UNITE HERE Florida to kick-off political canvassing operations in Central and South Florida with multi-city press conference, PPE distribution caravan
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Contact: MJ Leira, [email protected], (917) 565-7697
WHO:
- Wendi Walsh, UNITE HERE Florida Political Director and Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 355
- Jeremy Haicken, UNITE HERE Local 737 President
- 200 UNITE HERE Florida political canvassers.
WHEN: Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at 9am and 11am
WHAT: UNITE HERE Florida virtual press conference to kick-off political canvassing efforts in South and Central Florida. Wendi Walsh and Jeremy Haicken will speak with political canvassers ahead of them going out into Miami-Dade, Broward, Osceola, Orange, Seminole, and Polk neighborhoods to mobilize voters. Press conference will be followed by a PPE distribution caravan in both Central and South Florida where canvassers receiving their PPE, black Take Back 2020 shirts and face masks will be available to interview.
WHERE: Media RSVP https://forms.gle/2o3Rc2mvcudDK7sFA 9:00am zoom
Miami:871 NW 167 Street Miami Gardens, FL 33169 11:00am
Orlando: 1255 La Quinta Driva, Suite 214 Orlando, FL 32809 11:00am
WHY: Hospitality workers in Florida continue to experience the wrath of the COVID-19 pandemic. UNITE HERE is leading a statewide effort to mobilize voters. In 2016, Trump won Florida by a margin of just 1%, while half a million Democrats in South and Central Florida did not vote. UNITE HERE Florida is using all of our resources to move voters in counties where our members live and work, in order to make up that critical 1% difference, and inspire many more voters to go to the polls to elect Joe Biden.
Over 500 laid off hospitality workers from Walt Disney World and Orlando International Airport to the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the Diplomat Beach Resort, Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport are taking back their power in this election. Canvassers are, by majority, Black and Brown women, who live and work in the communities the union is targeting.
UNITE HERE Florida has created and follows a comprehensive “contactless door-to-door canvassing” model, which includes a set of rules that go above and beyond what is required by health authorities in Florida. These include mandatory use of PPE including masks and gloves and adherence to social distancing guidelines. By strictly following this model, we can safely conduct door-to-door canvassing, which facilitates the direct conversations proven to be more effective at turning out low propensity voters and helping all voters understand how to cast their ballots.
ABOUT UNITE HERE Florida:
UNITE HERE Florida is a labor union that represents over 34,000 workers in the hotel, casino, food service, and airport industries in Central and South Florida. Over 200 hospitality workers have come out on a full-time Leave of Absence, an additional 300 statewide serve as volunteer “poll stewards” who conduct voter outreach via phone and text message and will also protect voters at the polls during early voting and on Election Day.