About Us

Mission & Goals

***IMPORTANT NOTE: THE ALACHUA COUNTY LABOR COALITION ENGAGES IN POLITICAL ADVOCACY BUT DOES NOT ENDORSE ANY CANDIDATE FOR ANY POLITICAL OFFICE.***

As amended and approved by our Board on June 7, 2016 and by the general membership on August 23, 2016.

The Alachua County Labor Coalition (ACLC) is composed of individuals, unions, and worker-friendly organizations committed to the economic, environmental, civil, and social rights of working people, their families, and communities, and to the ecological systems that sustain us.

Our principles and goals are adapted from the national Labor Party’s “Call for Economic Justice.”

We are the people who build and sustain the nation, but rarely enjoy our fair share of the wealth we create.
We are the employed, the unemployed, and the retired.
We are the people who make the country run, but have little say in running the country.

We remain dedicated to building a more just society, where we all have the right:
–To be paid a living wage in a safe workplace, to be treated fairly at work, and to not be fired unjustly.
–To join a union freely and to strike without fear of being fired or other retribution.
–To a life where the needs of our families do not have to be neglected because of the demands of our jobs.
–To retire at a decent standard of living after a lifetime of work.
–To free, quality public education for ourselves and our children.
–To universal access to publicly-funded, comprehensive, quality health care for all residents.
–To live free from bigotry and discrimination, where everyone enjoys equal opportunity and the equal protection of the laws without prejudice.
–To honor and respect the human rights of workers across the world.

Executive Board

  • Co-ChairsMelissa Hawthorne & Jenn Powell
  • Secretary: Pam Paris
  • Treasurer: Adolfho Romero
  • Membership Coordinator: Tyler Foerst
  • Outreach Coordinator: Marilyn Eisenberg
  • Health Care Liaison: Scott Darius
  • Justice Transformation CoordinatorNina Zaremba
  • Union LiaisonTyler Foerst

Each member organization is entitled to one delegate to sit on the executive board.

  • IBEW Local 1205 Delegates: James Ingle
  • North Florida Central Labor Council Delegate: Dan Harmeling
  • CMC Liaison: Gaby Gross
  • Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville: Mary Bahr
  • Veterans for Peace – Gainesville ChapterSheila Payne 
  • Emmanuel Mennonite ChurchRichard MacMaster
  • UF Young Democratic Socialists of America – Gabriel Vasquez

ACLC Coordinator: Jason Fults and Bobby Mermer

ACLC Assistant Coordinator: Alex Hood


Member Organizations 

Join the ACLC as a member organization today!

Contact ACLC

Membership meetings for the Alachua County Labor Coalition generally take place at 6:00 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Emmanuel Mennonite Church, 1236 NW 18th Avenue, Gainesville, FL. Any changes will be posted to our e-mail list and on this website.

For more information, please e-mail the Alachua County Labor Coalition at info@laborcoalition.org or call 352-375-2832. Our offices are at 235 S Main St #206 Gainesville, FL 32601, with appointments available to schedule. Visit us on Facebook to stay connected: Alachua County Labor Coalition.

Donate online to support the ACLC today!