#Trades Industry

[gpstudios]

Title: National Tradesmen Day: Honoring the Skills and Dedication of Tradespeople

Celebrate National Tradesmen Day on September 20 by honoring the skilled tradespeople who keep our homes and communities running smoothly. Show appreciation, support local trades, and celebrate their invaluable contributions.

Introduction National Tradesmen Day, celebrated on September 20, is a special occasion to recognize and appreciate the hard work, skills, and dedication of tradespeople. From electricians and plumbers to carpenters and mechanics, tradespeople play a crucial role in keeping our homes and communities running smoothly. This day is an opportunity to acknowledge their expertise and celebrate their…

[reasonsforhope]

Federal regulators on Tuesday [April 23, 2024] enacted a nationwide ban on new noncompete agreements, which keep millions of Americans — from minimum-wage earners to CEOs — from switching jobs within their industries.

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday afternoon voted 3-to-2 to approve the new rule, which will ban noncompetes for all workers when the regulations take effect in 120 days [So, the ban starts in early September, 2024!]. For senior executives, existing noncompetes can remain in force. For all other employees, existing noncompetes are not enforceable.

[That's right: if you're currently under a noncompete agreement, it's completely invalid as of September 2024! You're free!!]

The antitrust and consumer protection agency heard from thousands of people who said they had been harmed by noncompetes, illustrating how the agreements are "robbing people of their economic liberty," FTC Chair Lina Khan said. 

The FTC commissioners voted along party lines, with its two Republicans arguing the agency lacked the jurisdiction to enact the rule and that such moves should be made in Congress...

Why it matters

The new rule could impact tens of millions of workers, said Heidi Shierholz, a labor economist and president of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. 

"For nonunion workers, the only leverage they have is their ability to quit their job," Shierholz told CBS MoneyWatch. "Noncompetes don't just stop you from taking a job — they stop you from starting your own business."

Since proposing the new rule, the FTC has received more than 26,000 public comments on the regulations. The final rule adopted "would generally prevent most employers from using noncompete clauses," the FTC said in a statement.

The agency's action comes more than two years after President Biden directed the agency to "curtail the unfair use" of noncompetes, under which employees effectively sign away future work opportunities in their industry as a condition of keeping their current job. The president's executive order urged the FTC to target such labor restrictions and others that improperly constrain employees from seeking work.

"The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy," Khan said in a statement making the case for axing noncompetes. "Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand."

Real-life consequences

In laying out its rationale for banishing noncompetes from the labor landscape, the FTC offered real-life examples of how the agreements can hurt workers.

In one case, a single father earned about $11 an hour as a security guard for a Florida firm, but resigned a few weeks after taking the job when his child care fell through. Months later, he took a job as a security guard at a bank, making nearly $15 an hour. But the bank terminated his employment after receiving a letter from the man's prior employer stating he had signed a two-year noncompete.

In another example, a factory manager at a textile company saw his paycheck dry up after the 2008 financial crisis. A rival textile company offered him a better job and a big raise, but his noncompete blocked him from taking it, according to the FTC. A subsequent legal battle took three years, wiping out his savings. 

-via CBS Moneywatch, April 24, 2024

--

Note:

A lot of people think that noncompete agreements are only a white-collar issue, but they absolutely affect blue-collar workers too, as you can see from the security guard anecdote.

In fact, one in six food and service workers are bound by noncompete agreements. That's right - one in six food workers can't leave Burger King to work for Wendy's [hypothetical example], in the name of "trade secrets." (x, x, x)

Noncompete agreements also restrict workers in industries from tech and video games to neighborhood yoga studios. "The White House estimates that tens of millions of workers are subject to noncompete agreements, even in states like California where they're banned." (x, x, x)

The FTC estimates that the ban will lead to "the creation of 8,500 new businesses annually, an average annual pay increase of $524 for workers, lower health care costs, and as many as 29,000 more patents each year for the next decade." (x)

Clearer explanation of noncompete agreements below the cut.

Noncompete agreements can restrict workers from leaving for a better job or starting their own business.

Noncompetes often effectively coerce workers into staying in jobs they want to leave, and even force them to leave a profession or relocate.

Noncompetes can prevent workers from accepting higher-paying jobs, and even curtail the pay of workers not subject to them directly.

Of the more than 26,000 comments received by the FTC, more than 25,000 supported banning noncompetes. 

[nealcassatiel]

absolutely unhinged and hilarious official quotation to attach to a season renewal trades announcement  😂  😂  😂

[killjoyfem]

There’s a huge mistake we make when debating prostitution. It should always be talked about as a class issue. Prostitution is humiliation, exploitation and abuse for women as a class of people. It doesn’t matter if some girl claims she enjoys selling her nudes on OnlyFans, for example - what matters is how it affects females as a whole. I’m sick of anecdotal arguments being used for an issue that destroys so many lives.

[kropotkindersurprise]

September 11, 2024 - British Trade Unions voted to demand an immediate arms embargo on Israel, following the calls from Palestinian trades unions calling for international solidarity from unions all over the world.

Now let's see if they will actually give this demand any teeth by refusing to handle any shipments of goods to Israel, or to work with any Israeli companies and instituions, or that this will remain in essence a strongly worded letter. [link]

[nyaa]

北へ。/ Kita e. White Illumination (1999) Sega Dreamcast

[whilomm]

to help spread the word a lil, ask a mortician just put out a new video, this one specifically about proposed FTC regulation changes for U.S. funeral homes, and theres a comment period that closes October 10th, 2023 to ya kno. comment on em. tell em to help make funerals a lil cheaper.

I would really reccomend watching the video as she explains it a lot better, but the TLDR is that the FTC is thinking of adding some rules to the regs on how funeral homes disclose a couple of things, like prices (making them list prices online, so you dont need to drive to 7 diff funeral homes to price shop the day your son died, and cause hidden prices=more expensive), and make it clearer WHEN embalming is required (that is, that its NOT required by law, but might be required by the funeral home themselves)

like i said, watch the vid for a better explaination, but both of those things contribute to funerals being Mega Fucking Expensive, so. if you feel like it, go to the FTC and tell em to implement the changes!

comment period ends october 10th, 2023!

[ex-foster]

[welcometohellfilm]

Hi! I loved W2H2 part 1 - I wanted to ask if there's a timeframe planned for the next part? Are you looking for additional guest animators?

Sometime next year hopefully! And I'm definitely open to guest animators/clean-up artists! But I also can't really afford to compensate a professional, reasonable wage. So far, any help I've had has been people offering to work pro bono, which is incredibly generous and I'm grateful for that, but I can't reasonably in good conscience ask people to help out for free. I am willing to work out some sort of payment, but it's... just... gonna' be embarrassing, y'know? I absolutely can't pay anyone what they're worth. BUT! If that's not an issue for people, it's a discussion I'm willing to have! If you (or anyone else) wants to guest animate some shots, send me a reel or some of your work and we can talk about it!

[redditreceipts]

as it seems, women had better international solidarity in the 1980s than they have now

On the sign in the middle, it says: "Stop the export of Norwegian Sex buyers"

Here is an article from that time:

and the best thing: The women's organisation won the trial! (and Norway has adopted the Swedish model by now)

(source for the first article, source for the second article)

[piqued-curiosity]

It’s really grim and terrifying that my male professor can stand in front of the class and talk about how “sex work” is empowering, reference the change from calling it prostitution to “sex work” and how it’s being acknowledged as work and a profession.

Here I am, a female student, having some man essentially tell me that my body is a good to be sold for profit. That I can have a profession as good as any other profession by selling my body to men. As a man and as a professor, he is not at risk of his body going on the market because of this movement. As a woman, I am. And it’s absolutely terrifying to me to see it becoming normal to discuss selling female bodies as a positive thing. And it’s enraging to hear it get no criticism, only praise.

[fadedfrills699]

RADFEMS AND RADFEM CURIOUS GIRLBLOGGERS I PRESENT TO YOU MY ULTIMATE ANTI- PORN READING LIST

- I provided summaries, repost with your thoughts…add your own recommendations!! 🩷🩷

“Pornography and power in Michel Foucalt’s thought” by Bohdana Kurylo (2017)

Looks at foucauldian perspectives and foucault's concept of biopower and that of his critique of the repressive hypothesis

Also focuses on the power dynamics of pornography and its discourse and representation as Foucault's ideas regarding the production of knowledge and regulation of bodies is applied to this form of thinking

"The Sexual Liberals and the Attack on Feminism" edited by Dorchen Leidholdt and Janice G. Raymond (1990)

Critique of postmodern sexual liberalism which is in defence of prostitution and pornography, collection of essays (some are not of relevance), mainly regarding the cultural exploitation of women by proxy of pornography

“Sexualisation of young people review” by Linda Papadopoulos (2010)

Looks at the direct effects of pornography on cultural conditioning from a empirical psychology viewpoint

“Pornography consumption and cognitive affective distress” by Michal Privara (2023)

Discusses internet pornography, emphasising the significant long term effects of porn on both individuals and societal perceptions of gender roles and sexuality

“Feminist critique of the feminist critique of pornography, a essay” by Nadine Strossen (1993)

Point of critique - opposing view perchance>

Strossen discusses how the anti-porn stance is counterproductive and desires a more nuanced view which recognises womens various responses to such frameworks, ew.

“Pornography and rape: a casual model” by Diana Russel (1988)

Relationship between porn consumption and rape, contribution of cultural conditioning of men ergo that of women by proxy, discusses the normalisation of sex based violence, objectification and dehumanization, reinforcement of patriarchal gender norms through identities being subsumed and subservient in conventional pornographic representations

Also discusses the rape myth acceptance (RMA) which is the acceptance of false beliefs, stereotypes, and statements regarding rape (so antiquated and ew)- interesting to look at the illinois rape myth acceptance scale, and also the REAL scale which is the Rape Excusing Attitudes and Language Scale

“Internet pornography: a social psychological perspective on internet sexuality” by William Fisher and Azy Barak (2001)

Examines the accessibility and anonymity of online porn and how this contributes to widespread use and its impact on individuals alongside within the broader context of society

Psychological effects and also the potential desensitisation and normalisation of certain sexual behaviours and attitudes

“Sexuality, pornography, and method: ‘pleasure under patriarchy’” by Catherine MacKinnon (1989)

Intersection of sexuality and pornography, discusses porns potentiality to shape societal attitudes towards sex and power, influencing both the sexes in their perceptions of sexuality and a way in which upholds oppressive societal frameworks…

“A dyadic approach to pornography use and relationship satisfaction among heterosexual couples: role of pornography acceptance and anxious attachment” by Megan Mass, Sara Vasilenko, and Brian Willoughby (2018)

BIT RANDOM _ NOT DIRECTLY RELATED

Looks at how higher pornography acceptance is associated with greater relationship satisfaction, while higher anxious attachment was linked to lower satisfaction, looking at both individual and partner use of pornography

“Against proper objects” by Judith Butler (1993)

Draws from her seminal work. Gender trouble, and gender performativity, also looks at political implications

Grounded in philosophy as well, looking at phenomenology and poststructuralism

“Pornography as a biopolitical phenomenon” by Aura-Elena Schussler (2016)

Discusses how pornography functions as a foucauldian biopolitical phenomenon, how such power and knowledge intersects to control bodies, porn existing in this framework to produce sexual subjectivities

Looks at discussions on discipline, surveillance, and normalisation of sexual behaviours

Would also like to recommend the movie “not a love story: a film about pornography” - really cute if not yet watched, by Bonnie Klein in 1981

[radifemsara]

It's not selling your body, it's selling a service. One's body is more than how they fuck.

Are you 'selling sex' or are you selling your body? You can't sell sex without giving away control over your body. By accepting money from males for that "service" you are admitting that they can buy you.

The fact that the average entrance of female sex workers is fourteen should really negate any idea that sex work is in any way empowering or progressive.

The ones claiming they've had a "good experience" with letting men rape them should not dictate how we treat or consider the prostitution industry. An industry that strives off illegally trafficking women and little girls.

"one's body is more than how they fuck" Oh I'm sorry, do these johns and pimps buy women and girls for conversation? Do they pay them for their intelligence? For their academic achievements and qualifications?!

[weirdlookindog]

Universal Weekly Vol. 34 #17, April 7, 1934

[kelocitta]

how are the vanilla twins in the anthro au?

I don't have them really super thought out (lots of this started just as messing around with designs, which i dont even have for these other three) but all the vanilla slugcats are more involved with scavengers. I just feel the need to work out far more details than probably necessary

Survivor lives roughly around the farm arrays area with a young pseudo-elite in a largely isolate colony and Nightcat and Monk both live roughly in the Industrial location. Nightcat used to live in a different scavenger colony but Something Happened To That One (cough), so they were just wandering when monk and them paired up. Of course all this is like, first draft and needs so much work

[iww-gnv]

Microsoft reneged on promises it made in court during its Federal Trade Commission (FTC) antitrust trial in 2023 by laying off 1,900 employees in late January, according to the FTC. FTC lawyer Imad Abyad filed a letter with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday, effectively telling on Microsoft. “This newly-revealed information contradicts Microsoft’s representations in this proceeding,” the FTC lawyer wrote. Microsoft announced on Jan. 15 that it was laying off 1,900 workers from its gaming division — around 8% of that part of the company. A large portion of those layoffs were at the newly acquired Activision Blizzard. The percentage of Activision Blizzard layoffs has not been made public, but at least 899 of that 1,900 worked out of Activision Blizzard’s California offices, according to public records.