By Trimmel Gomes, Florida News Connection
Florida’s right-to-work statutes, which limit union representation, are colliding with record July heat to create what labor advocates call a “perfect storm” of worker vulnerabilities. Advocates argue these laws suppress collective bargaining power precisely when workers need it most — to demand life-saving protections such as mandatory water breaks and shade.
Oscar Manzanares, business manager, Laborers International Union of North America Local 517, represents 1,000 members across 52 counties, and he describes the issue.
“It sounds good everyone has the right to work, but these laws prohibit a lot of job sites to have representation for everyone,” he explained. “Difference is, working union and non-union, you have someone that backs up the members, we can go on the job site we can call and represent our members to the fullest.”
House Bill 433 in Florida banned local heat protection laws in April, leaving only union contracts to guarantee water breaks and shade — amenities Manzanares calls “basic human needs.”
Manzanares’ warnings come from personal experience in Florida’s construction industry.
“I was one of them workers that had to deal with these heat issues that the South has to deal with,” he continued. “I’ve been at jobs that they never even brought us water, I had to fight for water. On our jobs, there’s always going to be water on the job site. That’s key to every job site, no matter where you work or who you work for.”
While Local 517’s contracts mandate heat protections, Florida’s 2.1 million outdoor workers risk losing $8.4 billion annually to extreme heat without statewide standards, according to research by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Just 5.1% of Florida workers are unionized, per 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Florida News Connection is a bureau of the Public News Service. Banner photo: A roofer at work (iStock image)
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