The feeling was mutual, with board chairman Martin Garcia saying last month that the supervisors were working with the firefighters to resolve their issues. “You have been able to build bridges that were long burned.” “Almost overnight, a change occurred that we have never experienced - transparency, open dialogue, the ability to sit down and have our issues heard and felt listened to,” Shirey told board members last month. The firefighters looked forward to collaborating with the new supervisors and administrator after years of clashing with their Disney-supporting predecessors, and viewed the appointments as “an opportunity for a fresh start,” he said. It also promised hiring up to three dozen firefighters and paramedics.Īt several meetings since the DeSantis-appointed supervisors took their seats this spring, Jon Shirey, who leads the firefighters' union, praised them for visiting firefighters at their stations around the 39 square-mile (101 square-kilometer) Disney World property. Under the three-year contract proposal overwhelmingly approved by 200 firefighters and first responders, annual starting pay for firefighters would increase to $65,000, up from $55,000. But it was never brought up, and it did not appear on an agenda released ahead of the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday. John Raoux/AP Show More Show LessĪ vote on the contract originally was targeted for last month during a meeting of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors. The local has been warning for years that they are understaffed and that poses a safety risk as the central Florida theme park resort grows bigger. John Raoux/AP Show More Show Less 2 of5 FILE - Timothy Stromsnes, left, then-president of the Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters, Local 2117, and then-union vice president Sean Pierce air concerns about the firefighting staff at Walt Disney World on May 28, 2019, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. But that warm relationship is in jeopardy now as a new administrator has reopened negotiations on a new contract that promised pay raises and more manpower for the more than 200 unionized firefighters and other first-responders. Ron DeSantis took over Walt Disney World’s governing district in 2023, its firefighters were among the few employees who publicly welcomed them with open arms. That mission has always been under attack, yet we continue to persevere.1 of5 FILE - Mickey and Minnie Mouse perform during a parade as they pass by the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Jan. As journalists, we enter this field with a mission and a purpose to listen and report the truth. Those allies will support us as we fight against Alden to protect local news and the cuts that they will inevitably try to make.”Īdded NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss, “I am disturbed and upset. “While we are saddened by the turn of events, we know that our work over the past year - to build allies in the community and to raise awareness about Alden - is not in vain. “Today, Tribune Publishing shareholders voted to put profit and greed over local news in our country,” read a statement released on behalf of Tribune paper unions. Some unions have already criticized the sale. Alden’s deal ultimately went through for $633 million after Bainum failed to come through with the necessary funding. did flirt with a deal, that would have valued Tribune at $680 million. The New York Daily News made a similar effort. In April, the Orlando Sentinel editorial board published a piece asking a white knight investor to swoop in and top Alden’s offer. ![]() “The purchase of Tribune reaffirms our commitment to the newspaper industry and our focus on getting publications to a place where they can operate sustainably over the long term.”īut some have criticized Alden as a “vulture” firm looking to strip assets from newspapers, including firing staff. “Local newspaper brands and operations are the engines that power trusted local news in communities across the United States,” Freeman said. “Our mission inspires us every day, and that doesn’t change with new owners.”Īlden President Heath Freeman also took an optimistic tone. “We remain committed to serving the community with journalism that makes a difference in our readers’ lives,” said South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. The two major Florida newspapers fall under Tribune Publishing’s portfolio, along with the Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News and others. Shareholders have approved the sale of Tribune Publishing to the hedge fund Alden Global Capital, putting the Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun-Sentinel under Alden’s control.
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