Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 9-1-17

Local Opinion
Tampa Worker Standing With Low Wage Workers To Say Put ‘Labor Back Into Labor Day’
For the majority of my adult life I've been employed in the fast food industry. I cook, clean, serve food, deal with customers, and keep the kitchen humming day in and day out. Yet, after over ten years in the industry, I still make barely above the mini- mum wage.
I know some out there still incorrectly think that these are jobs for high school kids or lazy people with no ambi- tion. Let me tell you: I'm 28 years old and I work side by side with parents, grandpar- ents, and the elderly. This is the new economic reality in post-recession Florida. Four million of us referred to as "the working poor" are just trying to survive.
I've tried for years to find work in other industries, but time and again I've found that these service jobs continue to largely be the only jobs hir- ing. I've tried higher educa- tion, but had to quit when tuition increases made it all but impossible. I'm still pay- ing off the one student loan I took out and refuse to take out any more.
So what are the solutions for the millions in Florida like me who work hard, but still struggle to make ends meet? For me, the solution is clear: We must stand together and organize. It's no secret that the current State Legislature has no desire to make life bet- ter for working people - Florida's five cent minimum wage increase this year was a slap in the face to people barely scraping by. As the cost of living soars and the rigged economy continues to pound working families, the time is now to remind our- selves that it was unions that built the middle class in America.
Everyone deserves a voice on the job and to be fairly compensated for their work. Unions have historically made that happen.
According to the Ameri- can Sociological Association, as union density decreased in the American workforce from 1973 to 2007, wage inequality increased by more than 40
percent. The service industry is a $51 billion dollar industry in Florida, yet the vast major- ity of us who work in it live below the poverty line. If we are to change course and get people out of poverty and en- sure greater economic equal- ity, working people must once again fight for strong unions that push back against crooked politicians and cor- porations that have rigged the economy for the rich.
As a person of color, I've seen how higher wages can lift up Black communities and help people escape poverty. A recent study from the Center for Economic and Policy Research finds that Black union workers earned more than 35 percent more than non-union workers and were more likely to have health insurance and retire- ment plans. All of this paints a clear picture for folks like me. Without unions, we will continue to work day in and day out and live in poverty.
That's why this September 4, I'm standing up with thou- sands of other low wage workers nationwide to put the Labor back in Labor Day and fight to make the jobs that do exist - the jobs that make the CEOs rich - into good jobs for US. Stand with us. Let's create a better econ- omy for working people so our children won't have to en- dure the struggles that we do.
Bleu Rainer is a member of the National Organizing Com- mittee for the Fight for 15. He lives in Tampa.
Councilman Urges Community Leaders To Get Involved In Election District Changes
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Of- fice and the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission will host several meetings to discuss redis- tricting. Two of the four com- munity meetings are planned for next week.
The meetings will be held on: Tuesday, Sep- tember 5th, at the Robert Saunders Library, 1505 N. Nebraska Avenue; and Thursday, Septem- ber 7th, at the Seminole Heights Library, 4711 N. Central Avenue.
They have been set for residents to review maps and seek answers to their ques- tions.
Redistricting is required by law each year before regu- lar elections are held. All property within the city lim- its must be re-divided by the elections officers in accor-
FRANK REDDICK City Councilman, District 5
must be divisions of the en- tire city, with each containing as nearly as possible, equal population.
Before the new districts can be instituted, the Hills- borough County City-County Planning Commission is re- quired by law to host at least one public hearing to discuss the boundaries and allow the public to comment.
According to the Planning Commission and based on the U. S. Census Report, there are 353,560 residents within the city limits of Tampa.
District 4, represented by
Councilman Harry Cohen, which has 87,470 residents, is below the aver- age population of 88,390 res- idents.
District 5, represented by
Councilman Frank Red-
dick has 90,190 residents, is above the average population of 88,390 residents. Since the law requires that the dis- tricts be as equal as possible, some boundaries must be re- configured to reflect the pop- ulation.
Councilman Reddick
said, “I believe it is critical that all of our community leaders become active and engaged in this discussion. The Hillsborough County Planning Commission and Supervisor of Elections Of- fice are holding meetings in various areas of the city over the next couple weeks.
“They are discussing the possible changes to the City Council boundaries in the fu- ture. We really need to hear from the residents within the City of Tampa and more specifically District 5. With the various population changes taking place within the City of Tampa, it may be- come more difficult to elect an African American to the Tampa City Council District 5 Seat.”
The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Of- fice cannot proclaim the new districts until the Hillsbor- ough County City-County Planning Commission has held the public meetings and solicited comments about the changes.
dance with changes.
population
The population changes must be based on recommen- dations and approval of the Hillsborough County City- County Planning Commis- sion, into seven Council districts. Three of those dis- tricts must be identical with territorial boundaries of the city. The other four districts
Labor Day Closings
City Of Tampa
City of Tampa offices will be closed on Monday, Sep- tember 4, 2017, in obser- vance of the Labor Day holiday. Customers sched- uled for solid waste collec- tion service or needing access to the McKay Bay Transfer Station on Monday, Septem- ber 4, 2017 will be affected.
Regular garbage collec- tion service will resume the next scheduled service day (Thursday, September 7, 2017). Recycling and yard waste collection will resume on Monday, September 11, 2017.
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017