After oil giant Chevron dumped billions of deadly chemicals in the Amazon, Indigenous families in Ecuador were devastated by cancer and death. But a vote in days could bring justice and hold companies to account for their crimes — if we persuade just one more big investor to vote for an end to the Amazon’s Chernobyl. We’ve got 48 hours — Sign now!

ADD YOUR NAME

Dear friends,

Oil giant Chevron dumped billions of gallons of deadly chemicals in the Ecuadorian Amazon, leaving behind rivers full of toxic waste, decimating wildlife and spreading cancer and death in indigenous communities.

They’ve never cleaned it up! But Chevron’s impunity could finally end if we persuade just one man to do the right thing.

Chevron’s top stockholder is a US retirement fund whose chair has challenged corporate abuse before, and his customers are part of this community! If we flood him with support in the next 48 hours he could tip a historic vote — at Chevron’s shareholder meeting in days. Add your name now:

Join the Call for Justice for the Amazon’s Chernobyl

The battle between Chevron and Ecuador’s indigenous people has been waged for decades, becoming a landmark case globally. Over 20 judges in Ecuador and Canada, including the Supreme Courts of both countries, have sided with the Ecuadorians in their pursuit to hold Chevron to account for dumping toxic waste in the water that people drink.

A win against Chevron could open a new era where major corporations are finally held accountable for their crimes!

That’s where investor powerhouse Vanguard and its powerful chairman comes in. Vanguard owns a large share of Chevron, and has just recently voted against management on climate-related resolutions at ExxonMobil, criticising executive pay at Viacom and pushing big banks on gender diversity. With Chevron’s shareholder meeting in days, over 30 major investors are already calling on the company to settle the case.

Vanguard Chairman Bill McNabb is a father of four who’s called on CEOs to be a “force for good.” Getting him on board could tip the balance toward a majority vote against Chevron’s recalcitrant management! Add your name now and we’ll deliver our appeal directly to the chairman, right before the meeting:

Join the Call for Justice for the Amazon’s Chernobyl

Avaazers have campaigned against Chevron before, delivering letters to US senators, and filing legal briefings in court cases with partners. This is an incredible opportunity to get Chevron to finally clean up its toxic mess … and open up a new era of investor-driven social change!

With hope and determination,

Joseph, Pascal, Mike, Alice, Emma, Ricken and the entire Avaaz team

More information:

Shareholders Push New Chevron CEO For Answers on Ecuador
http://csrstrategygroup.com/shareholders-push-new-chevron-ceo-for-answers-on-ecuador/

Tell Chevron’s New CEO to Finally Clean up Ecuador! (Amazon Watch)
https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/tell-chevrons-new-ceo-to-finally-clean-up-ecuador

In the Vanguard: Fund giants urge CEOs to be ‘Force for Good’
https://www.ft.com/content/a28203d8-067d-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5

Investor Letter on Risks from Ecuador Litigation
http://www.newground.net/Chevron-Investor-Letter-2018.pdf

Exxon Mobil loses support of a powerful voice in climate change policy
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/31/investing-power-vanguard-votes-against-exxon-mobil-on-climate-change.html

Chevron’s “Amazon Chernobyl” in Ecuador: The Real Irrefutable Truths About the Company’s Toxic Dumping and Fraud (Huffington Post)
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-donziger/chevrons-amazon-chernobyl_b_7435926.html

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Desperate for the additional H-2B visas to bring in temporary workers from Mexico to pick crabs — a mainstay of the local economy — as they have done for decades.

05/29/2018 Nativegrl77

Trump adds 15,000 work visas. But is it too late for shell-shocked crabbers on Hoopers Island? https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-adds-15-000-work-visas-will-it-help-shell-n877696 via @nbcnews

“Right now, we’re shut down,” said Morgan Tolley, manager of A.E. Phillips and Sons Seafood. “We’re in self-preservation mode.”

They voted for Trump as a jobs creator, now their businesses are in jeopardy

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

UPDATE: minimum wage surcharges ~ Working Washington

05/29/2018 Nativegrl77

“Businesses who didn’t want to comply with the new state minimum wage and paid time off law were finding ways to manipulate the system through the language of the law.” — Hadley Wan, Working WA member

Dear Friend,

Working WA members across the state have made it clear: we’re sick of seeing misleading “minimum wage surcharges” on receipts at restaurants and other businesses. They’re confusing for customers, they’re legally questionable, and they seem to be a new way for employers to lash out at workers for fighting for higher wages. Paying the minimum wage is a basic cost of doing business, not an extra add-on to be counted separately, so there’s no good reason to tack on a few extra percent and attribute it to the minimum wage.

That’s why we sent a letter to L&I, asking that they make policies to put an end to misleading minimum wage surcharges. And last week, we got a chance to sit down with L&I and bring your signatures, comments, and voices to the table. Working WA member Hadley Wan of Tumwater came to the meeting to represent workers’ voices.

Hadley has worked in the restaurant industry, as a car valet, a security monitor, in construction, trail maintenance, disaster relief, and most recently, as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Here’s what he had to say about the meeting!

“Through Working WA’s newsletters I learned that they would be meeting the Dept. of Labor & Industries over the recent outcry of business-imposed service charges. If anyone would’ve liked to attend we were welcome to. I had read the public’s submitted comments and about Working WA’s efforts — I felt that, since I was available, I ought to lend any support I can.

In my mind, I’d imagined picketers outside chanting and waving signs. Instead of a protest, the meeting turned out to be a roundtable forum that L&I had invited Working WA and other labor organizations to attend. Representatives from Working WA, the Restaurant Opportunities Center, and the Fair Work Center were offering evidence and years of industry experience-based opinions on how to change and clarify L&I policies. Businesses who didn’t want to comply with the new state minimum wage and paid time off law were finding ways to manipulate the system through the language of the law. From the photos of evidence submitted by everyday consumers, it seemed like some businesses were outright breaking the law.

L&I seemed receptive to most of the changes suggested; they will also be meeting the business owners to hear their perspective, so it’s imperative that they know what our needs are and why we need them. Towards the end of the meeting I was given a few minutes to read aloud some of the submitted comments, amplifying the message that what those businesses are doing is unethical, and not in the best interest of Washington’s workers and consumers. I felt like I was fulfilling my civic duty — workers always have to advocate for ourselves against government and business practices. If L&I is true to their commitment, then I think they’re feeling the pressure to make some amendments. Overall, it felt like a productive and friendly meeting.

The 40-hour work week, minimum wage, safe working conditions, and the banning of child labor were not simply handed to us by employers and policymakers — they were fought for and demanded by the workers who lived and faced exploitation daily. And we must continue to demand what we need. Not only to earn a paycheck to afford life, but for a safe and healthy life with time to pursue our own interests.”

Because of Working WA members, L&I is now aware of this issue, and they’re having real conversations about how to protect workers and consumers from surcharges. We’ll be continuing to work with L&I to make sure businesses don’t get away with misleading and short-changing workers and consumers.

We have a solid chance to put an end to minimum wage surcharges in WA once and for all — so let’s keep up the momentum! If you haven’t signed the letter yet, please take a moment to do so now. And if you’ve already signed, help us spread the word! Email your folks, invite your neighbor over for tea, or just click to share the letter on Facebook or Twitter. 🙂

– Working Washington

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

John Legend with #FREEAMERICA

05/25/2018 Nativegrl77

In America, you’re better off being guilty and rich than innocent and poor. Bail is the punishment you get whether or not you are guilty of a crime. For too long, money bail has been a tool for extracting wealth from our communities and funneling it into the pockets of large corporations around the world. That’s why I’m coming together with Color Of Change to expose the bail bond industry for what it is, and to launch a campaign to put an end to it.

Watch my video with Color Of Change exposing the bail industry, and share it to help spread the word.

Cash bail is inherently wrong and traps innocent people in jail. If people cannot pay bail, which is often, intentionally, set to be unaffordable for Black people, they remain stuck in jail. There is no alternative. And as a result, too many are either forced into plea deals or into predatory loans with bail bond companies–financially entrapping them with hidden fees and contracts. The scale of the $2 BILLION bail industry makes ending it feel both more challenging and urgent than ever, but we can’t give up.

When Color Of Change partners and supporters come together, we win! Due to the efforts of Color Of Change, Essie Justice Group and others, Google and Facebook recently announced that they were cutting their ties with the bail bond industry for good. The two largest online advertising titans are no longer allowing bail bond agencies to advertise their predatory services. This is huge. But now we have to take it a step further and go after the engine that keeps the money bail machine running. We need your help as we embark on our most ambitious campaign yet–taking on the large banking and insurance corporations at the root of the entire money bail complex.

The more people who know about the corrupt bail industry, the better our chances of defeating it. Help us win by sharing this video with as many people as you can.

For a free America,

John Legend

P.S. Once you’ve watched and shared my video, make a donation to Color Of Change to help #EndMoneyBail once and for all.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Save the Date ~ Join us for Orca Month 2018!

05/25/2018 Nativegrl77

This June marks the 12^th annual Orca Awareness Month here in the Pacific Northwest! Join Defenders and our friends in the Orca Salmon Alliance as we kick off this year’s festivities with a fun, free, family-friendly event.

Celebrate one of our region’s most iconic wildlife species – the critically endangered Southern Resident Orca – and learn what you can do to help the species in the wild.

Enjoy music, face-painting, Mike the 25-foot-tall Orca, speakers, storytellers and fun activities for all

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,