1st Thursday, September 3: We Are All Labor!
6:30pm Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015
hosted by Space Coast Progressive Alliance
Location: Front Street Civic Center, 2205 Front St. Melbourne FL 32901
Free and open to the public. Donations graciously accepted. More info
SPEAKER/PANELISTS will be followed by Q&A from the audience.
Judy Blanchard, Director of Industry Relations for CareerSource Brevard.
Denise Diaz, Executive Director, Central Florida Jobs with Justice.
William Richardson, Community Outreach and Planning Specialist, Wage and Hour Division, US Dept. of Labor
Mike Williams, President, Florida AFL-CIO.
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The Struggles and Strengths of Workers or "Unemployed, underemployed, Minimum wages vs Livable wages"
by Karen Houston, Space Coast Progressive Alliance
TODAY'S WORKERS face low wages, unemployment, underemployment, wage theft, and even some are brought here to the USA with the promise of a better future and find themselves in horrible living situations with little chance of escape. Some industries we frequent without knowing anything about the workers -- how they're treated -- or mistreated.
Are you, or someone you know, making the minimum wage? There are people who make less than minimum wage with unscrupulous employers who cheat them out of their earnings. What happens to those who have lost their jobs and exhausted their unemployment benefits? Are they still counted as part of the unemployed? What is Brevard county's unemployment rating? What is a "living wage?"
These questions and more are part of the discussion. Hopefully, we'll find answers to many of these questions.
Who can you turn to when you have been wronged on the job? What means of help is out there for those who can't seem to find a job? Some people are less than desirable for many employers due to age, health, salary expectations, and other reasons. Who can they turn to? What options are there?
