Posts tagged Orlando
UAW widens strike against GM and Stellantis but not Ford
September 24, 2023 // GM called the strike escalation “unnecessary” and accused union leaders of “manipulating the bargaining process for their own personal agendas.” “We have now presented five separate economic proposals that are historic,” the company said. The 20 percent raise in its latest offer would boost 85 percent of GM’s UAW workforce to base-wage earnings of $82,000 a year by the end of the contract, the company said this week. It is also offering two weeks of paid parental leave and other perks. Stellantis said it submitted a new offer to the UAW on Thursday but has not received a reply. It said its 20 percent wage increase offer would boost all its full-time UAW workers to earnings of $80,000 to $96,000 annually by the end of the contract. The company questioned “whether the union’s leadership has ever had an interest in reaching an agreement in a timely manner.”
Commentary: Nation’s Largest Teachers Union Doubles Down on Its Progressive Agenda
August 21, 2023 // Pringle turned her attention to Florida. "We have come here to Florida—our nation's ground zero for shameful, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, xenophobic rhetoric and dangerous actions," Pringle said. "We stand ready to lift up and protect our colleagues and their students. Right here in Florida, we will preserve and strengthen a democracy that was steeped in the power of 'We the People'!" Didn't Pringle know that the people of Florida had an election in 2020 and reelected Governor Ron DeSantis by a 20-point margin? And with 56 percent of Hispanic voters turning out for the Republican candidate? Pringle didn't get that memo, but it didn't stop her. "In this moment when voting rights hang in the balance and reproductive rights remain at risk, we are required to fight for fair and free elections and a woman's right to control her own body," she said. "NEA, this is that moment. With the residue of the pandemic lingering and with our psyches still fragile, we must try to make sense of all we have lost and all that we have learned."
U.S. Independent Professionals Earned $286 Billion in 2022, a Nearly 10% Increase Compared to 2021, According to Fiverr’s Sixth Annual Freelance Economic Impact Report
May 19, 2023 // Women see a clear advantage to freelancing over traditional employment This year’s report reveals that women are pursuing freelance work for a number of reasons, including that they prefer to work from home (41% versus 31% men), want more flexibility in their schedule (39% versus 22% men), feel burned out (25% versus 17% men), want to avoid an unpleasant or toxic work environment (26% versus 15% men), and experience a lack of enjoyment in their work (22% versus 13% men). The ability to “work from anywhere” remains a priority for freelancers and more plan to work and travel next year The ability to “work from anywhere” while traveling is a major factor or somewhat of a factor in the decision for nearly three-in-four (73%) freelancers who work independently to do so. Working remotely while traveling is becoming more common, with one-third (32%) of independent professionals reporting they did at least some work from remote locations in 2022 compared to only 23% in 2021.
Orlando Airport Fueling Employees Successfully Oust USWU Union Officials Who Tried to Stop Union Decertification Vote
May 2, 2023 // Foundation attorneys refuted union arguments in a position statement, contending that the union’s position was completely at odds with the Railway Labor Act’s (RLA) basic purposes, which ensure that “employees can [choose] to join or refrain from unionization, and that they are entitled to the fullest freedom in making that choice.” The RLA governs private sector labor relations in the air and rail industries. “The [union] reasoning is both illogical and devastating to employee free choice,” said Foundation attorneys’ statement. “Local 74 would require some 1,000 PrimeFlight fuelers, at all locations, to weigh-in on whether the employees at one specific location in Orlando should be represented by Local 74, even though those other employees cannot possibly have any…interest in the representational choices of the Orlando location’s employees.” Further, Foundation attorneys pointed out that USWU union officials’ position was especially suspect considering “the fuelers at other locations are represented by unions other than Local 74” (emphasis added) and have completely different contracts and working conditions.
Sodexo management allegedly orchestrated a ‘no-union’ rally at Rollins College, after workers filed to unionize
May 2, 2023 // Stewart added, quite passionately, that union reps have been harassing employees, following them to their cars, following them after they get off work. “If they don’t stop, I’m going to call the police,” she said. In fact, Sodexo management already has called the police, albeit on student organizers from the University of Central Florida who were issued trespass warnings by Winter Park police for passing out pro-union flyers on the private campus. Union staff have also been kicked off campus by campus security multiple times, according to union staff who Orlando Weekly previously spoke with. Granted, it’s common for union staff and pro-union workers to find time outside of work hours to approach fellow coworkers about unionization during union drives — and that may not always be welcome.
Disney’s best offer for union employees falls short, according to the workers’ unions
January 12, 2023 // ORLANDO THEME PARKS Disney's best offer for union employees falls short, according to the workers' unions The STCU, a coalition of six labor unions representing 42,000 Disney employees, recommends rejecting the latest offer By McKenna Schueler on Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 11:26 am SEND A NEWS TIP STCU union members rallied in between bargaining sessions on Wednesday, Nov. 30 - photo via Unite Here photo via Unite Here STCU union members rallied in between bargaining sessions on Wednesday, Nov. 30 After months of contract negotiations, and a rally to bring attention to the need for the Walt Disney Co. to pay its Orlando employees wages that keep up with the cost of living, the unions representing Disney workers say the company's "best offer" falls short. "Disney workers are facing extreme financial difficulties including inflation, which has caused the price of food and rent to skyrocket," the Service Trades Council Union, a coalition of six labor unions representing 42,000 Disney employees, shared in a news release. According to the unions, Disney unveiled its "best offer" for its Orlando employees during contract negotiations on Monday. The offer, in line with what Central Florida's largest employer floated last year, is an immediate $1 raise for the majority of their union workers in 2023, which would bring the minimum wage for their lowest paid workers to $16 an hour, and a $1 raise annually over the next five years. But the unions say this isn't good enough. The STCU has called on Disney to establish an $18 minimum wage, and a $3 pay raise in 2023 for workers who already make near or above that, to keep up with the higher cost of living in Central Florida. Leadership of all six unions have recommended that union members reject the latest offer from Disney. "Sixteen dollars per hour in 2023 does not keep up with the rising cost of living," said the STCU. "Every worker needs an initial raise larger than $1 to address these concerns."
First Orlando, Now Vegas: Convention-Center Labor Strikes Authorized
December 14, 2022 // For event planners seeking to avoid a similar labor crisis that could derail their events, veteran events-industry attorney Joshua L. Grimes, Esq., of Grimes Law Office in Philadelphia, offers these thoughts: “If your event is coming up soon, I think it’s appropriate to ask the host facility specifically how they intend to handle things if the union members strike. The answer given to groups is usually, ‘Don't worry, we're going to take care of it.’ But without a labor agreement in place, I would say it's reasonable to ask the in-house catering company for a detailed backup plan. And if a group does not have confidence in what it hears, the group could demand the right to bring in its own caterer” or to use other options such as food trucks. Further, “due diligence requires that a group not wait until a few days before the event to start asking questions. There's a legal doctrine called ‘anticipatory breach’ that says a group may not need to wait until the last minute to see if foodservice can be provided at an acceptable level of quality. If it's clear that the in-house caterer won't be able to perform its contractual obligations, the group may be able to cancel the foodservice contract before the event starts and proceed to make alternate arrangements to get F&B for its guests” at an acceptable level of both product quality and service quality.