Jolly for Governor + Congressional Endorsements

Here's what you need to know this week:
 

Huge Wave of Endorsements from FL AFL-CIO COPE

Last weekend in Lake Buena Vista, the FL AFL-CIO's Committee on Political Education (COPE) Endorsing Convention met. Delegates spent two days in plenaries, committees, workshops, and debates. On Sunday, the Convention considered endorsements for Governor, U.S. House of Representatives, Florida Senate, Florida House, and statewide ballot measures. Below is a list of endorsements covering the West Central Florida area.

FL AFL-CIO President Kim Holdridge Swears in WCFLC Vice President Kim Smith to the Florida AFL-CIO Executive Board. Photo: Carole White.
 

Governor: David Jolly / Gwen Graham

No on all statewide ballot measures
 

Congressional District 13: Leela Gray

Congressional District 14: Kathy Castor

Congressional District 16: Kelly Kirschner

House District 62: Kyandra Darling

House District 63: Jacqueline Coffie-Leeks

House District 64: Luis Salazar

House District 65: Karen Gonzalez-Pittman

Senate District 14: Brian Nathan
 

Senate District 16: Fentrice Driskell

For a full list of FL AFL-CIO endorsements statewide go here: https://flaflcio.org/florida-afl-cio-releases-first-slate-of-candidate-endorsements-for-labor-2026/

For a full list of WCFLC endorsements, including local endorsements go here: https://bit.ly/WCFLC26

See more photos from the event at the bottom!

Service Workers at TPA Win Union

From UNITE HERE Local 362: SSP Food Service workers at Tampa International Airport won Union recognition with Local 362! 

After months of worker delegations to the company, a strong committee of workers began their campaign. Workers organized diligently, steadily building people power until they successfully pushed the company to sign a labor peace agreement, certify their union, and WIN recognition for nearly 200 workers!!! CONGRATULATIONS!

WCFLC @ Labor Notes

Concurrent with the FL AFL-CIO COPE Convention was the biannual Labor Notes Conference near Chicago, Ill. "Labor Notes is a media and organizing project that has been the voice of union activists who want to put the movement back in the labor movement since 1979." Among the 4,500 attendees, several union members from our area were in attendance. WCFLC sponsored a scholarship for one first-time attendee, and the Executive Board selected Ruddy Pimentel of IBEW 915 to attend. Be sure to ask Ruddy what he thought!

Left to right: Norwood Orrick, IBEW 824; McKenna Schueler, FL labor journalist; Ruddy Pimentel, IBEW 915; Barb Toepke, Hillsborough Education Employees Retired; and Adam Shils, Pinellas Education Employees Retired.

That's all for this week! Check out our website at wcflc.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.

 

Delegates from WCFLC gather for a photo post-Convention. Photo: Stephanie Yocum
 

FL AFL-CIO Staff and Officers grab a selfie onstage

From the other side of the lens. Photo: Lanette Edwards.