Tag Archives: Wal-Mart

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Pepsico and Deforestation


Rainforest Action Network

With massive reach and absolutely no attention to where its palm oil is sourced from, PepsiCo is driving breakneck deforestation around the globe to supply the world with chips, cookies, and granola bars.

PepsiCo is the largest globally distributed snack food company in the world. PepsiCo products such as Cheetos, Doritos, and Lay’s potato chips are sold in over 200 countries in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Africa. If we can change PepsiCo, it will have a ripple effect on the global palm oil industry.

Join RAN, Harrison Ford, and Showtime’s “Years of Living Dangerously” to tell PepsiCo to break the link between its products and deforestation.

Note: If action link doesn’t work in your browser, use this instead.

When we launched our Snack Food 20 campaign over a year ago, PepsiCo was one of the companies that RAN called on to clean up its palm oil supply chain. In the year since, its peers like Mars, Kellogg’s, Unilever, and General Mills have made new commitments to cut Conflict Palm Oil. Meanwhile, PepsiCo has lagged behind and is now the largest and most influential of the companies yet to adopt a policy to eliminate deforestation and human rights violations from its products.

PepsiCo’s irresponsible practice of allowing large-scale deforestation in pursuit of a few extra pennies has huge impacts. With a whopping 457,200 metric tons of palm oil used every year, PepsiCo is one of the largest consumers of Conflict Palm Oil in the snack food sector. That’s why we at RAN have pushed hard for the company to adopt a global palm oil procurement policy — and we’re not alone.

PepsiCo’s culpability in forest destruction has also made it a target for Showtime’s new series with Harrison Ford, “Years of Living Dangerously.” Last night the show’s deforestation episode showcased the devastation caused by Conflict Palm Oil and other exploitation, helping to bring this issue to millions of viewers. Now the YEARS project is calling on PepsiCo CEO Ms. Indra Nooyi to answer questions about PepsiCo’s role in deforestation.

With this kind of exposure, it’s time for us to raise our voice together and make sure that PepsiCo hears from every one of us. Now is the time, so please add your name here to join RAN, Years of Living Dangerously, and thousands of people around the world demanding change at PepsiCo.

We are on the verge of a tipping point – both within the palm oil sector, and for the planet as a whole. It’s time to take action. Together, we can send the message that PepsiCo must end forest destruction and eliminate Conflict Palm Oil.

Take action now.

For the future,
Ginger Cassady
Forest Program Director
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Miami Cop Shoots and Kills Homeless Man in a Park in Front of Dozens of Kids- reminder


curi56's avatarcolouredjustice.wordpress.com

A Miami police officer shot and killed a homeless African-American man in front of up to 60 witnesses including children attending summer camp. Police officials said the violent suspect refused to drop a metal pipe he was holding. Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes said officers were responding to a report of a violent dispute on Thursday morning. He said several dozen people were in Gibson Park, many of them children, who may have witnessed the events that unfolded. “I understand the anxiety that’s been created across the country from police-citizen interactions, but I would ask that everyone, wait for the facts of the case and not make up your own story,” Llanes told reporters. “We will know what the facts of the case are.” The chief added that the officer involved in the shooting, who is a 20-year veteran of the department, will be reassigned to administrative duties pending the…

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Rashad Robinson, ColorOfChange.org


WALMART
For Black Friday, speak out for striking Walmart workers.Walmart workersWrite a letter to the editor of your local paper now:Join Us

Every week, it’s more bad news for Walmart. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), charged with protecting workers’ rights to organize and demand better working conditions, just announced it will prosecute Walmart for illegal firings and threats to workers in 13 states.1 News of Walmart’s canned food drive for its own employees — who aren’t paid enough to afford Thanksgiving dinner — has gone viral.2

Walmart workers are leading a movement to end the systemic labor exploitation Walmart has made the norm.3 They’re standing up and saying no to part-time, temporary, poorly paid work that keeps our families struggling to put food on the table and holds our economy back. This week, as they engage in historic, nationwide strikes for the second Black Friday in a row, Walmart associates are putting their lives and livelihoods on the line for all of us — and they need our support.

Not everyone knows the risks Walmart associates are taking for workers everywhere this Black Friday, but there’s an easy way to fix that: Please take a moment to send a short letter to the editor of your local newspaper today showing your support for striking workers.

Despite raking in record-breaking billions in annual profits, Walmart recently got caught admitting that most of its employees make under $25,000 a year.4 And the company knows that it can afford to give workers a full 50% raise without harming its profitability — bringing take-home earnings up to $33,000 for cash-strapped associates who are now forced to depend on government, food banks and even each other to make ends meet.5

All workers are harmed by Walmart’s artificially low pay, wage theft, and aggressive reliance on intimidation tactics — up to and including illegal firings — to keep employees from speaking up for their most basic rights on the job. But as the single largest employer of Black workers in the country,6 Walmart has become a critical battleground in the fight to reverse the devastating shrinking of Black economic opportunity we’ve seen over the past few decades.7

Walmart won’t suddenly do what’s right on its own — it’s up to us to make the company pay a fair wage for a day’s work and treat its employees with basic respect. By sending a letter to the editor of your local paper — especially in communities with a Walmart store — you are providing exactly the kind of support a worker needs when making the difficult choice to leave work and stand up for all of us. It’s easy with our simple tool: click below to get talking points and writing tips, then submit your letter directly to your local paper online.

Keep Walmart’s bad behavior in the news by writing a letter to the editor of your daily paper: let your community know why you’re supporting striking workers this Black Friday.

Thanks and Peace,

–Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Aimée, Johnny, Kim and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team    November 23rd, 2013

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU — your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.

References

1. “National Labor Relations Board to Prosecute Walmart For Violating Workers’ Rights,” ThinkProgress, 11-18-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3087?t=9&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

2. “Walmart Store Holding Thanksgiving Food Drive For Its Own Workers,” Huffington Post, 11-18-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3091?t=11&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

3. “Josh Eidelson: Walmart Is a Pioneer in Unionbusting,” The Nation, 11-21-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3095?t=13&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

4. “Why Wal-Mart can afford to give its workers a 50% raise,” CNN Money, 11-12-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3089?t=15&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

5. “A Higher Wage Is Possible,” Demos, 11-19-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3090?t=17&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

6. “Will Black Friday Be Blue for Wal-Mart?” The Root, 10-13-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3094?t=19&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

7. “Black workers embody the new low-wage economy,” Al Jazeera America, 09-12-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3096?t=21&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

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Her worst fear


National Women's Law Center
 by Emily J. Martin, National Women’s Law Center
When Svetlana Arizanovska found out she was pregnant, she  was very excited. A mother of three daughters, Svetlana worked two jobs to  support her family. By day, she worked for a medical supply company. At night,  she worked at Wal-Mart.
At Wal-Mart, Svetlana often lifted heavy merchandise to  stock the store’s shelves. Due to her pregnancy, her doctor told her not to  lift more than 20 pounds — but Wal-Mart refused to comply. In fact, Wal-Mart has  a policy saying pregnant employees are not eligible for reassignments to  another position, even though reassignments are available when employees need  them because of a disability. One day,  while she was lifting heavy merchandise for Wal-Mart, Svetlana started  bleeding. She told her boss, but he ignored her.
The next morning,  Svetlana went to the emergency room and realized her worst fears were true —  she had miscarried.
No one should have to choose between her pregnancy, her  health, and her job. But that’s exactly what happens to many women like Svetlana.
Please  help us fight for women facing challenges in the workplace and beyond. We need  to raise $10,000 by midnight on Thursday. Click here to chip in $10 or more to  help us reach our goal.

Employers typically accommodate workers with limitations  due to a temporary disability and often accommodate workers with injuries — but  when pregnant women need a temporary change in their job, many bosses refuse to  make even the smallest adjustments. They may not know they’re breaking the law  when they deny women like Svetlana the ability to work without compromising  their health or the health of their pregnancies.
Too many pregnant women have been faced with a choice no  one should have to make: Keep working and risk the health of their pregnancy —  or lose their job. It’s time for employers to stop breaking the law by using  pregnancy as an excuse to push women out of work.
It’s up to us to take  a stand against policies that punish women.
Your donation will  help us fight back. We depend on your support for our work on behalf of  women and families.
Thank you, as always, for everything you do.
Sincerely,
Emily J. Martin Vice President and General Counsel National Women’s Law Center
P.S. We depend on your support to help us fight for women  and their families. Please help us  reach our $10,000 goal before midnight on Thursday.
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Will your Members of Congress stand with the women of Wal-Mart?


National Women's Law Center - Stop Discounting Women
Tell Your Members of Congress to Stand with the Women of Wal-Mart
Betty Dukes with Senator Franken, lead Senate sponsor of the bill
                Co-sponsor the Equal Employment Opportunity Restoration Act of 2012.
Take Action

One year ago today, we told you devastating news: the Supreme Court had ruled against Betty Dukes and the courageous women of Wal-Mart.
In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that the Wal-Mart women could not band together as a single class to challenge discrimination in pay and promotions.
But that’s not the end of the story.
For the last year, the National Women’s Law Center and advocates across the country have pushed Congress for a solution. Today, Congress offered one!
Tell your Members of Congress to stand by the women of Wal-Mart by co-sponsoring the Equal Employment Opportunity Restoration Act of 2012.
Getting co-sponsors on this bill will help it to gain momentum — and we need you to help us move forward!
So what would this bill do?
The Equal Employment Opportunity Restoration Act of 2012 would remove the obstacles the Supreme Court placed in the way of ordinary Americans seeking their day in court. It offers a clear path for women workers to come together as a group to challenge discrimination. And it would make sure that no employer is too big to be held accountable.
Individual workers — many of whom live paycheck to paycheck — should not be required to stand alone against some of the largest corporations in the world to end discrimination. This bill recognizes the reality of workers’ lives and offers an alternative.
Please tell your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Equal Employment Opportunity Restoration Act of 2012. Act now for Betty Dukes, the women of Wal-Mart, and all women workers who suffer from discrimination in pay, in hiring, and in promotions.
Thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Emily J. Martin Emily J. Martin Vice President and General Counsel National Women’s Law Center   

P.S. For more information, check out NWLC’s new fact sheets on the Equal Employment Opportunity Restoration Act of 2012 and the extreme wage gap for retail workers.