MIAMI — On Labor Day, union leaders across South Florida gathered to sound alarms about the growing threats facing multiple industries as immigration policies tighten and federal funding cuts loom.
Jeffrey Mitchell, president of the South Florida AFL-CIO, said immigration crackdowns are worsening labor shortages in construction, which relies heavily on immigrant workers.
"They're afraid to show up at worksites and be harassed by ICE," Mitchell said. He pointed to data from the National Association of Home Builders showing that 38% of Florida’s construction workforce is foreign-born, meaning enforcement policies could stall projects across the state.
The trucking industry, already under strain, faces additional hurdles. Mitchell criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s pause on new work visas for truck drivers, which comes as the American Trucking Association estimates a nationwide shortfall of 60,000 drivers.
"What moves those containers out of the port are tractor-trailers. You need CDLs to move those goods. At some point, it's gonna hit a headway where they're not going to be able to keep up with the demand," Mitchell warned, noting that bottlenecks at Florida ports could ripple through supply chains nationwide.
Healthcare unions also raised red flags. Martha Baker, a longtime representative of healthcare workers at Jackson Health, said Medicaid cuts proposed in what she described as the “big beautiful bill” and the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies could devastate hospital budgets.
"There's been time where 30% of our budget is paid by Medicaid," Baker said. "Any time you cut Jackson's budget, you're gonna have to cut services and usually that means cutting employees."
Education leaders joined in, warning that schools could face a financial crunch if federal grants continue to stall. Antonio White, president of the United Teachers of Dade, highlighted the risk to specialized programs.
"English language learner programs. IBEW programs. We have a lot of grant funding education programs directly from the federal government that we're in flux at that particular time," White said, noting that uncertainty creates staffing and program planning challenges across Miami-Dade schools.
Postal workers, too, raised concerns over the potential privatization of the U.S. Postal Service. The American Postal Workers Union cited a Wells Fargo memo predicting privatization could drive mailing prices up by 30% to 140%, a move they warned would hurt small businesses and low-income households.
Union leaders said the threats to construction, transportation, healthcare, education, and postal services are interconnected, and they used the Labor Day rally to call on policymakers to prioritize workers rather than cutbacks.
The AFL-CIO emphasized that Florida, already struggling with housing affordability and workforce shortages, risks further economic instability if these policies move forward.
Originally reported by Steve Maugeri in CBS News.
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