Family,

We are grieving.

The sudden and tragic loss of our President, Alphonso Mayfield, has shaken our union to its core. Alphonso was not just a leader — he was a builder, a fighter, and a believer in the power of working people. His vision of a stronger, more resilient 21st-century union lives in all of us.

Last night, FPSU’s Executive Board confirmed my appointment as Interim President of FPSU. As I step into the role of Interim President, I want to speak honestly to where we are — and where we must go.

This is a painful moment. Many of us are carrying grief, shock, and uncertainty. I feel it too. Leadership in this moment does not mean pretending everything is okay. It means acknowledging the weight of this loss while committing ourselves to move forward together.

And the truth is — we are living in hard times.

Working people are under attack like never before.

• Our democracy is being tested
• Collective bargaining and worker rights are under constant threat
• Immigrants are being targeted, even as they hold up entire sectors of our economy
• The cost of living keeps rising, while wages remain stagnant
• Corporations are posting record profits, even as workers struggle to afford groceries, rent, healthcare, or childcare
• We are watching the rise of trillionaires, while working families are breaking their backs just to survive

This moment demands more of us.

It demands that we be Bigger, Bolder, and Better — not just in words, but in action.

What This Moment Requires of FPSU

1. We protect our union — and our right to have one.
   We will push back against every attempt to weaken collective bargaining, silence workers, or strip us of our voice at work and in our communities.
2. We lead as public sector workers.
   What we win sets the standard for working people across Florida, across the United States, and beyond. So let us make bolder demands, propose new and creative ideas to strengthen our contracts and do it in our worksites and in our communities. When we stand strong, others stand stronger.
3. We organize, not retreat.
   In difficult times, we grow our membership, develop new leaders, and deepen solidarity — because unity is our power.
4. We honor Alphonso Mayfield’s legacy by continuing the fight.
   Not by looking backward, but by building the resilient, modern union he believed in — one that meets today’s challenges head-on.
5. We lead together.
   Leaders serve — but leaders do not stand alone. This union is powered by a strong, committed team of workers who refuse to give up.

Grief may be with us — but so is purpose.

We will mourn.
We will remember.
And we will organize, fight, and win — together.

FPSU is in strong hands because FPSU is its members

In solidarity and service,

Afifa Khaliq