Happy Pride, Amazon Union Update, FLSA Anniversary
Here's what you need to know this week:
FL AFL-CIO President Kim Holdridge Recognized in AFL-CIO's Pride Month Profiles
For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Tuesday, June 23 profile was President Kimberly Holdridge of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE):
President Holdridge, left, flanked by Secretary-Treasurer Maira Rivera at the recent FL AFL-CIO COPE Convention.
Kimberly Holdridge serves proudly as the president of the Florida AFL-CIO. She has been an IATSE Local 631 organizer and leader in the labor movement for over 35 years following service in the U.S. Air Force. Within a state whose government continues to attack, minimize and restrict the freedoms of LGBTQIA+ individuals, Holdridge has remained undeterred and unabashed in her pride.
NLRB Orders Amazon to Bargain with Teamsters on Eve of Prime Day
See the following press release from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters:
(SAN FRANCISCO) – Teamsters are lauding a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ordering Amazon to bargain with workers at its DCK6 facility in San Francisco. The ruling came only hours before the start of Prime Day, one of the company’s biggest events of the year.
“The Teamsters applaud this decision and will do everything in our power to ensure that Amazon complies with it. Once again, an NLRB judge has rightfully ruled against the most abusive and corrupt employer in the world,” said Randy Korgan, Director of the Teamsters Amazon Division.
It’s the second bargaining order in less than three months that the e-commerce giant has received from the NLRB. The board previously demanded that it comply with federal law and begin bargaining with Amazon Teamsters at the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island.
“Amazon has repeatedly demonstrated it has no interest in recognizing its workforce or respecting workers enough to meet them at the table,” Korgan said. “But as this ruling proves, Amazon cannot forever dodge its legal obligations. The time for Amazon to start bargaining is now.”
This is Day in History: Fair Labor Standards Act Signed into Law
On June 25, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing of the FLSA set a minimum wage, guaranteed overtime pay, and banned "oppressive child labor." Through decades of organizing, strikes, and political advocacy, workers and their unions were able to get the standard that they fought for in their contracts codified into law. Upon its passage, the FLSA gave 700,000 workers a raise and mandated time-and-a-half pay for any hours worked beyond 40 per week, effectively standardizing the 40-hour workweek. Finally, the Act prohibited children under eighteen from doing certain jobs and prevented children under sixteen from working in manufacturing or mining or working during school hours.
March of the Mill Children, 1903, led by Mother Jones
Some in the state of Florida seem to think that the good sense of the late 1930s no longer applies to 2020s America. Leading the charge was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose staff was found to have emailed draft legislation to Republican lawmakers. The drafts would have allowed for "workers as young as 14 to work an unlimited number of hours per week, including overnight shifts," per reporting in the Orlando Weekly. Additionally during the past two legislative sessions, legislators filed bills attempting to circumvent the state's constitutionally-mandated $15 minimum wage by giving workers the ability to "opt-out" of the minimum wage.
Let today's anniversary of the FLSA be a reminder that all of our labor rights have been fought for and thus will have to be defended.
Here's What's Coming Up:
6/27: March with Luis Salazar at St. Pete Pride
Luis Salazar, our endorsed candidate for Florida House Dist. 64, has invited his friends in labor to join him at St. Pete Pride this weekend. RSVP here and see more information below:
Join Luis Salazar and supporters from across Tampa Bay as we celebrate Pride Month by marching in the annual St. Pete Pride Parade.
We're inviting friends, family, community members, partner organizations, fellow campaigns, and anyone who believes in equality, inclusion, and representation to walk alongside our campaign during one of the largest Pride celebrations in Florida. Pride is a time to celebrate who we are, honor those who paved the way, and stand together in support of LGBTQ+ Floridians and our communities.
Whether you're a longtime supporter or meeting us for the first time, we'd love to have you join us. Participants are encouraged to wear campaign shirts, organization shirts, Pride gear, or bring signs and banners representing the communities and causes they care about.
Please RSVP so we can share important event updates, parade logistics, and final meetup details. Attendees should plan to be in the St. Petersburg area by approximately 2:00 p.m., with specific meeting instructions and timing to be provided closer to the event.
This will be a fun opportunity to connect with supporters, celebrate Pride, and show the power of community, visibility, and standing together. We look forward to marching with you and making our voices heard at this year's St. Pete Pride Parade.
Additional details will be provided to all registered participants after RSVP. We hope to see you there!
That's all for this week! Check out our website at wcflc.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.
In Solidarity,
West Central Florida Labor Council