News & Public Affairs

Santa takes on Wal-Mart labor issues: VIDEO listen

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Tags: Wal-Mart, labor, wages, benefits, workers rights, unions, Black Friday

Groups from across the country protested Wal-Mart over the weekend as a show of solidarity with striking workers. Activists from the Tampa Bay area took their action to Pinellas Park on Friday at one of the big box retailer’s busiest stores. One man, Tyler Mitchell dressed as Santa Clause and stood in front of the store’s main entrance asking shoppers to stand in solidarity with Wal-Mart employees, but was quickly asked to leave the property.

Mitchell joined a larger protesting on the sid...

How will St. Pete budget crisis affect services and employees?

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Tags: unions, St. petersburg, sanitation, city services, wages, benefits

Good afternoon, welcome to Radioactivity. I'm Rob Lorei. This fall St. Petersburg residents will elect a new mayor. The campaign is under way and most of the discusion seems to be centered on the future of the major league ballpark and what to do about structural problems at the Pier.

But some city workers want to ask the candidates about the city's budget problems and how will they deal with possible layoffs and cuts in city services.

Our guests are two union activists who represent ...

Labor journalist: Not so quick on the auto bailout

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Tags: Big Three Automakers, UAW, wages, benefits, single payer health care

Good afternoon, welcome to WMNF’s Radioactivity, I’m Rob Lorei. Coming up: we’ll meet a Catholic priest who is one of the country’s leading peace activists, Father John Dear. We’ll also speak with a journalist about the latest on the possible bailout for the auto industry.

But first some listener comments about yesterday’s interview with Steve Yerrid, the lead attorney in the group of Florida lawyers who sued the tobacco industry 10 years ago on behalf of the state of Florida and won $15 b...

United Way of Palm Beach protests budget cuts listen

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Tags: Budget cuts, disabilities, benefits

In 2007 the Legislature approved a plan that will limit the amount of state aid going to some people with disabilities when it goes into effect on Oct. 15. Now, a United Way chapter is asking its members to fight those changes.

Florida’s Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) serves the needs of state residents with developmental disabilities through waivers for services, including Medicaid waivers.

Melanie Etters is communications director for the APD....