Crist Visits Puerto Rico, Speaks to SPT Union

After receiving endorsements from two unions, Florida Rep. Charlie Crist (D) took a trip to Puerto Rico to take part in a meeting with a union dedicated to Puerto Rican workers. On social media, the former Governor of Florida shared a picture of his meeting with the Sindicato de Puertorriqueño Trabajadores y Trabajadoras (SPT), and the meeting was an effort to discuss “the importance of supporting our Boricua labor community.”

The weekend stay in Puerto Rico was also an effort for the gubernatorial challenger to highlight that “Florida needs even stronger ties to the Boricua community and our state deserves a governor who cares.”

The meeting with the SPT comes after the Florida Democrat touted his endorsements from the United Food and Commercial Workers local 1625 union, which is comprised of “1.3 million hard-working men and women in the U.S. and Canada.” The union’s goal is “to push the ball forward and raise standards in the industries” they represent.

Last November, the American Federation of Government Employees endorsed Crist.

Aside from meeting with the union in his stay, the gubernatorial hopeful also met with the Mayor of San Juan, he broke “bread with locals and… with inspiring community leaders,” and he also met with Puerto Rican veterans.

“Simply showing the respect of visiting the island, their homeland if you will, I think is a powerful message of care and concern and a desire to understand the homeland and the culture that much more,” he said.

State Senator Annette Taddeo (D), his primary challenger and his former runningmate, also announced over the weekend that she would be visiting Puerto Rico in May.

In a statement, Taddeo expressed that “as the first and only Latina running for Governor, it is incredibly important to me that we take this trip to hear from the people about how we can further strengthen the relationship between Florida and Puerto Rico.”