Mike Williams - President 

A construction worker by trade, current Florida AFL-CIO President Mike Williams came to organized labor with very little knowledge or experience of the union movement.  “Learning a trade as a first year, second year, third year apprentice with the IBEW, trying to attend union meetings and learn what it means to be a union member was hard as a young worker.  My initial impression of the union was that I was part of an organization that was looking out for me, I thought that I could look out for the organization.” 

 After working with tools for 15 years, Mike was elected Business Manager of his IBEW Local and then President of the Florida Building Trades Council 8 years later.  “When I became President of the Florida Building Trades Council, it was an organization in name only.  At convention, we passed some resolutions, adopted a constitution, and set up bylaws and a funding system.  On Labor Day of 1998, I opened my trunk of the car, set up a card table and folding chair, plugged in the phone line and, with the help of the affiliates, organized the Building Trades Council into a viable organization representing 50,000 active members.  We’ve seen firsthand how labor and our movement became influential in legislative and political activities that affect the lives of working families throughout Florida.” 

 A natural organizer, Mike has a track record of effective organizing.  “As Business Manager our local tripled in membership and quadrupled in union contractors.  As President of the Building Trades I organized the already organized – and brought affiliates under the Building Trades umbrella.  And, as President of the Florida State AFL-CIO, we will bring affiliates into the House of Labor.  The Florida AFL-CIO will be a labor organization to be taken notice of.”

 When asked what it means to hold a union card, Mike responded, “It makes all the difference in the world; everything from having dignity on the job, respect from your coworkers, collectively negotiating for a living wage, with health care benefits, pension benefits, education and training opportunities…it makes all the difference in the world for the many families that struggle daily, weekly to put food on the table.  As an electrician, I lived there – waiting for that next paycheck.  Being union means having the ability to do and live the middle class dream of America that so many forces are trying to do away with today.”