A Proposal For a Livable Wage For Alachua County Workers

Throughout the nation a movement has been fomenting around the need for a living wage. Thousands of workers have gone on strike, politicians have stumped, and large companies such as McDonalds and Walmart have given token raises; but little has been done in Florida to make a living wage a reality. In Alachua County a […]

Wage Theft: Limiting My Customers Buying Power

As a small business owner I am committed to compensating my employees for any and all of the work they complete for me, but I can’t solve the issue of wage theft alone. Wage theft ordinances are essential in setting a standard for employers and informing employees of their rights. While running my business part […]

The Ban on PLAs: A Bad Soap Opera

It reads like a bad soap opera. A local municipality is seduced by an out-of-town construction firm for a big public works project because they are the “low bidder”. (Roll Barry White soundtrack) The relationship starts off steamy but quickly erodes. The “low bidder” says all the right things and makes all the right promises. […]

Responsible Wage Ordinance Passes Unanimously!

On Thursday, February 26th, the City of Miami Commissioners unanimously voted to pass the “Responsible Wage Ordinance.” The Coalition for Responsible Wages, a diverse group of faith, labor, community-based organizations, immigrant rights groups and university researchers came together to fight for an ordinance that will raise the wages of Miami’s construction workers and their families. […]

Save Small Businesses from the TPP: Stop Fast Track!

The purpose of American trade policy should be to help American businesses thrive and create good jobs at home. It should not be a giant giveaway to big corporations that can make more money by sending jobs overseas and avoiding taxes while we are left to foot the bill. The Chamber of Commerce and the […]

Florida Business Owners Support Fair Hiring Legislation

Main Street Alliance of Florida members travelled to Daytona Beach to join other community leaders in making a presentation to the Daytona City Commission on “ban the box” legislation. The legislation would remove the question, “Have you ever been convicted of a felony,” from job applications allowing applicants to be considered based on their experience […]

TP the TPP: Good, Bad and Ugly

The Good The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is billed as a 21st century trade agreement that will expand economic opportunity for American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses. TPP is on track to be the largest international trade agreement with promises to boost economic growth, support American jobs, and grow Made-in-America exports to some of the […]

7 Top Takeaways for Florida Families from the State of the Union

Missed the President’s State of the Union address? No problem, the Fight Blog has you covered. Here are the top 7 proposals President Obama spoke about affecting Florida’s working families. Immigration – The President cautioned Congress that any attempts to neutralize his Executive Orders will be vetoed. His Executive Orders have given millions of undocumented […]

Merger Promises to Free the Power of Broadband for Floridians

This week, as President Obama outlines his plan to unleash the power of broadband service to all Americans and reap the economic rewards, the significance of the AT&T/DirecTV merger to help fulfill that goal becomes clear. AT&T is the largest full time unionized employer in the United States and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) […]