News & Public Affairs
"Abolish Class Society" is May Day message in St. Pete from Overpass Light Brigade listen
05/01/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: May Day, International Workers' Day, Overpass Light Brigade, labor, unions
Wednesday is International Workers’ Day. A small group of protesters displayed a lighted message over I-275 near 22nd Avenue North in St. Pete saying “Abolish Class Society” in honor of what’s also known as May Day.
“It’s a celebration of the working class and the struggle for the abolition of class distinction.”
That’s Occupy Tampa’s Jake Vigness. May Day is celebrated in 80 countries worldwide as part of an international labor movement. But the Unit...
1 commentsLabor activists want local control over wage theft ordinances, ask state to stay out of it listen
04/10/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Aaron Carmella, AFL-CIO, labor, worker's rights, Florida Senate, Florida House of Representatives, Kevin Beckner, 2013 legislative session
Labor activists are protesting two bills working their way through Tallahassee they fear would hurt workers. The protest in front of the County Center in downtown Tuesday Tampa was led by AFL-CIO regional coordinator Aaron Carmella who said the so-called “wage theft” bills would rob local governments of their abilities to protect workers from unfair employers.
Be the first to comment“They say that they’re trying to streamline a process to keep it the same across the state, but basically what they’re doing is t...
Labor groups warn against changes to Florida's pension program listen
02/14/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: labor, pensions, retirement, 401k, defined benefit, Florida Retirement Security Coalition, state workers, unions
Proposed legislation in the Florida House would force new state employees hired after 2014 to use a 401k-style retirement fund instead of the current pension program. During a conference call Wednesday, critics of the measure said the change would hurt public employees. Diane Oakley, executive director for the National Institute on Retirement Security said seniors enrolled in the type of retirement program being proposed are nine times more likely to live in poverty during their final years...
1 commentsSanta takes on Wal-Mart labor issues: VIDEO listen
11/26/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
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...
Be the first to commentTampa Bay activists plan Black Friday protests at WalMarts in solidarity with striking workers
11/21/12 Seán KinaneLast Call Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: WalMart, labor, strikes, Black Friday, Buy Nothing Day, Occupy Wall Street
On Last Call we took calls about the strikes by WalMart workers this Friday across the country and the local actions in support of the laborers. The day after Thanksgiving is typically the busiest shopping day of the year -- called Black Friday by shoppers and Buy Nothing Day by people protesting the hyperconsu...
Be the first to commentLabor activist neutral on Charlie Crist's endorsement of Barack Obama listen
08/28/12 Michelle FriedlineWMNF Drive-Time News Monday
Tags: RNC, Republican National Convention, Coalition to March on the RNC, Graduate Assistants United, labor
Over the weekend former Governor Charlie Crist endorsed Barack Obama for re-election to President.
Crist switched to an independent after a long political career as a Republican.
For reaction, with Jose Soto, co-president of the Graduate Assistants United and is also with the North Central Florida central labor council.
He was part of yesterday’s Coalition to March on the RNC.
Be the first to commentEthel and Kerry Kennedy join protest at Publix headquarters in Lakeland where farmworkers break 6 day fast listen
03/12/12 Kelly BenjaminWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: CIW, Publix, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, FAST, labor, Robert F. Kennedy
On Saturday after 6 days without food, more than 60 farmworkers and supporters ended their fast for fair food outside the Publix Supermarket corporate Headquarters in Lakeland. Nearly 1,000 people marched to the fast breaking ceremony organized by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
Publix supermarkets is the largest and fastest growing employee owned supermarket chain in the United States. They are also one of the longest hold outs from signing on to a Fair Food Agreement with Florida tom...
7 commentsProposal in Tallahassee would sharply cut wages for restaurant servers, bartenders and those that rely on tips
02/17/12 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Friday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: minimum wage, waiters, waitresses, servers, bar tenders, parking lot attendants, labor, wages
The Orlando Sentinel reports that: "Restaurant servers, bartenders and other Florida workers who rely heavily on tips are (paying close attention to) a plan moving through the Legislature that could slash their hourly wages.
The bill (SB 2106), approved by a Senate committee Thursday, would allow restaurants and other employers to pay their staffs the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 an hour instead of Florida's minimum of $4.65. To qualify, companies would have to guarantee that emp...
Be the first to commentImmokalee tomato harvesters win agreement with Trader Joe's listen
02/10/12 Kelly BenjaminWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: CIW, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Publix, farmworkers, labor
Yesterday, the nationwide specialty grocery store chain, Trader Joe’s, signed a landmark agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. It guarantees the company will pay one penny more per pound of tomatoes picked by immigrant farm workers in South Florida. The agreement came a day before planned protests of the grand opening of the first Trader Joe’s in the state.
Protests were planned in over 40 cities nationwide this weekend against Trader Joe’s for failing to sign on to the Coali...
Be the first to commentUnion leaders for one fifth of Hillsborough County employees negotiate rights for workers listen
12/29/11 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: AFSCME, Hillsborough County, labor, unions
Union leaders for many Hillsborough County employees want to change the process by which employees are disciplined. Negotiations on behalf of those employees continued with county management this morning.
One fifth of Hillsborough County employees are represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME. Union leaders want to include language in the employment contract that would clari...
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