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South Florida Labor Leaders: “We Built This Together. We’re Defending It Together.”

Workers Sound Alarm on Cuts, Closures, and Attacks on Democracy

MIAMI SPRINGS, FL — The South Florida AFL-CIO, the federation representing over 60 unions and more than 250,000 workers across Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, will host a Labor Day press conference to address the coordinated assault on working families, public services, and democratic access. The press conference will take place on Mon, Sep. 1, 10:00 AM at the United Teachers of Dade offices, located at 5553 NW 36th St, Miami Springs, FL 33166.

Union leaders from across key sectors will speak on how current federal and state policies are threatening the economic and civic foundations that millions of Floridians rely on.

“Labor has always been part of the fight for justice in this country, from winning the weekend and fair wages to standing shoulder to shoulder with the civil rights movement,” said South Florida AFL-CIO President Jeffery Mitchell. “Today, those same rights are being rolled back. We know that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. And right now, the verse is sounding all too familiar. If we stay silent, we risk losing everything generations before us fought to build.”

Speakers will address how legislation like the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), the effort to privatize the U.S. Postal Service, and policies targeting mail-in voting are part of a broader campaign to dismantle essential systems and limit democratic participation.

These attacks coincide with the defunding of critical public services that keep our society functioning, such as healthcare, education, housing, and food assistance, putting everyday people at risk and deepening inequality.

Leaders will share how these decisions impact entire communities, not just union members, and why a unified response from labor and the broader public is more urgent than ever.

MEDIA ALERT

WHAT:
Labor Day Press Conference hosted by South Florida AFL-CIO

WHEN:
Monday, September 1, 2025 10:00 AM ET

WHERE:
United Teachers of Dade 5553 NW 36th St Miami Springs, FL 33166

WHO:

  • South Florida AFL-CIO President Jeffery Mitchell
  • American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Secretary-Treasurer Fed Ingram
  • United Teachers of Dade (UTD) President Tony White
  • International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 769 President Josh Zivalich
  • American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 172 President Wanda Harris
  • Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1991 Executive Director Martha Baker
  • WeCount Plant Nursery and Worker Leader Ana Mejia

WHY:

  • Changes to Medicaid and the ACA under the OBBBA could eliminate health coverage for 15 million Americans, pushing more Floridians into medical debt and putting rural hospitals at greater risk of closure.
  • More than 253,000 Floridians face food assistance cuts due to added SNAP restrictions.
  • Privatizing the U.S. Postal Service while restricting mail-in ballots represents a direct threat to both vital public infrastructure and the ability to vote safely and conveniently.
  • Florida’s housing affordability crisis continues to escalate, leaving more working families unable to afford rent or homeownership despite significant tax breaks benefiting higher earners.

About South Florida AFL-CIO

The South Florida AFL-CIO is a coalition of 60 local unions representing more than 250,000 workers across Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. Its affiliates include workers in education, healthcare, postal services, construction, transportation, hospitality, and other key sectors. As the leading voice for organized labor in South Florida, the federation advocates for economic and social justice, fair wages, safe working conditions, and dignity on the job. Through grassroots organizing, political engagement, and strong community alliances, the South Florida AFL-CIO works to build a more just and equitable region for all working families.

SPEAKER BIOS:

Jeffery Mitchell serves as President of the South Florida AFL‑CIO and International Representative of the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) International. He brings over three decades of experience in labor leadership, beginning his career with Miami-Dade Transit in the early 1990s. Mitchell previously served as President of TWU Local 291, the union representing more than 2,000 public transit workers at Miami-Dade Transit. In that role, he led contract negotiations, organized member mobilizations, and advanced workplace safety and economic protections for bus operators, rail operators, maintenance personnel, and administrative staff. Under his leadership, TWU Local 291 became one of the most active and respected transit unions in Florida. Now as a national vice president of TWU International and regional labor leader, Mitchell continues to drive campaigns for workers’ rights, living wages, and fair labor standards across South Florida and beyond.

Fedrick C. Ingram is the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), representing approximately 1.7 to 1.8 million members nationwide, including Pre‑K through 12 educators, paraprofessionals, higher education faculty, government employees, and healthcare professionals. He previously served as president of the Florida Education Association (FEA), a union of roughly 140,000 members, and held roles on the AFT Executive Council before being elected Secretary-Treasurer in 2020. Ingram also serves on the AFL‑CIO Transportation Trades Department’s executive committee and the board of Union Plus, and was elected a trustee of the NAACP Foundation in 2022.

Antonio “Tony” White currently serves as President of the United Teachers of Dade (UTD). He was elected after serving as the union’s First Vice President for nine years, winning with about 80% of the vote and sworn in on May 22, 2025. UTD represents nearly 27,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, and school staff in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. White brings over two decades of advocacy experience, including roles as Building Steward and Executive Board member, and served as a Career Technology Education instructor.

Josh Zivalich is the President and Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 769 (IBT Local 769). A second-generation Teamster, he has been a member since 1990. Originally from Atlanta, he attended Florida Atlantic University while working at UPS in Deerfield Beach. Since assuming leadership, Zivalich has led initiatives around political endorsements and union organizing across industries in South Florida.

Wanda Harris is the President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 172, representing postal workers in the Miami-Dade area. She chairs the union’s Rank‑and‑File Committee and has been a vocal advocate against divisive policies like two‑tier pay systems, emphasizing the critical role APWU members played in delivering mail during pivotal moments such as the 2020 elections.

Martha Baker, RN, BSN is the Executive Director (and President) of SEIU Healthcare Florida Local 1991, representing roughly 5,000 nurses, doctors, and healthcare professionals at Jackson Health System. She was the founding Nurse Manager of the Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital and is a leading figure in SEIU’s statewide and national networks, including the Florida State Council and the SEIU Nurse Alliance.

Ana Mejía is a Plant Nursery and Worker Leader with WeCount!, a campaign that organizes plant nursery workers to challenge labor abuses and improve working conditions in Florida’s nursery industry. She has spoken publicly about workers’ struggles in extreme heat, advocating for basic safety measures like hydration and proper rest.