With Miami one of the nation's most expensive rental housing markets, the South Florida AFL-CIO officially launched its "Labor 2026" campaign on Saturday morning to mobilize working-class voters to demand mid-term election candidates address the region's affordable housing crisis.
A breakfast gathering at the UA Pipefitters Local 725 in Opa-Locka drew a crowd of union members, labor leaders, community groups, and Democratic and Republican elected officials from across Miami-Dade County.
Among them: State Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami, State Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-Miami, and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, along with Miami-Dade County Commissioners.
Union leaders, citing local rents now averaging more than $3,100 per month, said the economic pressures facing South Florida families have reached a tipping point.
“Working people are being priced out of South Florida while the people who keep this community running are struggling just to stay here,” said Jeffery Mitchell, President of the South Florida AFL-CIO.
The union said nearly 60% of Miami-Dade residents are now considered "cost-burdened," meaning they spend more than 30% of their income to keep a roof over their heads.
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Mitchell said the Labor 2026 campaign is designed to channel worker frustration into electoral power, ensuring that municipal, county, and state candidates prioritize the needs of the local workforce over special interests.
“Teachers, healthcare workers, construction workers, hospitality workers, transit workers, public employees, and service workers deserve to live in the communities they serve," Mitchell said. "The Labor 2026 campaign is about making sure working people have a stronger voice at every level of government so we can fight for affordable housing, better wages, stronger unions, safer workplaces, and an economy that works for everybody — not just wealthy developers and corporations. That is why electoral participation matters.”
The Labor 2026 initiative is part of a larger political and legislative mobilization strategy by the South Florida AFL-CIO for the current election cycle. Moving forward, the federation plans to roll out expanded voter engagement, direct labor advocacy, and aggressive backing for pro-worker policies.
The South Florida AFL-CIO represents more than 250,000 members from 60 unions in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
