Heat join competitive workforce coalition

MIAMI (AP) The parent company of the Miami Heat and AmericanAirlines Arena is joining a coalition that provides stronger nondiscrimination protections for the gay and transgender community.

The Heat Group is now among 19 major Florida employers who back the Florida Competitive Workforce Act.

Heat business operations president Eric Woolworth says ''embracing diversity isn't just the right thing to do, we consider it to be a sound business strategy.''

Florida law makes workplace discrimination illegal based race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or marital status. The coalition wants the gay and transgender community included in those policies.

Other Florida employers who are part of the coalition include C1 Bank, Darden Restaurants Inc., Florida Blue, Marriott, Raymond James Financial Inc., Walt Disney World Resort and Wells Fargo.