It takes a special kind of monster to tear a screaming baby away from a mother and send both off to separate detention centers, but that’s what immigration officials are doing RIGHT NOW on the US border.

It’s painful to even imagine their suffering — but now we have a powerful opportunity to help end this horror.

This coming Friday, people across the country will be coming together in our cities demanding congress stop Trump’s child abuse ring.There are already events in several cities to join, and Avaazers can help start new ones in cities that still don’t have an event.

Here’s the Facebook link with more details.

Once we RSVP to an event, let’s then make sure to invite our State Representatives to attend too. Hundreds of invitations through messages and phone calls will light a flame under their feet and force them to respond and help put an end to this madness.

Here’s the link to find your rep to invite them to the demonstration, and below are some simple talking points to help you:

I’m against Trump’s inhumane immigration policy which rips children away from their parents.
As your constituent I implore you to take immediate action to stop this shameful policy. Your support for it, or inaction to stop it, is a red stain on your legacy as [STATE’S] representative.
I urge you to join our demonstration on Friday at [EVENT DETAILS]. By attending and responding to this horror, you will show your voters where you stand on this issue.

More information:
It’s as bad as it gets — immigrant children left in dog-like cages with nothing but gym mats and thin blankets, prison buses filled with row upon row of baby car seats, and over 1400 kids actually lost by the government that took them into custody!

But it didn’t used to be this way. There was a special agency that dealt with families humanely. Then Trump decided that forcing mothers to lose their children would be a good deterrent for people fleeing violence at home. So he promoted it, pushed it further and turned national border security into a massive child torture ring.

We’ve seen the power such rapid response demonstrations have on the media narrative around Trump’s harmful policies — from showing up at airports to protest the travel ban to marching with students to stop gun violence. Now we can do it again to stop this heartless immigration policy.

Here’s the Facebook link again — click to join an event then invite friends and family to join too!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1699977733433750/There are some news stories you read that stick with you, that are stuff made of nightmares. This is one of those, no doubt. But it’s a nightmare we can end by coming together now before another child loses their family forever.With hope,

Emma, Rewan, Andrew, Nate and the entire Avaaz team

More information:

As ICE separates children from parents at the border, public outrage grows (Think Progress)
https://thinkprogress.org/as-ice-separates-children-from-parents-at-the-border-public-outrage-grows-…

Hundreds of Immigrant Children Have Been Taken From Parents at U.S. Border (The New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/20/us/immigrant-children-separation-ice.html

The U.S. lost track of 1,475 immigrant children last year. Here’s why people are outraged now. (The Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/05/27/the-u-s-lost-track-of-1500-immigrant-c…

Separating children and parents at the border is cruel and unnecessary (LA Times)
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-immigrants-border-asylum-ice-201802305-story.html

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

we’re asking L&I to eliminate misleading minimum wage surcharges

05/30/2018 Nativegrl77

We are Working Washington

Misleading minimum wage surcharges could soon be a thing of the past. Working Washington has sent an official request to the State Department of Labor & Industries calling on the agency to establish rules that would effectively eliminate misleading surcharges which pose as taxes or claim to go towards wages.

ADD YOUR NAME TO OUR LETTER TO L&I

min wage service charge
Despite what it says on these receipts, there is no such thing as the “Seattle Fair Wage Act” or a “WA Min Wage Fee.”

Paying the minimum wage is a basic cost of doing business, not an extra add-on to be counted separately. If there’s no line item for the rent and no napkin-laundering charge called out, then there’s no good reason to tack on an extra few percent and attribute it to the minimum wage — unless you’re trying to send a political message about opposition to raising the wage, that is.

For more than a year, we’ve collected examples of misleading minimum surcharges from across the state. We’ve asked businesses to eliminate these charges. We’ve published a list. We’ve gone to the press. And more.

We’ve had success turning back many of these charges — but others are still out there. (For example, the two pictured above.)

So now we’re taking the next step. We sent a letter to L&I asking them to use their authority under the law to clarify that:

Service charges can never pose as taxes or government-mandated fees.
Any surcharges that include the word “wage” or similar language are forbidden, because they will invariably be interpreted as intended to count towards employees’ wages, and that would be illegal under state law.
Workers must be made whole for service charges which inappropriately were counted towards wage obligations, as this is effectively wage theft.

Taken together, these three rules would effectively eliminate misleading minimum wage surcharges. That’s why we’re asking you to add your name in support.

After you add your name, we’ll deliver your signatures to L&I — and we’ll let you know how they respond.

Thanks. Let’s do this!

Sage, Working Washington

P.S. You can read our complete letter to L&I here.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A Chernobyl in the Amazon ~ Joseph Huff-Hannon – Avaaz

05/30/2018 Nativegrl77

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