Tag Archives: news

Recent News

MGM Sues Shooting Victims

In a blatant attempt to avoid liability for the October 2017 Las Vegas shooting at the Route 91 festival, MGM Resorts International (owner of the Mandalay Bay hotel) has filed federal lawsuits against more than 1,000 victims.

MGM claims it isn’t at fault because the security vendor it hired followed Department of Homeland Security protocol and that it is covered by a federal act that extends liability protection to any company that uses anti-terrorism technology or services to help prevent and respond to mass violence.

The mass shooting left 58 concertgoers dead and hundreds injured. A lawsuit was filed in late November on behalf of 450 victims. It claims that MGM failed in its duty to monitor the activities of shooter Stephen Paddock as he hauled multiple weapons into a Mandalay Bay suite that overlooked the festival.

Attorney Robert Eglet, who has represented several of the shooting victims, called the move a “blatant display” of shopping for a sympathetic judge. “It is really sad that they would stoop to this level,” he adds.

Recent News

Defiant National Union Presidents Unite in Pittsburgh

Four national union presidents—Lee Saunders of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Lily Eskelsen-Garcia of the National Education Association (NEA); Mary Kay Henry of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU); and Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—displayed their solidarity at the AFT Convention in mid July.

“Our four great unions enjoy indestructible bonds of solidarity,” says Saunders. “There is no daylight between us, not even an inch. And that’s never been more important than now.” Across the country unions are demonstrating that organized labor will overcome the current political attacks, including the recent Janus ruling and other anti-labor rulings as President Donald Trump seeks to install Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.

Recent News

OECD Report Compares US to Other World Economies

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its 2018 Employment Outlook report, which reviews labor trends and prospects in the 36 OECD countries. The 2018 report shows that the US has work to do in terms of its economic policies and outcomes. The study says, “The low-income rate in the US (defined as the share of working-age population living with less than 50% of median household disposable income) is one of the highest in the OECD. The rate in the US is 14.8% compared to an OECD average of 10.6%. The lowest rate (5.8%) was in the Czech Republic. The report also showed little government support for unemployed and at-risk workers, and employed workers are hampered by a week collective bargaining system.

Recent News

Amazon Workers Walk Out on Prime Day

Amazon workers in Europe walked out ahead of global Prime Day, July 16, in a boycott highlighting poor conditions at its fulfillment center. Supported by social media, online workers, gamers, and shoppers plan to join the boycott over the company’s treatment of low-level workers. Amazon workers in Spain launched a general strike one week earlier that was set to last through Prime Day and workers at facilities in Italy, France, England, Germany, and Poland also joined the walkout. Amazon workers in the US have also complained of brutal working conditions.

Recent News

SAG-AFTRA Seeks Strike Authorization for TV Animation Workers

SAG-AFTRA is seeking a strike authorization for members working in TV animation. A strike authorization postcard was sent to “affected” TV Animation SAG-AFTRA members on July 1 and the deadline for voting was July 18. One focal point in negotiations is achieving scale wages and residuals for animated programs made for streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon.

Performers have been working under TV animation agreements that expired June 30, 2017, and more than 20 animated series produced for initial exhibition on a subscription-based streaming platform have gone into production.

“Because that work is not covered by the traditional terms of our TV Animation Agreements, our animation performers do not have the benefit of scale minimums when they work on these programs, the overwhelming majority of which will never pay residuals for any new media exhibition,” says SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “When you go to work on an animated program made for new media, the producer can pay you as little as you are willing to accept and will likely be able to use the program on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, iTunes, etc., for subscribers to view or customers to pay to download forever, without ever paying you a residual.”

This type of work is expected to continue to grow. Disney announced that it is launching its own streaming platform, where it will house original animated content, and Warner Bros. has launched the Boomerang streaming platform for animated content.

Recent News

Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution, or Is it?

Mississippi State University Biology Professor Brandon Barton decided to test the hypothesis by putting ladybugs in soybeans infested with aphids, then subjecting a sample group with various sounds. After 15 hours or so, the ladybugs exposed to hard rock, AC/DC, city sounds, and aircraft noise, greatly reduced the number of aphids they ate. Ladybugs not exposed to loud sounds, consumed virtually all of the aphids. Both aphids and soybeans, however, appeared not to be affected by loud sounds.

Recent News

Station Owner Ordered to Pay ASCAP $1.5 million

Edward Stolz, owner of three California radio stations, has been ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in license fees, costs, attorney fees, and statutory damages to the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and its members. Stolz failed to pay ASCAP license fees over several years, but continued to broadcast ASCAP member music over KFRH-FM, KREV-FM, and KRCK-FM. ASCAP sent pretermination notices June 2012 after failed efforts to collect money owed. The notice warned the stations not to play any ASCAP member works. On April 1, 2016, a group of ASCAP members filed suit against Stolz and his company, alleging that their music was infringed upon by the stations 11 times.

In March 2018, a jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs with statutory damages of $330,000 and in July, US District Judge Jesus G. Bernal awarded more than $900,000 in attorney fees and costs. In a separate ruling, US District Judge Denise Cote sided with ASCAP in denying the stations’ applications for licenses under ASCAP until they pay the organization more than $319,000 in license fees.

“Songwriters deserve to be fairly compensated when their music is performed, and those who use music without permission should be rightly held accountable. We are pleased both of these judges recognized songwriters’ value and have taken measures to protect their livelihoods,” says ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews.

Recent News

Bluegrass HoF Museum to Open in October

The Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky, has revealed the details of its grand opening set for October 18-20. A private October 18 event pays homage to those who have shaped bluegrass music and an October 19 concert, which is already sold out, will feature Kentucky native Sam Bush, a member of Local 257 (Nashville, TN). On Saturday the museum will open for the first public tours with free concerts all day from a variety of performers, including the Yonder Mountain String Band.