Tag Archives: Saturday

SEATTLE – Thousands of Puget Sound-area janitors could go on strike next month if negotiations on a new labor contract break down, says a spokesperson for the union that represents them.
The janitors, who are represented by Service Employees International Union Local 6, voted Saturday to authorize a strike if janitorial companies fail to reach a contract with the union. Labor negotiations have been under way since May 8.
Union spokesperson Tania María Rosario said the contract with Seattle-area janitorial companies expires June 30. Under terms of the strike authorization vote, janitors could strike 10 days after that if a new contract is not reached.
About 3,000 janitors are covered by the labor contract. A strike would affect offices, restaurants and retail outlets all over downtown Seattle and beyond. The Puget Sound-area contract negotiations also affect Spokane and Tacoma janitors, whose contracts expire at the same time.
Rosario said the janitors perform backbreaking labor often until the early morning hours, earning an average of about $12 an hour.
“We clean buildings owned by the wealthiest companies in the world,” said Jocelyn Eleccion, a janitor and member of the bargaining team. “People who work hard should make a decent living instead of treading water or falling behind. We need to ensure that all workers benefit from the economic progress they helped create.”
She said janitors fear cuts to their wages and medical benefits.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the weekly share

04/26/2013 Nativegrl77

We Dare You To Look At This And Tell Us Chained CPI Isn’t A Social Security Cut

The Top 5 Hate Tactics Used To Get People To Freak Out About Immigration

A guy eating a donut is going to explain it to you. WARNING: You might really want a donut after this. And a double-order of justice. WATCH:

What One Thing Is Key To Turning The Table On Every Injustice In America?

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The Other Washington ~~~

04/26/2013 Nativegrl77

Information about the federal sequester

Updated March 14, 2013

There are two primary questions being asked related to the federal sequester:

Do federally funded employees who are furloughed qualify for unemployment benefits?
Are unemployment benefits affected by the sequester?

Questions about sequester-related furloughs

Q.	I’m being put on temporary leave without pay (furloughed). Am I eligible for unemployment benefits for the time I’m off?
A.	It depends on how the furlough is implemented. You would have to be unemployed for most or all of a week (Sunday through Saturday) in order to be eligible for benefits – assuming you meet other eligibility requirements. However, if you normally work full-time and your hours are reduced by one work day in a week, you will not be eligible for benefits because you still earn too much in that week to be eligible.
	NOTE: We decide eligibility on a case-by-case basis. Anyone has the right to apply for benefits and claim weekly benefits. When we have all the facts, we will determine eligibility.
Q.	Will I get paid for every week I file a claim?
A.	The first time you file your weekly claim and are eligible to receive benefits will be considered a “waiting week.” You will not be paid benefits for your waiting week. If you go off and on unemployment benefits more than once during your benefit year, you will not have to serve another waiting week during this unemployment claim.
Q.	How much money would I get in unemployment benefits?
A.	You can estimate your weekly benefit amount on our website. If you’re furloughed for only part of a week, use the earnings deduction chart to see if the reduction in your gross weekly pay makes you eligible for any benefits.
Q.	Do I have to look for work if I am waiting to go back to work with my employer?
A.	In general, you are required to look for work unless we tell you otherwise.

Some possible exceptions:

If you are temporarily unemployed because of a lack of work, but you expect to return to work with your regular employer, you may qualify for “standby.” You must have a definite or probable return-to-work date within a reasonable amount of time. If we approve you for standby, you do not have to look for work, but you must be available for all hours of work offered by your regular employer. These weeks do not have to be consecutive.
If you were hired to work full-time and you are still working each week, but your hours have been temporarily reduced, you may qualify for partial unemployment benefits (see the previous question}. To meet this requirement and to have your work-search waived, your weekly hours may be reduced by no more than 60 percent, and you must return to full-time work within four months.

Questions about the sequester and unemployment benefits

Q.	Will unemployment benefits be cut as a result of the sequester?
A.	The sequester does not affect “regular” unemployment benefits, which are paid with state funds. Regular unemployment benefits pay up to 26 weeks of benefits.
	However, Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) will be affected.
	At this time, we are working with the federal Department of Labor to understand how and when the cuts will be applied to the benefits. We will communicate directly with benefit recipients when we have the answers.
Q.	Do you plan to halt EUC benefit payments?
A.	We have no intention of stopping payments to EUC claimants.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Support President Obama

11/19/2012 Nativegrl77

Midwest Bus Trip to President Obama Swearing In Ceremony

ForwardtoDC

Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 9:00 AM – Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 3:00 PM (CST)

Washington, DC

Ticket Information

Ticket Type	Remaining	Sales End	Price	Fee	Quantity
Quad Occupancy (Early Bird – Prior to Nov, 23, 2012) more info $750/person/quad occupancy 5days/4nights hotel accomodations at the Hilton with Roundtrip coach bus transportation. Due to the popularity of this event, majority of the accomodations require 4 people to a room. Double Occupancy option has limited availablity and is on a first come first serve basis.	1 ticket	Nov 23, 2012	$750.00	$9.95	0
Double Occupancy (Early Bird – Prior to Nov, 23, 2012) more info $1500/person/double occupancy 5days/4nights hotel accomodations at the Hilton with Roundtrip coach bus transportation. Limited availability-First paid in full basis.	1 ticket	Nov 23, 2012	$1,500.00	$9.95	01

You will be taken to PayPal‘s secure checkout to complete the purchase.

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Event Details

President Barack Obama

Swearing In Ceremony

Thank you for your interest in traveling with us to the 2013 Inaugural Swearing-In at the U.S. Capitol.

We welcome you to join us and witness history at President Barack Obama’s 2^nd Inauguration Ceremony This is the last opportunity to be a part of history. We will depart on Jan 17, 2013 and return on Jan 22, 2013. We encourage you to reflect and celebrate both the King Holiday and the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony while in Washington, DC.

Buses will leave from Lansing, IL

Chicago (TBD).

You and your party will enjoy comfortable and luxury accommodations at the Hilton Hotel Washington

Transportation:

o Includes round trip coach bus from Chicago to DC with comfortable seating. This is the largest bus in our fleet and it features Wi-Fi, entertainment systems, large lavatory, and multiplevideo monitors with Satellite and DVD players for your movie enjoyment.

Accommodations

o Enjoy your historic and relaxing experience at the Hilton a 4 star hotel (ratings from actual customer reviews on trip advisor)

Tentative Itinerary:
(We are still working on securing other activities)

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Pack a lunch
9:30 AM– Bus Check in
10:00 AM – Load Bus

11:00 AM – Depart Chicago for Washington, D.C.
11:00 PM – Hilton – Washington

Friday, January 18, 2013
7:00 AM – Depart for Washington, D.C.
11:00AM – Optional Tours ^^See below tour options

6:30 PM – Return to Hotel

Saturday, January 19, 2013
8:00 AM – Depart for Washington, D.C.
Optional Tours **See below tour options
6:30 PM – Return to Hotel
Goodnight – Relax Sunday – Monday will require harmony, joy, and patience. It will be challenging.

Sunday, January 20, 2013
Please indicate your Meal Time preference** (max 50 people per time slot)

1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. (one time slot per person)

Commuting to DC via Metro on Monday may be the best option.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Pack and reload bus for prompt departure after Swearing in Ceremony ends
4:00 AM – Depart for Washington, DC
12:00 Noon – Presidential Swearing In Ceremony

**Some Tour Options:

There are many other great places to visit in the city, too!

Public tours of the Library of Congress are offered without reservations and are meant for individuals and families. The Jefferson building of the Library of Congress is one of the most beautiful buildings in Washington – I highly recommend a visit. You can inquire at the Jefferson Building, Ground Floor Information Desk for availability.

They are offered Monday through Saturday:

10:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m. (except Saturdays)

The Supreme Court offers a varying schedule depending on the actual courtroom schedule of the Supreme Court. There is not a guided walking tour of the Court, but they offer Courtroom Lectures and the first two floors are always open to the public. The lectures are very informative and building is gorgeous, so if you have the time, I would recommend a stop. When the court is not hearing oral arguments, lectures are generally every hour on the half hour beginning at 9:30 am with the last lecture at 3:30 pm. If the Court is in session, the lectures only begin after they finish oral arguments.

You can get more information and check the constantly changing schedule here.

The Kennedy Center has guided tours beginning approximately every ten minutes from 10 AM until 5 PM daily. If you are interested in taking a tour, just visit the Tour Desk on the A level of the center. For directions to the Kennedy Center, you can visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/visitor/directions.html

The Holocaust Museum is a really interesting museum to visit. Please see the museum’s website for more information on visiting. Between March and August, timed passes are needed to enter the museum. Passes are distributed on a first come first served basis when the museum opens at 10 am. Since you are coming during a busy time of the year, I would suggest trying to get to the museum as early as possible.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing offers walk-up tours on a first-come first-served basis. You may find more information here. As the website notes, timed passes are given out each morning, and you must line up early to ensure that you receive a pass.

Tours of the National Archives are offered daily and do not require advance reservations or timed passes. If you wish to avoid waiting in line outside, you can purchase advance reservations for $1.50 per person here. During popular times of year (Spring Break, summer vacations, etc), the wait to get into the building can take up to one hour or more, so the passes are an easy way to skip the line.

These are only a few of the many places you can go! I’d definitely recommend checking out some of the Smithsonian Museums. They are free to visit and have some really cool things to see!

By listing this item I verify that I am the actual travel coordinator or travel provider and not a third party affiliate. The travel/accommodations in this event will be booked directly through me and not an outside agency.

Please note: We reserve the right to cancel this trip due to low participation, all funds will be refunded in the event ForwardtoDC cancels the trip.

Deposit:

Early Bird Special Nov 12-23, 2012

*$750/person/quad occupancy

*$1500/person/double occupancy
*A non-refundable deposit of 50% (of the total) will hold your seat and hotel room (due immediately). First Payment is due by November 23, 2012

Installment payments:

*1^st payment amount of 1/3 of the remaining balance is due on Dec, 1. 2012.

*2^nd payment amount of 2/3 of the remaining balance is due on Dec 8, 2012

*3^rd and final payment paid in full is due on Dec 15, 2012

Late registration: – After Nov 27, 2012

^$900/person/quad occupancy

^1800/person/double occupancy

^A non-refundable deposit of 50% (of the total) will hold your seat and hotel room (due immediately). First Payment is due by Nov 30, 2012,

Installment payments:

*1^st payment amount of 1/2 of the remaining balance is due on Dec, 8. 2012.

*2^nd and final payment paid in full is due on Dec 15, 2012
Refund: No refunds will be issued after Dec 8, 2012

**Tour of the White House(optional)

Send all White House tour inquiries to forwardtodc@gmail.com

White House Security instructions (Please do not submit any confidential information during your initial purchase)

All visitors requesting a visit to the White House must submit the following information to Secret Service:

Last Name

First Name

MI:

This should be your middle initial. It can also be your full middle name. This field cannot be left blank – if you have no middle name, please enter NMN (for No Middle Name).

DOB:

Date of birth must be entered in the following format: MM/DD/YYYY

SSN:

Your Social Security number should be entered with no dashes and must be 9 digits. (e.g. 012345678)

Citizen:

Y/N – If you are a US citizen, put Y – if not, put N.

Country:

This is the country where you were born. Please use the 2 letter Country Code from the list found below.

Gender:

M/F – This should match what is on your government issued ID

City and State:

This is the individual’s primary residence. The city and state of residence for foreign visitors should match the location where they are currently residing in the United States during their stay.

**Please note that the spreadsheet should contain no punctuation and no spaces except for slashes in the date field**

Identification Requirements Reminder

All guests 18 years of age or older will be required to present government issued photo identification at the gate. Acceptable forms of ID include:

Valid Government issued United States drivers license

Valid Government issued United States identification card

Valid United States or other official government issued passport

Valid United States State Department Diplomatic ID

Valid PIV card

All foreign nationals must present their passport. All other forms of foreign identification will not be accepted.

Inaugural Ceremony
Please understands that purchasing a seat on the bus does not imply you will receive a ticket to the Inaugural Swearing-In at the U.S. Capitol. Please contact your congressman to find out if you can obtain tickets to the inauguration. Each Congressional office receives a limited number of tickets for the ceremony as determined by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

Please note that we cannot provide tickets to private inauguration events such as the balls, etc.

For additional information on private events, follow the links below.

Inaugural Parade
The inaugural parade is open to the public. For more information, please visit www.inaugural.senate.gov.

Inaugural Balls
The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) plans the official Presidential Inaugural Balls. These events require tickets that will be available only through the PIC. Please visit www.inaugural.senate.gov for more information.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Joby Shimomura,Campaign Manager for JayInslee.com

03/29/2012 Nativegrl77


	I need to be direct with you. Republican Rob McKenna has been sharpening his rhetoric in recent weeks, and we think it’s because he’s getting nervous — for good reason. This race is neck-in-neck, and McKenna knows it. At midnight Saturday, we close the books on March. We’ll send the numbers off for the press, pundits, and our opponents to measure our momentum. We still have $30,000 to go to hit our numbers. Right now, we need you to step up and help us reach our $30,000 fundraising goal before the deadline. Will you contribute $3 before the end-of-quarter fundraising deadline on Saturday? We’ve covered a lot of ground in the last few months. Jay rolled out his jobs plan to build an economy where good-paying jobs are created and middle class workers know their hard work once again really matters. We worked hard to expose Rob McKenna’s empty education promises — with the help of thousands of members of the JayInslee.com community. And now Jay is giving everything he has to focusing on this campaign and talking to people about how to grow Washington‘s economy. We’ve gotten this far because of supporters like you. I’m proud of our success, but there’s a long way to go and a lot more to do. Will you contribute $3 before the end-of-quarter fundraising deadline on Saturday? In a campaign this competitive, we can’t let any opportunity slip by. Every month when we report our fundraising numbers, it’s another chance to show our strength. It’s another chance for us to show the grassroots momentum behind the campaign. In short, it’s another chance to show that we’re on the road to victory — but unless supporters like you stand with us now, the story could just as easily go the other way. Will you contribute $3 before the end-of-quarter fundraising deadline on Saturday? On a campaign, you never know what might come next. But with your help, we can be prepared for whatever comes our way. Thank you, Joby Shimomura Campaign Manager Jay Inslee for Washington