Published 08 Jun, 2011
Thousands of people crammed the Central Florida Fairgrounds on Saturday to learn how to unite and fight for the future of their state. The festival included booths set up by 40 different organizations, and multiple workshops, teach-ins, skill sharing sessions, rides and live music.
The Festival for Florida’s Future was not a rally, but a day-long celebration of what it means to be an average Floridian, and the beginning of a working families movement in the state of Florida that will be impossible to ignore! The Festival kicked off a larger, sustained campaign to organize people from all backgrounds and walks of life to take action in meaningful, effective ways that make a difference in the lives of all Floridians.
With a carnival atmosphere serving as a backdrop, workers and their families got the tools they need to build activist networks in their neighborhoods throughout the summer and leading into regional activities in the fall. These activities will support a statewide effort to recruit and train workers and retirees to run for elected office.
Some of the workshop topics included:
- Speaking to Power: Using your story and voice to fight back!
- Tech Me Over: Online communication tools and resources
- Labor Community Solidarity: Why Coalition Building Matters
- Labor to Neighbor: How to build a grassroots network in your neighborhood
- Why Grandma isn’t dead: Stopping the destruction of Medicare and social security
- Activist Recruitment: Engaging people in THEIR political program
- Running for Office 101: A guide to running for office
TWU was a key organizer of the event, facilitating mobilization and turnout, not just of TWU members but all unions, especially in Miami and Dade County, and coordinating buses.