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Oct 18

How Orlando residents’ wages fared in the past 12 months.

By Activism, Business, Community

Orlando residents saw a bump on average to their average weekly pay when compared to a year ago.

Pay in the metro area rose to $1,068 in August, up from $968 per week in the same month last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The 4.2% increase was lower than what was seen in 166 other metro areas and tied with the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, metro.

Among other Florida metro areas, these ranked higher by percent growth over that time:

  • Sebring (22.6%)
  • Sarasota/Bradenton (10.5%)
  • Homosassa Springs (9.5%)
  • Vero Beach (7.2%)
  • Palm Bay/Melbourne (7.1%)
  • The Villages (6.7%)

The average percentage change among the 394 metros considered was 3.19%.

Increased wages come as the state’s hourly minimum wage grew from $10 to $11 on Sept. 30. The minimum wage for tipped employees also increased at the end of last month, from $6.98 to $7.98 per hour.

Florida citizens voted to raise the minimum wage in 2020 to $15 an hour by 2026, with a dollar increase per year. Some groups, like the Florida Business for a Fair Minimum Wage coalition, have said that was good for business, including Jared Meyers, who owns Legacy Vacation Resorts in Orlando, Kissimmee, Palm Coast and Indian Shores

“We’ve been hiring across the board and Legacy Vacation Resorts is having our best year ever,” Meyers said in a prepared statement. “Paying fair wages and investing in our employees strengthens our business and enhances our resilience for the future.”

Other groups like the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association have opposed the wage increases. That group said it would partner with others who would be impacted negatively by a $15 minimum wage. In the past, the group cited the increased cost of labor for businesses if the minimum wage hike had passed.

Jun 07

Artifishal film by Patagonia screens in Tampa Bay

By Activism, Community, Environmental
Studio Movie Grill
12332 University Mall Ct
Tampa, FL 33612
UNIVERSITYTAMPA
(813) 241-3800
$10

Join St. Pete for Good at a screening of Patagonia’s #Artifishal for a film that explores wild salmon’s slide toward extinction, threats posed by fish hatcheries and fish farms, and our continued loss of faith in nature. A Q&A follows. Half of all proceeds will benefit IDEAS for Us, a non-profit environmental solutions organization.

Watch the trailer.

Nov 27

The HIVE presents Life Below Water in St. Petersburg

By Activism, Business, Community, Environmental

Join The IDEAS Hive On December 3 as they explore the challenges and opportunities for preserving St. Petersburg’s Life Below Water, while brainstorming solutions to protect oceans and marine life. The waterways and marine life in Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico are woven into the fabric of the St. Petersburg community. They are the backbone of St. Pete’s thriving tourism industry, which drew in 6,349,500 visitors and $4.89 billion in 2015, as well as the main draw for St. Pete’s peerless marine science community — the largest in the Southeastern United States. Maintaining the health of ocean species is vital for keeping St. Pete a beautiful, vibrant, and sustainable place to live.

Leading the discussion at the event is Clay Louis Ferrara, biologist and Executive Director of The Hive’s parent organization, IDEAS For Us. As a distinguished Rollins alumnus and world-spanning scientist, Clay has conducted environmental and biological research across four continents, and currently works with a wide host of environmental and prosocial nonprofits and organizations to make the world a better place.

Jun 18

A Guide to Buying B Corp

By Activism, Guides

Use this roadmap to find certified B Corporation products in your grocery aisles.

If you’re a label reader then your eye is likely trained to recognize stamps for certifications like Organic, Non-GMO, Fair Trade and Gluten-free. But you may have noticed a less familiar “B” on the packaging of some of your favorite products. That “B” stands for Certified B Corporation or “B Corp.” Unlike the stamps you are used to, B Corp certification can apply to any for-profit business industry, not just food and health and beauty products. Developed on the premise that businesses of all kinds can be a “force for good” in the world, B Corp certification is rapidly gaining momentum in the United States and internationally. Some even call it a movement. As such, many planet- and people-friendly products found in the aisles of your grocery store have adopted the B Corp certification. But what does it mean to be a “B”?

Continue Reading at Live Naturally

Feb 24

Don’t Boycott Bad Companies, Spend More With Good Ones

By Activism, Business, Commerce

Just as in political elections, people would rather take action to make a statement.

Especially this past year, the idea of “voting with your wallet” has taken on a certain cache as consumers have looked to connect their spending habits with their larger ethical stance. The #GrabYourWallet movement, for instance, took President Trump’s lewd comments as a springboard to encourage consumers not to buy from more than 50 Trump-affiliated brands. And new financial tools, like the impact measurement score from the company Aspiration, help consumers to track the environmental and ethical implications of where they shop.

Continue Reading at FastCompany