It’s hard to believe that four years have passed since we launched our campaign calling on the Snack Food 20 to cut Conflict Palm Oil from their corporate supply chains.
For four years, you have spoken up for Indonesia’s forests, been steadfast in solidarity with Indigenous people and palm oil workers, taken action for the global climate, and supported efforts to protect endangered animals and the priceless Leuser Ecosystem by demanding an end to Conflict Palm Oil. Because of this, almost every single one of these huge snack food corporations have committed to make big changes in their global operations.
Thank you.
But still, PepsiCo––the largest globally traded snack food company––remains connected to Conflict Palm Oil throughout its supply chain. This week, we’re releasing an open letter to PepsiCo’s CEO Indra Nooyi, signed by 46 groups, including Rainforest Action Network, International Labor Rights Forum, OPPUK, Greenpeace USA, Friends of the Earth US, SumOfUs and many many more. Combined, these groups represent over 25.8 million members worldwide.
As representatives of a wide range of organizations working to protect our climate, to preserve the world’s forests, to secure safe and responsible working conditions, and to defend human rights, we’re calling on the Snack Food 20’s most notorious laggard, PepsiCo, to ensure that all of its globally sold products are produced without deforestation, the destruction of peatlands or the violation of human rights — including the rights of local communities and workers. We’re standing together to hold PepsiCo accountable for its Conflict Palm Oil problem.
As we work to transform PepsiCo and the world’s palm oil supply chains, thank you for continuing to support this campaign. Some campaigns are over in a matter of weeks or months, and some take persistence over many years. Thank you for being a part of this movement and speaking up for the world’s forests, climate, and the people and animals who depend on them. You can read a more in-depth look at where the campaign has been so far, and where it goes next, here.
When millions of us stand together, we know we can change the world. Thank you for being part of the fight.
For the forests,
Chelsea Matthews
Forest Campaigner
Rainforest Action Network
Just wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this very interesting news: The Target Corporation announced they’re raising their store minimum wage all the way to $15/hour by 2020.
Not just in Seattle. (We already won that!)
But nationwide!
When fast-food workers with Working WA first went out on strike for $15, nobody really thought this is where we’d be just a few years later: one of the largest retailers in the country is choosing to raise wages to $15/hr nationwide. Every time you look, you see that this movement just keeps getting so much bigger, so much faster than anyone could have expected.
May 2014: Workers from the downtown Seattle Target walk out on strike for $15.
Seriously, though. Why?
Why was Target happy to pay the minimum wage all this time, and now suddenly they’re lifting up the whole country?
Maybe they don’t really have a choice, because workers are refusing to settle for lower wages. Maybe they just figure higher wages are coming at this point and it’s inevitable. Maybe they’ve realized it’s GOOD for business when more people have more money.
Call me cynical, but even if it’s just a PR move, I think that’s a good thing! I think it’s incredible progress that the Fight for $15 has changed the landscape so dramatically that huge corporations like Target feel like they have to raise wages to get a good media hit. And as a supporter of Working Washington, you had more than a little bit to do with it.
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: American Bridge 21st Century and Majority PAC
DATE: June 1, 2012
RE: Josh Mandel FBI Investigation
When Josh Mandel became Ohio’s Treasurer barely a year ago, he was entrusted to act as a responsible steward of the state’s funds. Mandel quickly violated that trust by failing to fulfill the responsibilities of his job so he could campaign for a Senate seat instead.
Mandel has also acted irresponsibly by flouting campaign finance rules. Questionable contributions made to his Senate campaign by employees of Suarez Corporation are now under investigation by the FBI. The suspicious nature of the donations was raised by the press to Mandel last year, as it was noted how unusual it was for multiple employees (and their spouses) of the same company, many whom have never before given to federal campaigns, to each make maximum donations to the same candidates. Yet Mandel refused to investigate the donations, and returned them only after the press reported on the existence of an FBI investigation.
And though he has now returned $105,000 in tainted donations, Mandel has yet to come clean. He refuses to identify when he became aware of the FBI investigation, how he learned of the investigation, and how long he waited before returning the donations. This is to say nothing of whether he knew that the contributions were illegal before they were made, and still chose to accept them anyway.
With the FBI investigating these contributions to Mandel’s campaign, Ohio voters are asking the same question: what is Josh Mandel hiding?
BACKGROUND
Mandel Donations From Company “Unusual.” According to the Toledo Blade, Josh Mandel reported some “unusual” donations on his second quarter finance report. Benjamin Suarez, owner of “a direct marketing company that does $100 million annually in sales” has been a major Republican donor. In the current cycle, however, “a large number of his employees and their wives — many of whom have never before given to federal campaigns — have contributed to two specific congressional candidates: Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R., Wadsworth), who represents Ohio’s 16th District. All together, 17 employees from Canton-based Suarez Corporation have contributed to one or both candidates, according to federal campaign filings. Sixteen of those employees (and six of their spouses) have given $5,000, the maximum amount allowed under federal election law. For some of the employees and their spouses, that adds up to $20,000. In all, Mr. Suarez, his employees, and their spouses gave $100,000 to Mr. Mandel’s campaign and $100,250 to Mr. Renacci’s campaign. [Toledo Blade, 8/19/11]
Mandel On Questionable Donations: “We Have No Reason To Believe” That Anyone Has Violated Law. In an interview with the Dayton Daily News, Mandel was asked about the questionable donations taken from Suarez Corporation employees. He stated that “We have no reason to believe whatsoever that anyone has stepped across the letter of the law or the spirit of the law here.” [Dayton Daily News, 10/2/11]
Mandel’s “Unusual Contributions” From Employees Of Suarez Corporation Prompted FBI Investigation For Possible Campaign Finance Violations. “Unusual contributions to the campaigns of U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R., Wadsworth) and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel have prompted a federal investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland requested fund-raising records from the treasurer of Mr. Renacci’s campaign four or five months ago, according to Mr. Renacci’s chief of staff, James Slepian. ‘We reiterate that to our knowledge no donations our campaign has received were made improperly, but if we find out these or any other donations were given improperly they will be returned immediately,’ Mr. Slepian said. A spokesman for Mr. Mandel’s U.S. Senate campaign also confirmed the investigation. ‘The campaign is aware of the investigation and is fully cooperating,’ said Travis Considine, spokesman for the Mandel campaign. ‘Neither the campaign nor anyone associated with it is a target of the investigation.” [Toledo Blade,5/21/12]
Maximum Contributions For Half Of The 16 Employees Represented Significant Portion Of The Value Of Their Homes, Including Some Who Had Never Before Contributed To A Political Campaign. “It is unusual, however, for those who have never contributed to a federal campaign to give the maximum allowable amount. Moreover, a review of publicly available Stark County auditor records shows that about half the employees who contributed to the two campaigns own homes valued at $66,000 to $183,000. Five own homes valued at more than $300,000. Mr. Suarez’s home is valued at $2.3 million.” [Toledo Blade, 5/21/12]
Some Suarez Corporation Employees Who Donated Maximum To Mandel’s Campaign “Lived In Modest Neighborhoods And Held Job Titles Such As Copy Writer.” The (Toledo) Blade reported in August that 17 Suarez Corporation Industries employees and some of their spouses gave a combined $100,000 to the Mandel campaign and $100,000 to the Renacci campaign. Some had never given to political campaigns before, lived in modest neighborhoods, and held job titles such as copy writer.” [Dayton Daily News, 5/21/12]
Mandel Returned $105,000 In Campaign Contributions To Suarez Corporation Employees In Wake Of FBI Investigation. “Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, the GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate, has returned $105,000 in campaign donations to 21 employees at a North Canton direct-marketing firm following reports that federal investigators sought records about contributions he and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci received from the company. In a letter sent to Suarez Corporation Industries dated Tuesday, Mandel’s campaign treasurer Kathryn Kessler said, ‘We have decided to issue refunds for any contributions that appear to be under investigation by federal authorities.’ ‘We believe we have no reason to be concerned with the contribution, but out of an abundance of caution and until the investigation is complete, we believe this course of action is most appropriate,’ the letter said.” [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 5/23/12]
Mandel Would Not Say How Long He Had Been Aware Of FBI Investigation Into Suarez Corporation Contributions To His Campaign, Despite Refunding Contributions. “In a letter to the donors, Mr. Mandel’s campaign treasurer, Kathryn Kessler, said the campaign was refunding ‘any contributions that appear to be under investigation by federal authorities.’ ‘We believe we have no reason to be concerned with the contributions, but out of an abundance of caution and until the investigation is complete, we believe this course of action is most appropriate,’ Ms. Kessler’s letter said. Although the campaign provided a copy of the letter to The Blade, it would not explain the timing of the decision or how long it has been aware of the federal probe.” [Toledo Blade, 5/25/12]
President Of Suarez Corporation Called President Obama A “Communist,” Said FBI Investigation Was “Punishment” For Republican Donations And Was Disrupting Company Operations. “Benjamin Suarez, the president of Suarez Corp. Industries, said the FBI investigation of his employees’ contributions to two Republican candidates has significantly disrupted company operations, damaged employee morale, delayed the launch of five products and postponed the hiring of about 2,000 workers at SCI’s North Canton facility. Suarez said he has had to spend $500,000 to pay attorneys, rather than hire workers to assemble new products. ‘This FBI thing has totally disrupted our company,’ said Suarez. ‘This communist (President Barack) Obama says he’s all about jobs. Well, he’s killing jobs.’ He said that SCI, which is based in Jackson Township, has given federal investigators financial records and W-2 statements that, he says, proves his employees could afford to make the political contributions. ‘If this had been a regular investigation, this would have been dropped. They’re going to do everything in their power to coerce, every dirty trick in the book,’ he said. ‘This is punishment because we’re Republican donors.’” [Canton Repository, 5/24/12]
President Of Suarez Corporation Acknowledged That He Had Received Request From Mandel’s Campaign To Inquire With Employees About Contributions, But Denied Any Reimbursement. “Suarez, who said neither he nor the company reimbursed the employees for the contributions, said they were eager to give generously to Renacci and Mandel because they believed Obama’s policies, the uncertainty from his health care bill and his excessive federal regulations had hurt the economy, resulting in their loss in income. At the request of Renacci and Mandel’s campaigns, Suarez said, he called Giorgio and asked him to find out if any employees wanted to contribute to the campaigns. ‘I didn’t really know who donated until I saw the Toledo Blade story,’ Suarez said.” [Canton Repository, 5/24/12]
It’s been months since Trump announced his decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program without a plan for the immigrant youth who rely on it. His decision left over 800,000 young people at risk of losing their jobs and facing deportation — and Congress has done nothing.
Today, we need every member of the House to hear that their inaction is unacceptable. We’re teaming up with national and grassroots groups across the country to flood Congressional phone lines with people demanding a real solution for DREAMers. Let’s keep their phones ringing all day long!
Will you call your representative at 888-704-9446 and tell them to pass the DREAM Act now to ensure young immigrants can stay in the country without fear?
Calling is easy, and it only takes two minutes — but we need LOTS and LOTS of calls to make a big impact on our members of Congress.
Call 888-704-9446 and tell your representative:
“Hi, I’m [your name] from [where you live], and I call on my representative to support immigrant youth by passing, by the end of the year, a clean DREAM Act that doesn’t add a single dollar to Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.”
Together, we’ll keep pushing for the DREAM Act we need, and we won’t stop until young immigrants can live without fear of deportation.
Last weekend, Emory University Hospital agreed to proceed with the lifesaving kidney transplant surgery for 2-year-old A.J.1 The hospital’s CEO Dr. Jonathan Lewin finally admitted it was a mistake to delay important medical treatment.2 Emory University was completely wrong in the first place. The surgery was supposed to occur early last month — even with the signoff from Gwinnett County Jail. Instead, the hospital canceled because the father, Anthony Dickerson has a criminal past. To punish a child for his father’s past offenses is blatant discrimination
The fight is not over. We are showing up for A.J. and his family to make sure no other family endures this type of stress and agony.
In just a short time, over 43,000 Color Of Change members like you signed the petition calling on Emory University Hospital to do the surgery for A.J. With the outpouring of community support in Atlanta, A.J. is on the path to finally receive the surgery he desperately needs. Too often returning citizens and their families are pushed to the margins and struggle to gain fair access to the most basic human rights such as healthcare. We need to show an institution like Emory University Hospital that they are not above the law nor should they dictate the right of a parent. Now we must make sure, the hospital follows through on its promise.
It is good news that Emory University has now approved the surgery. But we still need to keep up the pressure for systemic changes that holds medical institutions accountable for negligence and abuse of power. There is a long and frightening legacy of such institutions ostracizing and exploiting Black people. No family should have to hope, beg, and plead for urgent and lifesaving care. And no parent should have to justify their right to provide and care for their child. A.J. deserves a speedy recovery and the right to live as a free, happy child.
Chelsea Matthews
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