Union leaders rally South Florida workers on Labor Day to demand higher pay
MIAMI - It seemed only appropriate that on Labor Day, union leaders rallied workers in South Florida to demand higher wages amid rising costs across the area.
The United Teachers of Dade, along with members of the South Florida AFL-CIO, Communication Workers of America, the Transport Workers Union, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, and state Senator Shervin Jones came together at UTD headquarters to discuss the importance of unions when it comes to demanding safe working conditions and fair wages.
The South Florida AFL-CIO represents 52 affiliated local unions with more than 239,000 union members and retirees in the region. Representatives said Florida currently has the highest rate of inflation. Combined with a lack of affordable housing, skyrocketing insurance rates and limited healthcare access, they said it is one of the least livable states. Mayor Levine Cava said that needs to change.
"Right here in Miami-Dade County we have an affordability crisis, everybody knows that. The cost of rent is too damn high. We need to make sure that people who work in our labor force, in our economy, can afford to live here," she said.
A recent study revealed that minimum wage workers must work 98 hours a week to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment, highlighting a severe affordability crisis in housing, according to the UTD.
"This crisis has been compounded by legislative attacks that have imposed harsh restrictions on undocumented workers, a vital segment of Florida's economy," it said in a statement.
Currently, there are three high-profile labor fights taking place across South Florida. The Communication Workers of America are on strike at AT&T for what they view as labor practices, the organizing of Brightline workers led by the Transport Workers Union and the ongoing attack on teachers from the ultra-conservative Freedom Foundation.
The union members stressed the importance of the upcoming election and voting for people who have the workers' best interests at heart.