Welcome to a special edition of the Florida AFL-CIO’s weekly Florida Labor Letter for the week of 9/4! Labor Day is upon us! Though many students and other professionals often look forward to the occasion for the extra time off, Florida’s working families know that this incredible holiday has a deep history and proud tradition across the country.
Beginning in the late 19th century, as the burgeoning movement of organized labor grew across the U.S, a day was proposed to celebrate the strength and power of organized labor, all that it had achieved and secured for the working class, and all that it could do for them in the future. Since then, on the first Monday of September, Americans everywhere celebrate this proud history, and in an era that has created the world’s first Trillionaire, the need for organized labor could not be greater. We are excited to get into the many ways in which you can celebrate this year and how some of you have already kicked things off!
📝From The Desk of the President
🍊Florida Labor News
Angie Nixon Endorsed by The Florida AFL-CIO!
This week, the Florida AFL-CIO is proud to announce its endorsement and support of Angie Nixon for Florida’s next U.S Senator! With her experience as a union organizer and a proven track record in the Florida House as a fighter for the working class, the choice before Florida’s working families this November couldn’t be clearer! We are excited to work to educate and get out voters this November as we vie for not just a brighter Tallahassee or Florida that works for us, but a Washington D.C as well!
The Labor Day Lowdown!
We are happy to see a slew of Labor Day events taking place across our Sunshine State this weekend, so as promised, here is a lowdown of all of the CLC events being put on across the state! No matter where you are, there’s a community in Florida Labor for you. You can see all of these events and more from this Labor Day weekend on our Mobilize! Whether you are canvassing, cooking, or just plain celebrating, we want to see how you are commemorating your Labor Day! Don’t forget to tag our socials @flaflcio on Instagram and X, and @FloridaAFLCIO on Facebook!
✊Labor Day Solidarity Spotlight!
Labor in Southern Florida Gets Ahead of the Labor Day Action!
Since our last issue, Several of our CLCs down south have been busy not just prepping, but already putting into action several big events for Labor Day and Labor 2026!
Yesterday, the South Florida CLC itself put on an early Labor Day action when it held a Press Conference ahead of the Miami-Dade County Budget hearing and the Labor Day weekend. Labor leaders, workers, community organizers, elected officials, candidates and others came together to address a host of issues facing the Miami-Dade and South Florida communities including the impact of proposed local, state and federal funding cuts and policies on working people, the potential devastating impact of the Amendment 3 ballot initiative, escalating ICE raids and federal attacks on South Florida immigrants communities, and the growing affordability crisis on workers and families across the region. The event drew over 30+ organizations and leaders, and was helmed by South Florida CLC President Jeffrey Mitchell and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Also active this past week was the Broward County Central Labor Council, which put on their 2026 Labor Ball. CLC President Andy Madtes and Secretary/Treasurer Dana Shumate and so many others helped organize a very successful event that showcased the size, power, and resilience of the Broward County Labor community! The ball also drew a number of recognizable names in elected officials and candidates for seats as local as city commissioners all the way to U.S Senate including Angie Nixon, Gwen Graham, Jose Javier Rodriguez just to name a few! You are encouraged to visit the Broward County CLC Facebook Page to see a number of great photos, moments, and more from the evening!
📸Bonus Bulletin
Remembering Legendary Women’s Rights Activist and Journalist Gloria Steinem
This week America received more news of the sudden passage of another legendary figure in activism- critically acclaimed Journalist and Feminist Gloria Steinem. Known as a leader and pioneering figure in the second wave of feminism, Steinem was a columnist for New York Magazine and co-founded the influential Ms. Magazine as well as a number of feminist advocacy organizations including the National Women’s Political Caucus, Women’s Action Alliance, and Women’s Media Center.
Despite gaining notoriety first in the 1960s, Steinem was known for her lifelong activism well into the present day and a number of achievements far too long to list in a newsletter entry. Instead, we thank her for her profound role in pushing and gaining ground in the everyday fight for a more equitable and equal America for everyone. As we kick off a weekend commemorating the progress of organizing and work left to do, we leave you with some of the legendary activist’s last words of advice, as written in a final essay published this week in the New Yorker:
People often ask me: What should we do? No one person could answer that for everyone. I will say that we must work together to make sure that equal laws and customs become normalized. While there are many external gestures, the biggest leaps are those that we make within ourselves. Standing up for your own full humanity is an example you can give to others. Bring equality into your workplace and home—and follow the sense you probably had as a child, before gender roles took shape, about fairness.
That concludes this week’s roundup! Thank you for reading and as always, In Solidarity!
Got any tips, actions, or messages you’d like to see in this email?
Please email Daniel Diaz at ddiaz@flaflcio.org