Dear Friend,
As the daughter of working-class immigrants, words cannot describe my deep appreciation for — and commitment to — labor.
Whether we belong to a union in our workplace or not, all of us owe a debt of gratitude for the rights that workers around the country have collectively fought for — from a minimum wage to safer workplaces to 40-hour work weeks and two-day weekends.
And just like unions fight for us, I will always fight for the rights of workers in the Florida Legislature — where big corporations spend millions of dollars supporting politicians that bust unions, keep their employees from banding together, and prevent policies like hazard pay for essential workers from becoming a reality.
Just this year, Republicans in Tallahassee tried to pass House Bill 835, which attempted to crush organizing efforts through unnecessary red tape and other administrative burdens. We defeated that bad bill — and proved yet again that people power is stronger than corporate influence.
These issues are deeply personal for me. Both of my parents worked multiple minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. Here’s a photo of my Mom, working at an Orlando McDonald’s in the mid-1990s. Her last job before she passed away to cancer in 2004 was as a manager at K-Mart.
Today essential workers have carried our nation through the COVID-19 pandemic while others have had to suffer through a criminally broken unemployment system.
Clearly we still have a lot of work to do, both in Florida and across the country, in supporting workers. But when we all join together, organize and mobilize, we can accomplish anything.
I hope you and your family have an impactful Labor Day. Our Legislative Office is closed today, but we are still checking voicemails and emails, too.
Onward together,
Rep. Anna V. Eskamani