With Disney layoffs looming, Central Florida’s hospitality workers will caravan through the I-4 corridor’s biggest Latino community

Friday, October 2, 2020 at 9:30am ▪ Osceola Heritage Park parking lot on Shake Rag Road between 192 and Fortune Road

Kissimmee, FL – Hospitality workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 737 led a car caravan through Kissimmee’s Latino neighborhoods, raising awareness about the November election, and encouraging workers to kick Donald Trump out of office by voting for Joe Biden. This caravan is a part of UNITE HERE’s political program in Florida, which includes the largest canvassing operation in the state of Florida.

Former Congressman Luis Gutiérrez joined the union at their caravan where he shared his thoughts on Florida’s role in the election, “I am here in Florida to make sure that Trump is out of office in November. The Latino vote, and especially the Puerto Rican vote is critical to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris winning the state. I know my people, and they are ready to get out of this economic mess and health crisis.”

Central Florida’s hospitality workers are still impacted disproportionately as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Many workers are struggling to feed their families, and to pay their bills. Rallying before the caravan launched hospitality workers spoke on the issues that matter most to them, including concerns about immigration rights, continued layoffs, and the impact of the pandemic.

“If Trump had acted swiftly and responsibly to the COVID-19 pandemic we would not be facing more layoffs and uncertainty.” said Disney housekeeper Suehaly Delgado.

Other rallying points focused on Trump’s disregard for marginalized communities including Puerto Ricans. “As a survivor of Hurricane Maria, I experienced Donald Trump’s disrespect firsthand. Now that I’m living in Florida, we are all experiencing it as the coronavirus makes us afraid for our health and our jobs.” said Disney housekeeper Sofia Ortiz.

 

About UNITE HERE Local 737

UNITE HERE Local 737 is a labor union that represents 21,000 workers in the hospitality and tourism industry, including workers in Walt Disney World Food & Beverage and Housekeeping, Palmas Services, Patina Restaurant Group, the Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando and Centerplate at the Orange County Convention Center. Their members led the campaign to win a $15 minimum wage for Disney workers and continue to fight to spread a good jobs standard throughout Central Florida. UNITE HERE Local 737 is the largest organization of Puerto Rican workers in Central Florida, including many who migrated after Hurricane Maria.

PRESS ADVISORY: WITH DISNEY LAYOFFS LOOMING, CENTRAL FLORIDA’S HOSPITALITY WORKERS WILL CARAVAN THROUGH THE I-4 CORRIDOR’S BIGGEST LATINO COMMUNITY

Media Advisory for: Friday, October 2, 2020 at 9:30am

 

Kissimmee, FL – Hospitality workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 737 will be holding a car caravan through Kissimmee’s Latino neighborhoods, raising awareness about the November election, and encouraging workers to kick Donald Trump out of office by voting for Joe Biden.

Who: Disney workers, Central Florida hospitality workers

When: Friday, October 2, 2020 9:30am EST

9:30am – Cars arrive at Osceola Heritage Park parking lot on Shake Rag Road between 192 and Fortune Road

10:00am – Caravan departs from at Osceola Heritage Park parking lot on Shake Rag Road between 192 and Fortune Road, you can find the full caravan route here: https://goo.gl/maps/kqdEppLZiRDYU89Y7

 

Why: Members of UNITE HERE Local 737 will lead a caravan through Kissimmee’s Latino neighborhoods to spread the word that their vote matters and it should go to Joe Biden.

 

“If Trump had acted swiftly and responsibly to the COVID-19 pandemic we would not be facing more layoffs and uncertainty.” said Disney housekeeper Suehaly Delgado.

 

Hospitality workers in Central Florida power the region’s largest industry, and will have an enormous impact on the results of the Presidential election in November. Central Florida’s hospitality workers are still impacted disproportionately as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Many workers are struggling to feed their families, and to pay their bills.

 

“As a survivor of Hurricane Maria I experienced Donald Trump’s disrespect firsthand, now that I’m living in Florida we are all experiencing it as the coronavirus makes us afraid for our health and our jobs.” said Disney housekeeper Sofia Ortiz.

 

About UNITE HERE Local 737

UNITE HERE Local 737 is a labor union that represents 21,000 workers in the hospitality and tourism industry, including workers in Walt Disney World Food & Beverage and Housekeeping, Palmas Services, Patina Restaurant Group, the Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando and Centerplate at the Orange County Convention Center. Their members led the campaign to win a $15 minimum wage for Disney workers and continue to fight to spread a good jobs standard throughout Central Florida. UNITE HERE Local 737 is the largest organization of Puerto Rican workers in Central Florida, including many who migrated after Hurricane Maria.

Florida’s Hospitality Union UNITE HERE: “Puerto Rican Workers in Florida Won’t Be Fooled By Trump’s $13 Billion Bribe”

For immediate release
September 21, 2020

 

UNITE HERE represents 33,000 hospitality workers in Florida, including many thousands from Puerto Rico. UNITE HERE’s largest concentration of Puerto Rican workers is in Orlando Local 737 which represents 18,000 housekeeping and foods workers at Walt Disney World.

Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017. Thousands of people died. Homes and infrastructure were destroyed.

The Trump administration left the island to fend for itself. Aid was delayed. It took months to restore electricity and water. A mass migration of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. mainland followed, disrupting lives and splitting apart families.

Trump looked for photo opportunities tossing paper towels.

“Three years later and two months before the presidential election, Trump arrogantly believes he can fool Puerto Rican voters with a bribe of $13 billion,” said Jeremy Haicken, President of UNITE HERE Local 737. “Does Trump really think Puerto Ricans are that stupid?”

“After Maria destroyed my home, I was forced to leave the island and migrate to Orlando,” said Sofia Ortiz, a Disney Housekeeper. “Trump turned his back on Puerto Rico in 2017 and now we’re going to make sure his presidency ends this year.”

“I am disgusted by President Trump’s cynical attempt to manipulate and take advantage of Puerto Ricans,” said former Congressman Luis Gutierrez. “I can’t wait to be on the ground with UNITE HERE in Orlando making sure Puerto Rican voters make Trump a one-term president!”

UNITE HERE is engaged in a massive statewide voter mobilization campaign ahead of the November election. Hundreds of volunteers and paid canvassers are making phone calls, knocking on doors and using new mobile technology to turn out co-workers, family and neighbors to vote on November 3rd.

 

 

Paid for by UNITE HERE PAC. 212-265-7000. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Welcome to UNITE HERE Local 737

UNITE HERE Local 737 is the proud union of workers in Walt Disney World Food & Beverage and Housekeeping, Palmas Services, Patina Restaurant Group, the Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando and Centerplate at the Orange County Convention Center.