Noticed that the St. Augustine Record had not one word about Labor Day. In only 27 days, GateHouse takes over. Thus, today is the last Labor Day when we'll be subjected to MORRIS COMMUNICATIONS' vile right-wing biases and dupey editorial page decisions.
On Labor Day, don't forget Florida's workforce | Opinion
by Andrew Gillum
As Floridians all over the state spend time with their families, friends and neighbors over a long weekend of barbecues and parades, I want to make sure we never lose sight of the real reason for this weekend: the working men and women of labor.
We cannot forget people like my mother Frances, who was a bus driver, and my father Charles, who worked construction. They, and so many people across our state, understand the value of a hard day’s work. But what does it look like when these people are forgotten? Sadly, we know that story all too well in our state.
Too many people are struggling to make ends meet and our state’s income inequality is reaching staggering levels. According to one study, we now rank fifth highest of all the states in income inequality. In our state, the bottom 99 percent earns an average of $36,530 per year, while the top one percent make an average of $1.2 million annually. This means that the top 1 percent of wage earners makes nearly 35 times more than the bottom 99 percent, and this wealth gap is only getting wider. This disparity is shameful, and it means that too many hard-working Floridians are struggling every day just to make ends meet. We live in too great a state to have people working two or three jobs just to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
So what is the source of this growing income inequality? Far too often it’s greedy, anti-union corporations and the politicians who are perfectly happy to continue lining their pockets while working people suffer the consequences. Time after time, Republicans in the Florida Legislature have voted against working-class people, by trying their best to dismantle unions and rewarding big corporations with fewer regulations. Earlier this year, the Florida House passed a bill that would automatically de-certify public sector unions if at least 50 percent of the people they represent don’t pay dues. Efforts like these have left millions of Floridians and their families with far lower wages and benefits, and worse working conditions.
The target of these laws have often been our most valued and necessary workers: public-sector employees. People like our public school teachers, nurses, bus drivers, and so many more professions who work hard every day to serve us. Instead of earning a livable wage at a job with dignity, these working people get the short end of politics-as-usual.
Higher wages and better benefits for hardworking Floridians sounds like a no brainer to me, so why do politicians continue to attack unions and the working class? Their continued efforts to create an economy that only works for the few are disgraceful and it’s time to take a stand against them. Without unions, working people will continue to work day in and day out only to remain in poverty, while the rich keep getting richer.
That’s why on Sept. 4 we are putting the “Labor” back in Labor Day and taking on those who are fighting to keep wages and workers down. I’ll be out across the state for Labor Day weekend, meeting with working people and listening to their stories. As governor, I’ll fight to make sure their rights are protected and that they have a say in their livelihoods. Because Floridian workers and their families deserve a better, more equitable future that works for all.
Andrew Gillum is mayor of Tallahassee and a candidate for governor of Florida.
Copyright © 2017, Sun Sentinel
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