News you missed: 15 Orlando stories that flew under the radar in 2025

Credit: J.D. Casto

We’re closing in on the end of a year filled with big changes, big headlines and a whole lot of news that might have gotten left in the dust. From prison labor allegations at Disney to union-busting side hustles to crosswalks that make people bad drivers (and maybe gay), here are 15 Orlando news stories that may have flew under your radar in 2025.

Child labor: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed for child labor rollbacks behind the scenes

Less than one year after approving a state law that loosened child labor restrictions for minors 16 and older, records first obtained by Orlando Weekly showed the Florida governor’s office pushed for additional rollbacks behind the scenes that could allow employers to schedule workers as young as 14 to work an unlimited number of hours per week, including overnight shifts.

Baristas on strike: Starbucks workers in Oviedo joined 4,000 unionized workers on strike

After voting overwhelmingly to go on strike if needed to secure a fair union contract, baristas at one of Central Florida’s only unionized Starbucks locations joined a national strike that began in November, as part of a pressure campaign to get Starbucks to agree to their demands.

Medical debt: Orange County wiped out more than a half-billion dollars in medical debt

Through a partnership with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, Orange County announced this fall it managed to relieve a total $515 million in medical debt held by more than 300,000 residents. The county announced an initial round of $472.5 million in debt relief back in May, and the second round of $42.9 million in relief was announced in October.

Win for the little guy: Group managed to kill Florida bill that would have gutted labor protections for temp workers

In a rare win for the little guy in state politics, Florida lawmakers temporarily postponed and effectively killed a measure that sought to gut labor protections for nearly 1 million temporary workers in the state who do odd jobs in construction, janitorial services, and other industries with a low bar to entry.

The bill (HB 6033) sought to repeal Florida’s Labor Pool Act, a law approved in 1995 that established more than a dozen protections for temp workers that weren’t covered by any other state or federal law at the time.

Self-help: Orange County Clerk of Courts expanded affordable legal aid program

To help level the playing field for people who don’t have the means to hire a private attorney, the Orange County Clerk of Courts expanded its “self help” legal assistance program to its courthouse in Winter Park. The program offers professional attorney consultations and other legal assistance services for $1 a minute.

BHM at UCF: Students organized Black History Month events because university won’t acknowledge it

The University of Central Florida typically recognizes Black History Month, but some students this year noticed that UCF had remained suspiciously quiet on the topic, despite publicly uplifting it in the past. So, the UCF chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America took matters into its own hands and organized a Black History Month event of its own: an “African Americans and Labor” faculty-student panel.

Pulse: Gov. DeSantis implied a rainbow sidewalk could cause reckless driving

DeSantis in September defended arrests at the Pulse crosswalk and insinuated the rainbow paint was an incentive for drivers who “disagree with the message” to drive recklessly. “It’s too much to have this,” DeSantis said of the only standing memorial site for the 49 people killed.

$14: Florida AG candidate vowed to actually enforce state minimum wage if elected

Florida’s minimum wage rose to $14 per hour in September, thanks to a ballot initiative approved by Florida voters in 2020. And yet, the state has no state agency or division authorized to actually enforce Florida’s wage laws. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a workers’ rights lawyer and former Democratic state senator who’s running in 2026 to replace Uthmeier, wants to change that.

Union on track: Onboard attendants voted to form first Brightline union
Roughly 100 Brightline attendants voted to unionize with the Transport Workers Union earlier this year. It was a push to address safety issues and fight for higher pay and better job benefits, including improved sick leave.

It’s the first union formed by Brightline workers in the state of Florida, and the largest newly organized group of railroad workers nationwide in over 20 years, according to TWU.

Uncertain future: Hospitality union gained job protections for immigrant hotel workers

Hundreds of employees at Hilton’s Buena Vista Palace hotel approved a new union contract that will deliver increased job protections as well as immediate pay raises. According to the union, the new four-year contract includes increased protections for immigrant workers who face an uncertain future under the Trump administration.

Unite Here Local 737 represents over 300 housekeepers, bartenders, pool attendants, food service workers and other employees of Hilton Buena Vista Palace near Disney Springs and the Hilton-owned DoubleTree Universal near the Universal Orlando resort.

Side hustle: South Florida city councilman had side gig as Amazon union-buster

Just a few months before being appointed to city council in the Florida Keys’ tiniest city, former Michigander Jared Rodriguez had a different kind of job up in New Jersey. Federal records show Rodriguez, a longtime anti-union advocate in Michigan state politics, was hired last November as a “union avoidance” consultant for Amazon.

Prison labor-assembled balloons: Advocates urged Disney to investigate alleged use of prison labor

A jumbo Mickey Mouse-shaped balloon will cost you $45 plus a delivery fee. But what isn’t disclosed, neither by Disney nor its third-party vendor, is the manufacturer who produces those balloons — and how much workers are paid to fold and package them.

Anagram International, a licensed manufacturer of decorative Disney balloons, is one of the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ largest contractors for prison labor. Its contract with the state’s corrections system allows Anagram to use prison labor to fold, add ribbons to, and package their products. According to prisoners, this includes some Disney character balloons.

Budget: Florida’s proposed $117B budget bans “social justice”

The governor’s budget bill would amend a 2023 statute that made it illegal for a governmental entity, the state group health insurance plan, or a state-contracted health care provider to spend state dollars on gender-affirming or -conforming care.

The bill would expand that law to ban all governmental entities from spending tax dollars on “efforts which advance, promote, entertain, or support fundamental considerations of social justice, including those focused on critical race theory; diversity, equity, and inclusion; or that otherwise defend the concept that mankind is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex.”

Oh, SNAP: Florida on the hook for extra $50M in SNAP costs thanks to Trump

Florida needs to pony up another $50.6 million to help administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, members of a House health care spending panel were told in early December.

The additional money is needed as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill and Congress’ decision to reduce spending on the SNAP program by $156 billion over a decade.

Flyers to rehire: Union staged action at Morimoto Asia to rehire fired worker

Disney Springs guests and Morimoto Asia diners were met with a spontaneous flyering event by labor union Unite Here Local 737 in January. The goal? To inform patrons about their efforts to get Julie Ruiz rehired after they said she was wrongfully fired by the restaurant’s parent company after speaking up about alleged sexual harassment by a supervisor.

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