Labor & Employment Law

South Florida Unions Kick Off Early Voting

By Mike Hall

Ignoring a driving rain this morning, several hundred Florida union activists kicked off the two-week early-voting window for the state?s primary election with a rally and march for working family candidates in Miami.

Following the rally at the Miami offices of Longshoremen (ILA) Local 1416, marchers?clad in ponchos and carrying umbrellas?headed to the Miami-Dade County Government Center to cast their ballots.

The ILA building was a fitting location for Luis Meurice. The candidate for the 25th Congressional District (CD) first joined the ILA in 1979 and is now vice president of ILA Local 2062. He told the crowd:

I have never been so proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the next U.S. senator from the state of Florida, Kendrick Meek. I am also proud to have the full support of Florida’s working families who realize it’s time to put a worker in Washington. I hope to be that guy.

Meek, who is currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and is running for Senate, told the crowd:

My entire life I have stood alongside the hard-working men and women of this state who are building up what others have tried to tear down….I am looking forward to working to bring good jobs with benefits for middle-class families to Florida.

State Sen. Frederica Wilson, running for the 17th Congressional District seat, also attended the rally.

The primary is Aug. 24, and the early voting runs through Aug. 21. Fred Frost, president of the South Florida AFL-CIO, said today?s march and rally are just part of ?an unprecedented mobilization? of working family voters.

We have sent out over 25,000 pieces of targeted mail with  more to come, distributed over 50,000 leaflets at the worksites, knocked on 3,500 targeted union doors and at the end of day, will have made 40,000 calls three times.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on August 09, 2010 (boomark / email).