Archive for category: Press Releases

Unions host multi-city press conference, PPE distribution caravan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Contact: MJ Leira, [email protected]

FLORIDA—UNITE HERE Florida kicked-off its effort to mobilize voters in South and Central Florida with a multi-city virtual press conference followed by PPE distribution caravans in both Central and South Florida. At the caravans, canvassers received PPE including masks and gloves, black “Take Back 2020” shirts and face masks.

Watch full press conference here. Download photos here.

In 2016, Donald Trump won Florida by a margin of just 1%, while half a million Democrats in South and Central Florida did not vote. Now, as hospitality workers in Florida continue to experience the wrath of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNITE HERE Florida is putting significant resources to move voters in counties where union members live and work, in order to make up that critical 1% difference and inspire many more Floridians to go to the polls to elect Joe Biden. “Our union is seriously investing in Florida like we’ve never done before. We’re making a vote-by-mail strategy that no one else is doing. We’ve done this in Nevada – we fought, and we won. We have the most committed and passionate canvassers who are fighting for their families,” said Wendi Walsh, UNITE HERE Florida Political Director.

Canvassers are, by majority, Black and Brown women, who live and work target communities in Miami-Dade, Broward, Osceola, Orange, Seminole, and Polk counties. They are among 500 laid-off hospitality workers who are committing their time to this election by canvassing or  serving as “poll stewards”: volunteers who will conduct voter outreach via phone and text message and who will also protect voters at the polls during early voting and on Election Day.

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 and that has been implemented successfully in UNITE HERE’s ground operations in both Arizona and Nevada. These include mandatory use of PPE including masks and gloves and adherence to social distancing guidelines. By strictly following this model, it is possible to safely conduct door-to-door canvassing, which facilitates the direct conversations proven to be more effective at turning out low propensity voters and in helping all voters understand how to cast their ballots.

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 UNITE HERE Florida is comprised of three member unions: UNITE HERE Local 355 Miami, UNITE HERE Local 362 Orlando, and UNITE HERE Local 737 Orlando. Together they represent over 34,000 workers in the hotel, casino, food service, and airport industries in Central and South Florida. 

Miami, FL— In March, almost all of the 33,000 hospitality workers represented by UNITE HERE Florida were laid off due to COVID-19.  Most remain laid off five months later.  Over these months, Florida’s hourly workers were largely abandoned by their elected leaders, left struggling to access unemployment benefits and health insurance, and fearing for their lives as a few reentered the workplace.

In response, laid off hospitality workers have turned their attention to electoral politics to take back their power. UNITE HERE Florida housekeepers, cooks, servers, and dishwashers put in thousands of hours volunteering to turn out the vote. Denia Fernandez, cashier at Miami International Airport, said: “The County Commission, in the middle of a health crisis, cancelled proposal 11A11, rejecting paid sick days. This showed us that the Commissioners need to understand the power of our vote.”  Hear more from Denia here.

Yolette Lareus added, “I’ve been working as a cook at Calder Casino for 27 years. I’ve seen how Oliver Gilbert has fought for us to keep our jobs. On my own, I’ve raised my two 11 and 13-year-old daughters who need a prosperous future. Voting is the only way we can fix this situation. The same way Mayor Gilbert helped me as Mayor of Miami Gardens I know he’ll be able to do more in the County Commission of Miami-Dade.”

Workers supported candidates for the County Commission who have supported them. “Our members know that Commissioner Eileen Higgins passed a $3 million-dollar legislation that will provide financial relief to furloughed hotel workers. We backed Mayor Oliver Gilbert because he stood up for worker safety protections during this pandemic. Our members will never forget that Commissioner Keon Hardemon donated food vouchers to feed their families in their time of need. People are loyal to those who are loyal to them when it mattered most,” said Wendi Walsh, UNITE HERE Florida Political Director.

All three candidates supported by UNITE HERE Florida for Miami-Dade County Commission achieved solid victories. Commissioners Eileen Higgins and Keon Hardemon both came in first in their districts and will be on the ballot for November runoffs. In District 1 alone, hospitality workers had 6,989 phone conversations, dialed 259,244 phone numbers, visited 8,426 doors, and texted with tens of thousands more voters to deliver a victory for Oliver Gilbert.

For laid off hospitality workers, the primary was just the beginning.  UNITE HERE Florida members are signing up to volunteer in unprecedented numbers heading into November to vote out Donald Trump.

Press Contact: Wendi Walsh, [email protected]

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UNITE HERE Florida is a labor union that represents over 33,000 workers in the hotel, casino, food service, and airport industries in Central and South Florida.