Issued November 03, 2020
Service Employee International Union (SEIU) President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement on the historic passage of Amendment 2 in Florida.
“Cooks and cashiers, airport workers, nursing home workers, higher ed workers and janitors across the state of Florida demonstrated their power this election, turning cheers for essential workers into a historic raise for nearly 2.5 million Floridians.
“Despite well-funded opponents, workers stood strong and stood together as they organized and turned out their communities to demand respect for all essential workers. They successfully showed their fellow Floridians how the workers who have kept our communities safe, clean and fed during the pandemic deserved more than poverty wages.
“When working people come together, they can affect real change everywhere all across our country.
“To corporations like McDonald’s that have fought tooth and nail to silence workers: we are done with people at the top making decisions about us, without us. No matter where we live, we won’t stop fighting until all workers are paid $15/hr and have a voice on the job.”
Background:
SEIU represents 2 million service and care workers, the majority of whom are Black, brown, Asian Pacific Islander and other people of color. A recent report from the Florida Policy Institute found that 2.5 million Floridians will get a raise as a result of Amendment 2 and more than one million families will be lifted out of poverty. As Florida becomes the eighth state nationwide to win $15/hr — and the first in the south to pass this landmark wage hike — 36% of all U.S. workers are now on path to $15/hr.