-Analysis-

BERLIN The maps on TV weather reports were a glowing swathe of red. As the summer heatwave took hold in Germany, the country experienced record temperatures, with the mercury rising to over 35 C in many places.

Every year, this time sees a fall in unemployment rates and a rise in heat-related deaths. But why do we take it for granted that the fierce heat outside must be reflected indoors?

In winter we have no problem with turning the heating on to keep our homes warm. In summer, there is also a simple technological solution air conditioning. It costs relatively little, can be easily installed and creates a comfortable indoor temperature at the click of a button. It comes as standard in cars, but is rare in offices and homes in Germany. Only 3% of all homes in the country have air conditioning, whereas in the U.S. it is around 90%.

Instead, Germans sweat and complain, congregating around fans to swap tips about wearing wet T-shirts and debate the merits of ice water. It would cost no more than a few thousand euros to put an end to all this suffering: even multi-split air conditioners that control the climate of multiple rooms cost far less than many electric bikes.

But calls for air conditioning are met with suspicion and judgment. What about the environment? Air conditioners use too much energy they cause global warming. No thanks. Much better to suffer for a couple of months every year for the sake of the planet.

Unfortunately, this argument makes no sense. Perhaps it did 20 or 30 years ago before solar and wind energy really took off. But now that we have high-tech solar panels available for relatively low prices, it is redundant.

Solar power lends itself perfectly to powering air conditioners because when the sun is beating down and causing heatwaves, its also providing plenty of energy. Even a small roof can provide enough energy to cool an entire house.

So we could easily install air conditioning in our homes without worrying about our carbon footprint. Even in the U.S., where restaurants and hotels maintain Arctic temperatures in summer, air conditioners only account for 6% of energy use.

There is an unpleasant preachiness to the entire debate. In some places, air conditioning is banned and energy companies share tips for how to survive summer without it.

At the University of Zrich, for example, laboratories that carry out experiments on animals are allowed to have air conditioning, while students, administrative staff and professors are forced to stew in their own sweat because the local authorities refuse to allow air conditioning to be installed in those buildings.

This is despite the fact that cognitive functions have been shown to decline significantly once the temperature reaches 25 C. With mental rather than physical work increasingly becoming the norm in developed countries, this irrational hatred of air conditioning is counterproductive.

In the U.S., the Sun Belts economic boom was only made possible by the widespread adoption of air conditioning. In southern Europe, many homes and almost all offices have air conditioning installed.

This self-imposed suffering in many northern European countries is nothing more than self-righteous posturing. Yes, we are uncomfortable, often for weeks at a time, and older people are dying of heat stroke, but were doing our bit for the environment. We couldnt possibly take the easy way out.

As if individual suffering was necessary to spur us on to do something about climate change. In his wonderful essay The Unbearable Ugliness of Volvos, American literary theorist Stanley Fish describes a kind of automatic self-denial, whereby people consider themselves superior to others if they deny themselves the thing they truly desire.

So, just as many people buy a Volvo when they really want a Porsche, this hatred of air conditioning is above all an intellectual form of self-hatred, a kind of anti-materialism, where people define themselves by their own suffering and champion their cause with an almost religious fervor. Their motto? Even if it doesnt help the environment, I suffer, therefore I am (morally superior).

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A/C And Global Warming: A Northern Call To Embrace Air Conditioning - Worldcrunch

PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Last month, heat records were set in several cities across the U.S.,* including New York City, which boasted the hottest July on record with temperatures reaching 90 degrees or higher ten times in July.** New Yorkers will go to ridiculous lengths to escape the heat and seek refuge in cool air, including spending a leisurely afternoon at the delightfully air conditioned local movie theater. It doesnt matter whats showing as long as its cool, and on Wednesday, August 17, New Yorkers will get the chance to watch the coolest film of the summer at Village East by Angelika where appliance leader Midea America, is premiering a 90-minute film of their best-selling U-shaped Inverter window AC unit, the Midea U.

To highlight the need for better AC, Midea shot a feature length film of an air conditioner visual as it cools an NYC apartment. Its that simple; it is an entire 90 minutes of cool. As theatergoers watch the Midea U in action, they will be treated to 90 minutes of a refreshingly cool air conditioned theater during what has been one of the hottest summers on record, along with free popcorn and crisp cold soda.

To watch the film, simply go to https://youtu.be/SyOC-J6Pebc.

For more information on Midea and its full portfolio of appliances, please visit http://www.midea.com/us.

ABOUT MIDEA AMERICAMidea America Corp. is a U.S. subsidiary within Midea Group,(SZ: 000333), a publicly listed, Fortune 500 company and the world's leading manufacturer of home appliances. With more than 150,000 employees and presence in over 195 countries, including in the United States, Midea's products touch the lives of millions of people and families through air treatment, refrigeration, laundry, small and large kitchen appliances, water appliances, floor care and lighting.

Midea America is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ and has a Research and Development Center in Kentucky, as well as an Emerging Technology Center in California. Midea understands that the home is a special place, and the moments people spend there are precious. The Midea brand's promise to all its U.S. customers is to provide surprisingly friendly solutions to treasure those tiny moments at home. Therefore, the company creates home appliance innovations, that not only perform a function but have a meaningful impact for those who use them. For more information, visit Midea at midea.com/us.

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Midea Treats New Yorkers to Free Air Conditioning and a Movie as Temperatures Soar - Business Wire

On June 25, 24-year-old UPS driver Esteban Chavez Jr. collapsed in the back of his truck while working, and died. Temperatures in the Los Angeles area that day were in the high 90s.

Hundreds of other UPS workers around the country suffer from heatstroke every summer, as UPS refuses to install air conditioning in its trucks or warehouses.

In our own Teamsters Local 804 in New York City, a supervisor even told a driver who was suffering heatstroke while working not to call an ambulance, and tried to keep him from filing a workers comp claim. Later that day the driver was hospitalized for heatstroke.

And, though we have a contractual right to have at least fans in our trucks, in New York City UPS refused to install fans for months.

At the same time, the company began installing something else: driver-facing surveillance cameras with audio and video capabilities, to ratchet up the already intense monitoring we are subjected to and ensure they can squeeze the most out of our workday.

So as the summer heat wave crested, drivers fell ill, and public concern rose for people working in the heat, we decided to organize for collective action.

The demand for fans and A/C instead of surveillance cameras is not only a big deal with our co-workers, but has also attracted sympathy from the general public. So we decided to take a two-pronged approach to push the issueorganizing both in our workplace and in the public eye.

The idea for the Safety Not Surveillance rallies came from the rank and file. Many members were talking about how outraged they were at the new camerasinstalled in the middle of a heat wave, no less.

Some of us stewards came up with a plan to fight back and proposed it to our local president, Vinnie Perrone, in early July. He agreed.

Perrones statement announcing rallies for July 28, published as an image on Facebook and Twitter and shared in WhatsApp chats, caught a decent amount of traction. Local leaders from around the country re-shared it, expressed support, and committed to taking similar action.

We called through lists of our co-workers to talk about the issue and encourage them to attend the rally, emphasizing the importance of collective action.

After phone-banking, we designed a flyer that included dates for both the Safety Not Surveillance rallies and our 2023 Contract Campaign Kick-Off rally. We wanted to emphasize that these were related, because we knew our more ambitious safety demands would likely only be met in our contract fight next year.

While flyering, we also circulated fan request lists and encouraged members to exercise their right to have a fan installed.

In the past, individuals had requested fans on their own. We decided to collectivize the request so people would feel that the issue was a general one, and to build pressure against the company.

Signing members up on the list also gave us an opportunity to discuss our upcoming contract fight, where we can negotiate over cameras and safety rules.

Our efforts paid off, and we got solid turnout. Hundreds of members showed up at simultaneous rallies at two of the biggest hubs on the day of action. News outlets picked up the story of the eventsand the coverage gained momentum after a photo of a denied fan request went viral on social media.

In a viral tweet we asked the public to call the UPS 1-800 complaint number about the issue. Pretty soon dozens of reporters were reaching out to us. Fox5, CBS, Telemundo, CNBC, Business Insider, Vice, The Guardian, QZ, Jacobin, Fox26, and several other outlets ran stories.

All this media interest encouraged members to speak out, and built their confidence that the public was supporting our fight.

In the midst of the coverage of Safety Not Surveillance, the UPS-Teamsters 2023 Contract Campaign Kick-Off rallies happened all over the country the first week of August.

The agitation and momentum we had generated through Safety Not Surveillance brought hundreds more members out to our campaign kick-off events, along with some reporters who had initially reached out because of our safety campaign.

UPS has now installed fans in some trucks and apologized publicly for failing to install them before.

The campaign gave the public a glimpse of the intransigence of UPS and whats at stake in our potential strike next year. Were going to need their support.

One lesson we take is that even private sector workers can attract community support and make our bargaining relevant to the common good of workers across the economy when we publicize workplace issues that are outrageous yet also relatable to many.

Elliot Lewis and Matt Leichenger are shop stewards in Teamsters Local 804.

UPS: The Countdown Begins

One year out from contract expiration, UPS Teamsters at hundreds of locations kicked off their contract campaign with parking lot rallies.

Teamsters President Sean OBrien pledged to win a contract that will reset the standards for wages and benefits in this industry by August 1, 2023.

We wont extend negotiations by a single day, he said. Well either have a signed agreement that day or be hitting the pavement.

The actions also marked the 25th anniversary of the last national UPS strike, in 1997, when Teamsters declared Part-Time America Wont Work and won 10,000 new full-time jobs.

This year, delivery drivers want to put a stop to excessive overtime and subcontracting, end the two-tier wage for delivery drivers, and remove new driver-facing cameras.

Inside workers who sort, load, and unload packages want higher pay for part-timersand once again, more full-time jobs. The average UPS worker gets paid 600 times less than CEO Carol Tom.

Both groups want to rein in persistent harassment by management.

UPS Teamsters delivered an unprecedented volume of packages during the pandemic. Theyre still working 10- to 12-hour shifts under punishing conditions, like extreme heat. Meanwhile over the past two years UPS has raked in $11.2 billion in net profits.

Labor Notes Staff

Click here to see more photos from the rallies held around the country.

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UPS Says No to Air Conditioning, But Here's a Surveillance Camera - Labor Notes

At least nine Columbus City Schools will start the school year on Aug. 24 without building-wide air conditioning.

Columbus Schools is updating the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in 13 of its 109 school buildings this summer using $35.6 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds created due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While work to update the HVAC systems will be completed at seven of those buildings in time for the scheduled start of classes, work at six other buildings won't be completed until the end of September, said Columbus City Schools spokeswoman Jacqueline Bryant.

In addition to the six buildings that won't be finished until the heat of late summer has waned, two other buildings Columbus Alternative High School and Hubbard Elementary School will have to wait until the start of the 2023-2024 school year to get building-wide air conditioning.

We are just asking for patience, Alex Trevino, the districts director of capital improvements, said of students, staff and parents. We certainly want to get those air conditioning units turned on as soon as we can.

Trevino said supply chain issues and labor market issues forced the pushback of HVAC upgrades in Columbus Alternative and Hubbard Elementary until next summer.

The biggest restraint for us right now is the market, Trevino said.

Upgrading the HVAC system in Columbus Alternative and Hubbard Elementary also will involve disturbing every space in the building, so Trevino said its easier to upgrade the HVAC in the summer when students arent in the building.

Columbus Alternative, Hubbard Elementary are among buildings that have some "cooling spaces" within their buildings, such as libraries or some classrooms and office spaces.

Mifflin Middle School is another school without building-wide air conditioning.

"It has central air in about 50% of the building, added in the 1970s," Bryant said. "We are looking at ways to improve the performance of the system."

But because a new middle school may be built on the site of Mifflin Middle School, according to the district's proposed facilities master plan, Columbus City Schools does not appear ready to invest in a new building-wide HVAC upgrade of the existing building.

Having functioning heating and cooling systems in schools is one of the issues that the Columbus Education Association has asked for as part of their negotiations with the Columbus City Schools Board of Education on a new contract.

Last year, 20 Columbus City Schools buildings without air conditioning or HVAC in classrooms started the school year remotely due to extreme high summer temperatures and humidity.

The teachers union has raised the lack of air conditioning or poor HVAC systems in some buildings as one of the outstanding issues in contract talks not only for members' comfort but for students too, noting the heat can be a factor in the learning environment for students.

The district has responded in news releases by citing the HVAC underway on 13 buildings while not mentioning that the work at six of the buildings won't be completed until weeks into the school year, two others not until next year, and Mifflin Middle School potentially until a new replacement building is constructed.

The seven schools getting HVAC upgrades that are scheduled to be complete by Aug 24 are:

The six schools where HVAC system upgrades aren't anticipated until September:

Those six schools will continue to run on existing HVAC systems until construction is complete, with some spaces in those buildings having air conditioning in some spaces such as the library and special needs classrooms.

Facility crews will finish working on those schools during the evening and weekends once the new school year begins, Trevino said.

@megankhenry

mhenry@dispatch.com

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Which Columbus City Schools will start the school year without full air conditioning? - The Columbus Dispatch

(TNS) Voting machines throughout Connecticut were damaged on primary Election Day due to high temperatures, election officials said this week.

Norwich and Stonington registrars told The Day that multiple machines at polling locations in the two municipalities malfunctioned during the state's primary election on Aug. 9. Approximately 50 machines were affected throughout the state, according to the Secretary of the State's office. Machines that were not at air-conditioned polling locations partially "melted," officials say, and were unable to tabulate vote totals.

With low voter turnout and only Democratic and Republican primaries for the Secretary of the State and U.S. Senate, Norwich and Stonington election workers were not made to stay much later than usual to count ballots, and none of the vote counts were affected by the machine errors.

"At first we began opening new tabulators not knowing what was going on. Once we lost more tabulators we realized something is happening due to the heat," Stover said. "At the end of the day we opened tabulators in air-conditioned facilities and ran all those ballots through. We only had to do that for one of our stations. We had three tabulators at that specific location that melted down during the day, so we were unable to get any numbers off of them because they were completely nonfunctional."

"All those ballots came back to the office, where we have air conditioning," Stover continued. "We opened a new tabulator, ran our ballots through, and got our numbers for that station."

"We had to pull some of them out to get them into air conditioning," she said. "It definitely affected our workers in a negative way. Some became sick and were vomiting, some of them were dizzy and faint, I'm sure other towns had similar issues."

Stover said the registrars' office is "in the process of trying to locate more facilities that have air conditioning so we can eliminate this problem."

Stonington Republican Registrar Peggy Roberts said two machines in town were damaged.

"Our first problem arose at Stonington Fire Department at two in the afternoon during a really hot part of the day," she said. "We didn't have any fans going in there. In some of the towns where they pointed fans at machines, they didn't melt down. At first we didn't know what the problem was, but then we understood it was overheating. We have backup machines for all the polling places in Stonington, so we remedied the problem that way."

Another machine malfunctioned at Pawcatuck Middle School around 6 p.m.

"We have moderators who are used to solving problems, but this was unusual, because the rubber on the roller was liquifying and leaving a stain on the ballot," Roberts said. "The machines are getting a little older and I know that [former Secretary of the State Denise Merrill] has talked about a plan for replacing them in the near future. Now that she's not running again, it'll be left to the new secretary to do that."

According to an emailed statement from Secretary of the State Mark Kohler, none of the state's election results were affected by the machine errors. He said that the exact issue was "some of the adhesive that is placed on the rollers to assist the machine in pulling the ballot into the scanner softened in the extreme heat of some of the polling places."

Towns are required to have emergency plans for such situations.

"In most cases this means continuing the vote and placing the ballots into the side auxiliary bin of the black box," Kohler wrote in his statement. "At the end of the election night, those ballots can be run through a functioning machine or hand counted. It is our understanding towns were able to use a back-up machine later in the evening once the temperature cooled."

The machines in question were provided by LHS Associates, which describes itself as "the largest provider of election services in the Northeastern U.S."

Local registrars say Ryan Butanowicz, an election technician for LHS Associates, has been charged with repairing all of the machines in the state. Butanowicz declined to comment and referred The Day to Jeff Silvestro, who is president of the company. Silvestro did not return a request for comment. The Secretary of the State's office said the state buys the machines and transfers the title to towns.

"So many melted down in the state that we opted to wait to call the repairman," Stover said. "He knows we need it, but we're saying, 'We know you're busy, keep us in mind, we'll call you in a couple weeks to see how things are doing.' We happen to have extras because we used to have more polling stations. We're hoping that even if they don't get to us, we will be able to have enough of these tabulators for the general election in November."

"Of course it won't be hot in November, so we shouldn't have any further meltdowns," Stover added.

Kohler said he believes the machines can be repaired by replacing the rollers, and that his office is currently looking into how it can help with the repair, and possibly replacement, process. He described the primary day problems as "a unique situation of extreme heat."

"Our voting machines have served Connecticut consistently and honorably for 16 years. Although old, our voting machines remain the most reliable and durable in the country," Kohler said in his statement. "The simple technology that they are based on has been proven by the test of time. We do realize that in the near future, a newer model of the machine may be considered."

That said, replacing all of the machines would cost nearly $40 million, Kohler said.

"We do think that towns will need to consider heat-related issues (due to global warming) in the future and may need to reconsider polling locations that may have air conditioning regardless of the machine," Kohler added. "All voting machines are now computers and none of them are designed to endure extreme heat."

Groton Republican Registrar Kristen Venditti said that Groton was able to avoid such issues as almost all of its polling locations are air-conditioned. One polling location was not air-conditioned so the equipment was moved to an area with air conditioning, Venditti wrote in an email. Signs directed voters to the new location.

" Town Building Director Bob Charette and the school superintendent's Building Director Sam Kilpatrick were crucial in making our day as comfortable as possible, as well as Town Manager John Burt and Superintendent Susan Austin completely supporting our Election needs," she added.

East Lyme did not have any issues because all of their polling locations were air-conditioned. Democratic Registrar Wendi Sims said far from being too warm, poll workers were asking for jackets on Aug. 9. She was relieved East Lyme escaped the fate of other nearby towns.

Registrars' offices in Montville, Waterford and New London did not respond to requests for comment.

(c)2022 The Day (New London, Conn.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Connecticut Voting Machines, Poll Workers Impacted by Heat - Governing

The EcoFlow Wave is rated with a cooling power of 4,000 BTU, and it's advertised as able to cool a small area in just 8 minutes. Of course, that speed will depend largely on how wide the space is, and those figures were calculated for an area of 8 square meters. That's about the size of a four-person tent, so small bedrooms and small offices are a piece of cake for the Wave. EcoFlow says you can even use it outdoors in the open air, though its cooling efficacy will definitely take a hit.

If you do need to have the cold air directed to a specific location, you can easily attach the cold-end outlet shroud in the front. Like all air conditioners, the Wave works best if hot and cold air don't mix, which might be difficult if the hot air is also being pushed out in the same room. With that said, the cold air that the portable A/C does push out overpowers the hot air that it produces. If you really want maximum efficiency, though, you can attach the hot-end shroud to the back and have the two hoses directed to a different area outside of the room or tent. That's not necessary, but the option is there if you have a way to pump the hot air outside of the room, such as through a window or other opening.

Another typical consideration for A/Cs is the water condensation they produce. Most of the time, this requires that a hose be connected to drain the water, which can be inconvenient for portable air conditioning units. This is where the EcoFlow Wave's smart design comes in. Depending on where you live or how you're using it, you might not have to drain it at all. The Wave takes the water it produces and sprays that onto the internal condenser, making it evaporate on its own while cooling the component in the process. This works best in low-humidity environments where water buildup is minimal.

In high-humidity locations, you might need to drain the water manually by connecting a hose to the drainage outlet. The hose doesn't need to be connected all the time, though, and the A/C will automatically turn itself off if its water basin is full and there is no hose connected. This failsafe lets you use the Wave without cables or hoses for a period of time, allowing you to drain the water at your own convenience.

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EcoFlow Wave Portable Air Conditioner Review: Keeping Cool The Green Way - SlashGear

Montana has grappled with days of record-breaking heat this summer. As climate forecasts project heat waves to become more common and more intense in the future, research on the impacts to residents outside of major urban cities is limited.

We have like 16 fans going," says Alyssa Alsop. She lives in a subsidized apartment complex in Columbia Falls with no air conditioning. She says its been so hot inside, her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter has been sick.

"She started puking every night, probably a good three times a night. Im like, 'shes too hot.'

Alsop says rules at her apartment complex and the cost of air condition units make it really difficult to cool down. She tried keeping her front door open at night, but she says that provided only an hour or two of relief. That made her resort to other methods to keep her daughter cool.

"I would give her three, four cold baths, but how many times can I do that, until you know, I have to work. Yeah, it was a constant headache, really.

She eventually took her daughter to the emergency room.

Montana broke multiple daily temperature records this summer, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Marty Whitmore. He says many parts of the state are seeing more days over 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit every year due to climate change.

Montana State University professor and lead author of the Montana Climate Assessment Cathy Whitlock says Montanans, especially those in rural areas, may not be prepared for these temperatures because most have historically lived without air conditioning.

It affects the old and the very young, people far from services, people with health conditions, people who live in poverty that dont have access to cooling systems," Whitlock says. "That covers large areas of Montana, and I think its probably our number one concern about climate change going forward.

The way urban infrastructure keeps cities hotter, known as the urban heat island effect, is well documented. That persistent heat has led to an increase in 911 calls and deaths during heat events, spurring large cities like Seattle to set up emergency cooling shelters.

Researchers say rural areas and smaller towns have been left out of the conversation because its hard to identify trends from medical data in small populations. But researchers are finding other ways to demonstrate how heat is impacting these populations.

"Rural areas, its true they are still cooler than the urban areas, but the temperature is increasing faster than the urban area, says East Tennessee State University Professor Ying Li. She's one of the researchers looking into how rural communities are struggling with heat. She says preliminary data indicate rural temperatures in Tennessee could be rising up to twice as fast as urban temperatures.

University of Vermont Researcher Elizabeth Doran is documenting the heat island effect in that states small towns. She expects the data will show residents in those communities also struggle with cooling down.

"And we can do something about that once we have that information. We can say, 'Hey, state department, they need a cooling center.' Maybe its just a library or a park and splash pad. But we can identify those needs."

Doran and other researchers hope this growing body of evidence gets communities and local and state governments to take action in rural areas. That is starting to happen in Montana.

Dr. Robert Byron with Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate says Its getting hotter. How can we help folks? One is making them aware.

https://ephtracking.cdc.gov/Applications/heatTracker/

Byron has put together materials to help educate public health departments and residents on how to recognize the signs of heat-related illness. He's also created guides for affordable cooling methods like using fans to pull in cool air at night or installing reflective coverings on windows during the day.

Byron and others say when that low-hanging fruit isnt enough, people need a way to cool down.

In a city setting, or an urban setting, its one thing to set up, say, a cooling center with air conditioning ... but if you try to do that same thing in a rural area, its more difficult because people are so dispersed, Byron says.

He says people outside of urban centers may not have close access to health care, so its especially important for local public health officials to create solutions for those residents.

https://health2016.globalchange.gov/temperature-related-death-and-illness

Amy Cilimburg with Climate Smart Missoula says thats made air conditioning more of a necessity in Montana, but not everyone can afford it.

"So what were working on is trying to bring different funding sources to be able to help low-income folks be able to get a heat-pump system for their home.

Electric heat pumps provide both heat and air conditioning. She says that the Inflation Reduction Act will provide much-needed federal funding for this kind of work. But she says for people living in housing they dont own, helping them cope with a hotter future will be harder to do.

Back in Columbia Falls, Alyssa Alsop says her family eventually bought her a window air conditioning unit.

"We put that in yesterday and it feels a lot better in here."

Aarron Bolton: How hot was it getting in here?

"I would say more than probably 100 degrees in here, at least. It was to the point where you couldnt sit in here anymore."

Alsop says with the cool air blowing, her daughter slept through the night without puking for the first time in days.

This visualization shows monthly global temperature anomalies (changes from an average) between the years 1880 and 2021. Whites and blues indicate cooler temperatures, while oranges and reds show warmer temperatures.These temperatures are based on data from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Anomalies are defined relative to a base period of 1951 to 1980.

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Rural residents may not be ready for increasingly intense heat waves - MTPR

ORLANDO, FL Investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor of 11 central Florida heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractors have recovered more than $113,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 169 workers whose employers illegal pay practices denied them their full wages.

The departments Wage and Hour Division investigators identified a wide variety of violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act by the contractors that undercut their employees wages. Some failed to include bonuses and commissions in workers rates of pay when calculating overtime and, as a result, paid overtime at rates lower than those permitted by law for hours over 40 in a workweek.

Investigators found that other contractors failed to combine hours of work when employees performed different jobs for the same employer. For example, an employer paid workers by the hour for work on new construction and on a piece-rate basis for direct service to customers but did not combine the hours worked each week for the purpose of determining and paying overtime due. In another violation of overtime regulations, an employer awarded employees compensatory time off on an hour-for-hour basis for hours over 40 in a workweek, when the law requires these workers be paid a time-and-one-half rate.

In all of the investigations, the division cited employers for failing to keep accurate payroll records.

The 11 investigations included six entities owned by David Cox, Ryan Cox and Richard Allard, and operated as either One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning or Ben Franklin Plumbing. Other entities investigated include Air Source America Inc., owned by Jason M. Buehler and operated as Buehler Air Conditioning; Barineau Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., owned by Patrick Barineau and operated as Barineau Heating & Air Conditioning; Sun Kool Air Conditioning Supply LLC, owned by Frank Nicholson III and operated as Sun Kool Heating and Air; Swamp Heating and Air LLC, owned by Maria V. Radziminski and operated as Gator Heating and Air Conditioning; and Weather Engineering, owned by James Daniel Griffin and operated as A+ Air Conditioning & Refrigeration.

Entity

Location

Workers

Total Recovery

Air Source America Inc.

Jacksonville Beach

21

$31,509

Barineau Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.

Tallahassee

18

$27,212

ATM 241 LLC

Bradenton

29

$15,114

Sun Kool Air Conditioning Supply LLC

Ocala

44

$12,502

ATM 175 LLC

Daytona Beach

16

$9,399

Swamp Heating and Air LLC

Gainesville

10

$6,546

ATM P362 LLC

South Daytona Beach

13

$5,927

ATM 167 LLC

Atlantic Beach

5

$3,214

ATM 6 LLC

Melbourne

5

$1,241

ATM P214 LLC

Bradenton

5

$442

Weather Engineering

Gainesville

3

$433

Employers who fail to pay their workers all of their rightfully earned wages make it more difficult for employees and their families to make ends meet, said Wage and Hour Division District Director Wildal De Jess in Orlando, Florida. The violations found in these investigations of HVAC companies in central Florida could have been avoided. We encourage employers and employees with questions about compliance with federal wage laws to contact us for more information.

Employment of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers is projected to grow 5 percent by 2030, adding more than 38,000 HVAC jobs each year.

Employers who do not respect their workers rights will likely struggle to retain and recruit the people they need to remain competitive, as workers look for opportunities with employers that do, De Jess added.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including asearch toolto use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. Workers can call the Wage and Hour Division confidentially with questions and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages.

For information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the division, contact the agencys toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the departments Android Timesheet App for free.

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US Department of Labor recovers $113K in back wages, damages for 169 Florida heating, ventilation, air conditioning workers denied overtime - US...

The Detroit area HVAC company will celebrate by treating employees and customers to special events and deals

DETROIT, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --C & C Heating & Air Conditioning, a leading Detroit-area heating and cooling company with more than six decades of experience, will spend August celebrating 74 years of dedicated residential service to the Detroit community with a party for employees and savings for customers.

"When my grandfather started C & C in 1948, his goal was to offer the best heating and cooling service to the community, and we're proud to still offer these services today," said Dayna Hottle, general manager of C & C Heating and Air Conditioning. "We're dedicated to remaining a family-owned and operated heating and cooling business that offers well-paid employment, top-notch services and community aid to the Detroit area and hope to be around for another 74 more years."

Hottle said the company will celebrate by taking employees out on a yacht for a companywide party and will offer its customers a $74 furnace or air conditioning tune-up.

Hottle's grandfather started C & C on Aug. 10, 1948, and the company quickly became a family affair as his children and grandchildren learned the trade, answered phones and addressed mailers. After her grandfather's death in 1977, Hottle's parents and uncle took on the role of running the company, keeping the business in the family for the next generation.

In 2016, Hottle's uncle passed away, but the family rallied to take on the roles he had managed. Hottle also stepped up to new roles over time. She received an economics degree from Albion College and started work as the company's operations manager in 2005. Since January, Hottle has taken on the role of general manager and vows to keep the company family-owned and operated for the foreseeable future.

"We are known for our quality work and exceptional customer service," she said. "We also have the best customers in the world. These are the reasons we have been able to sustain our business for this many years in the increasingly competitive home service business."

C & C Heating & Air Conditioning is a Detroit-area heating and cooling company with more than six decades of expertise installing and servicing all makes and models of heating and cooling equipment. Their technicians are highly trained and qualified and undergo annual background checks, random drug testing, extensive technical and customer service training and are North American Technician Excellence (NATE) certified. Services include HVAC maintenance and repair, duct cleaning, whole-home air filtration systems, indoor air quality systems and comprehensive maintenance agreements. For more information, call C & C Heating & Air Conditioning at (586) 439-3319 or visit their website at https://candcheat.com/

MEDIA CONTACT:Heather RipleyRipley PR865-977-1973[emailprotected]

SOURCE C & C Heating & Air Conditioning

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C & C Heating & Air Conditioning celebrates 74 years in the home service industry - PR Newswire

Forrest Anderson Plumbing and Air Conditioning first organized a free A/C unit giveaway for veterans in 2016.

Audrey Monell, the company's president, said they surprised the winners wife at their home while her husband was away for active duty. After that experience, Monellknew it would be an annual event.

Now, Forrest Anderson Plumbing and Air Conditioning is gearing up to host its seventh annual Military Hero A/C giveaway, where they will gift one metro Phoenixveteran, retired servicemember or active-duty servicemember a free air conditioning unit along with a $500 cash gift card.

Beginning Sept. 1, Forrest Anderson will be accepting military hero nominations through its website, according to its news release.

Monell said she started the yearly giveaway in 2016 because she and other members of the company wanted to find a way to give back to the communities they live in.

She chose veterans as she said she felt they are an undervalued population, andin part to honor her grandfather, Forrest Anderson, the family-owned companys founder who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

He was very proud to serve his country and he even did some of his service on the [U.S.S.] Arizona, Monell said.

The giveaway is very importantto her personally, Monell said. She said she feels that despite political and religious differences that have divided the community, honoring military servicemen and women with the free unit was one thing that everybody is able to come together on and agree it's a good thing.

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Monell recalled her experience doing the first giveaway in 2016.

I really didn't understand the impact that this type of giveaway would have until she answered the door and just started crying, Monell said. They don't always feel appreciated in the community, and this small gesture brought her to tears, she was so grateful. I'll never forget the feeling going to her door.

Monell said after that experience, she knew she wanted the giveaway to be annual. The whole Forrest Anderson team looks forward to the two months a year they run the giveaway, Monell said.

Nominations will be open until Sept. 28, at which point a Forrest Anderson staff panel will select up to five finalists. The nomination form requires a name, contact information and the city and state in which the nominee lives. Additionally, there is space to upload a photo of the nominee and explain how they served in the military.

Then, voting will open to community members from Oct. 14-28 on the companys website and Facebook page, where Forrest Anderson will share the finalists service stories.

The free A/C unit also waives all installation fees and includes a $500 cash gift card, which is donated by Razor Thin Media President Cameron Davis, according to the news release. Forrest Anderson also partners with MORSCO HVAC/Bush Supply, who donates the A/C unit and sheet metal, and Smiley Crane Service, who provide the crane service if necessary to the installation, Monell said.

I feel so lucky that our company is in a position where, financially, we're able to do this, Monell said. We are very fortunate to have those people backing us so we can continue this every year.

Reach breaking news reporter Sam Burdette at sburdette@gannett.com or on Twitter @SuperSafetySam

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Forrest Anderson will donate free A/C unit to 'military hero' in metro Phoenix - The Arizona Republic