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The Trump administration recently proposed a rule that would significantly expand the number of federal contractors eligible for a religious exemption under Executive Order 11246—effectively stripping protections from discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for their workers. The U.S. Department of Labor is supposed to protect workers and fully enforce the law, but this proposed rule would open the door to taxpayer-funded discrimination against the very people the executive order is intended to protect. We only have until September 16, 2019, to tell the Labor Department to stop trying to undermine the rights of workers and protect them from discrimination.

The administration is legally required to read every comment submitted to them about this rule. But identical comments can be discarded, so your unique, personal story helps make the case for protecting workers and will make your story heard. To personalize your message, think about answering the questions below or just share why nondiscrimination protections matter to you, your family, and your community:

• As a taxpayer, why is it important for your money to not fund discrimination?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination or worried about being discriminated against when looking for a job? How did these things affect you?
• Why do you think it is important to protect people from discrimination in the workplace?

Stop Attacks on Federal Workplace Protections

Resource: americanprogress.org

colorofchange.org

Dear Walmart Store Manager and Walmart CEO Doug McMillon,

As our nation continues to grapple with the twin tragedies in El Paso and Dayton, all of us must do our part to keep Americans safe from gun violence.

That includes Walmart — a company with tremendous market leverage and clout.

We are grateful that you have chosen to take a leadership role in pushing the retail sector to adopt more responsible policies and commend you for your decisions to stop selling handguns, assault weapons, and for raising the minimum purchasing age for firearms to 21.

But we are calling on you — the largest retailer in the world — to go even further. Given our nation’s incredibly weak and permissive gun laws, we are asking Walmart to do everything it can, including the following to keep your customers, employees, and the communities you serve safe each and every day:

1. Stop selling guns and ammunition until we can dramatically raise the standard for responsible gun ownership all across the country and the gun industry stops selling firearms of ever-increasing lethality.
2. Stop making political contributions to lawmakers who receive donations from the NRA, as these officials are putting us all in harm’s way by opposing legislation that would make firearms harder to get.
3. Pledge that you’ll use you political influence to advocate for legislative changes to raise the standard of gun production and ownership in America, including a ban on military-style weapons.
4. Invest in the communities you serve by funding gun buybacks to help get dangerous guns off the streets.

Given Walmart’s tremendous size and influence, these actions will send a ripple effect through our political system and force our elected officials to break the gridlock and actually advance smart policies — policies that an overwhelming majority of Americans support.

Just as importantly, your decision to stop selling guns absent structural reforms from the gun industry will push gun manufacturers to reform their practice of producing weapons of increased lethality and marketing those arms to our communities. The gun companies will listen to you — they depend on your market reach.

As we continue to organize Americans across the country to push your company to do the right thing, we hope that Walmart steps up and helps lead the nation in keeping us all safe.

Until justice is real, 

— Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Clarise, Marybeth, Marena, Leonard, Madison, Tamar, Malachi and the rest of the Color of Change team

P.S. Read our previous email for more information below.

walmartmustact.org