadline to register to vote:  October 5, 2026
        • Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: October 22, 2026
        • Early voting period (mandatory period):  October 24 – 31, 2026
        • Election Day:  November 3, 2026
  • Digital
    • FL AFL-CIO Labor 2026 All Hands on Deck Meeting
      • September 14th – 6:00PM
        • You are invited to an All Hands on Deck!
        • This meeting will cover critical updates and coordination for all Labor 2026 statewide activities as we move into the next phase of our work together. We are also excited to announce a Special Appearance by Angie Nixon, our endorsed candidate for US Senate, who will join us to share insights and help energize our statewide efforts. You can Join the Zoom on Monday at this link.
    • FLARA Annual Meeting:
      • September 16th (9:00am – 4:00PM) (7:00PM – 9:00PM Hero and Zero Awards)
        • The Florida Alliance of Retired Americans (FLARA) invites any and all to attend their annual meeting on September 16 for a powerful day of legislative updates, advocacy, and action as they hear directly from advocates and leaders from across Florida fighting to protect Social Security, Medicare, and strong unions.
        • Those interested in attending FLARA meetings should contact tammy@flara.org in order to get the invitation.

🛠️Business Board

Let’s Get Medicaid Expansion On the 2028 Ballot!

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

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

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

Here’s the ask. It takes one minute:

  1. Request your petition at https://floridadecideshealthcare.org/aflcio/
  2. It arrives by mail. Sign it.
  3. Mail it back. That’s it.

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

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

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

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

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