We are the Port: Lets Celebrate Workers

by Nate Jackson Last Thursday, local business executive celebrated Port of Seattle executives at a $1750-per-table dinner at the Bell Harbor Conference Center on the Seattle waterfront. As they celebrated at their "black tie optional event", workers and community allies were there outside, honoring the people who actually make the port prosper: the workers who move the containers, serve the passengers, and keep the seaport and airport running.

Their banquet honored executives and celebrated the top 1%. Our people's banquet celebrated the 99%. We honored truck drivers, baggage handlers, skycaps, Hertz shuttlers, and other workers for jobs well done.

Leonard Smith of Teamsters 117 talked about how the richest 1% executives of the big businesses and the Port of Seattle were turning a blind eye to the business practices of many of the companies operating out of the port.

“The port has a responsibility to make sure that all workers working in port facilities are respected,” he said. “That they can earn a living wage, that their rights to form unions are not violated.”

“It’s the Ports responsibility because the port grants the lease to those businesses, and it’s the ports responsibility because as a publicly owned entity we, the 99% demand nothing less.”

We honored workers outside the banquet. And we also took our message inside, bringing the 99% right up close to the 1%.

Airport workers, community members, and faith leaders attended the Port of Seattle’s banquet to bring our voices inside the room — the voices of the 99%.

We spoke with many of the big business and port executives and introduced them to the workers who actually create the prosperity that the Port of Seattle was there celebrating. Most of the executives didn't seem too comfortable being face-to-face with the workers they paid $8.67 an hour while they themselves made hundreds of times more. It is a lot harder to pretend that people don't deserve better when they are two feet away talking with you.

One of the most interesting conversations was when airport workers spoke with Tay Yoshitani, CEO of the Port of Seattle. Yoshitani has a good job — he made almost $400,000 last year. They told Yoshitani the Port has a responsibility to make sure the big corporations who do business there pay better than poverty wages.

Yoshitani told us he understood what it was like to struggle to get by in tough times, because he had been there himself once.

Skycap Hosea Wilcox responded: “You had someone help you. That’s all we are asking for here.”

The Port of Seattle is owned by the public, and run by elected Port Commissioners. It's our port, and it should work for all of us. Right now the port is allowing businesses to pay poverty wages and skip out of providing benefits. The port is allowing businesses to intimidate workers who want to stand up for their rights together. It’s forgotten that it is our port, not the one percent’s.

It's the Port's responsibility to do right by workers and make sure every job at the Port is a good job. They're not fulfilling that responsibility — and that's why we're standing up.

We want fair treatment and an opportunity to take care of our families. We don’t want a handout or a bailout or bonuses like the CEOs give themselves. We just want a fair shot. We need fair wages, good benefits and most importantly, respect.

There's no doubt the Port heard our message — from outside their banquet and from the inside. The question is what they're going to do about it.

Nov: 10 The Port of Poverty celebrates the 1%

By Nate Jackson If you are the Port of Seattle and most of your workers make poverty level wages what do you do? You throw a party to celebrate your overpaid executives, the one percent.

The Port of Seattle calls itself “The Port of Prosperity." We call it the "Port of Poverty." The Port on November 10th is having a self-congratulating $1,750-a-table banquet for the overpaid executives. There is just one problem.  They forgot to invite the people who actually create the wealth of the port: the workers. That’s why we are holding our own banquet to honor the Port Workers at the Bell Harbor Conference Center at 5:30 pm.

It’s not the “Port of Prosperity” for workers. It’s the “Port of Poverty.” Workers are not treated with the respect they rightly deserve. No one understands that better than the airport workers who were just fired for praying.

26 Hertz airport workers were“ suspended” a few weeks ago for practicing their religion. Now they have been sacked.

Sadly, Hertz is far from the only port company that is taking advantage of its workers. The average worker at the ports are working poverty level jobs with no benefits, no job security and rules that change on managerial whims. Meanwhile, the Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani, still makes$400,000 a year. It’s not right and that’s why we are standing up for good jobs at the port.

On Thursday, November 10 we are holding our own banquet to honor workers who work hard every day, providing essential port services, and don’t get the respect we deserve. We stand together. Every job at the Port of Seattle should be a good job. Won't you join us at the Bell Harbor Conference Center at 5:30 pm?

This is our port and we should benefit from all our hard work.

November 5th: We’re breaking up with Big Banks.

By Nate Jackson Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase isn't just the top 1% — he's the top 1% of the top 1%.

On November 2nd, he came to Seattle to speak on "business leadership". Instead, we told him that we weren't satisfied with the kind of leadership he and the other big banks represent.

Our country is in a jobs crisis and the big banks are only making it worse. They have continued to lay off workers while giving CEOs bonuses, refused to modify loans to keep us in our homes and even charge folks when they use their EBT cards.

Enough is enough. It's over. It's time to break up with the big banks.

Too many of us are hurting from the unfair business practices of the Big Wall Street Banks. They put profit over people, think layoffs as good for their bottom line and Dimon even thinks that foreclosures are “giving debt relief.” That’s not what we believe.

We understand that in order to make lasting change we all need to work together. That’s why as a first major step, this Saturday, November 5^th we’re moving our money out of Big Wall Street Banks.They’ve had their chance and now we’re breaking up.

Chase Bank hasn’t been a good relationship. When they first took over Washington Mutual they fired 3400 employees as a way of introducing themselves to our state. They then raised fees on social services like EBT for which they were already being paid by the state at the ridiculous cost of $8 million a year, your tax dollars not at work.

Chase Bank didn’t stop there. They then gave even larger bonuses and pay to their CEO Jamie Dimon ballooning his pay to nearly $10,000 per hour. In fact, he is the highest paid banker in the United States. His earnings have exploded while he continues to foreclose on Washingtonians; nearly 10,000 and counting while making a profit on food stamps from folks who can least afford it.

We're breaking up with Big Banks because we've had enough with an economic system that keeps giving bailouts and bonuses to the big banks while the 99% are still struggling to find good jobs. We've had enough with a system that protects loopholes for private jets while cutting education and health care. And we've had enough with CEOs who make millions a year while they lay-off thousands of workers.

We’ve had enough and we’re not the only ones.In Long Island, New York the Village of Hempsted closed its Chase Bank account as a city to protest the unfair foreclosure and banking practices of JP Morgan Chase.

The city of San Jose moved nearly $1 Billion out of Bank of America as the city could not abide that huge international banks financial practices anymore in the face of the economic challenges of San Jose residents.

Even states are moving their money; Massachusetts has moved millions of dollars out of big banks Chase and Wells Fargo.

We’ve had enough of big banks profiting off of business practices that hurt the 99% and enrich shareholders and greedy CEOs who have benefited off of our hard work. We are standing up, and taking our hard earned money away from big banks that do not have our best interest at heart.

Join us on November 5 to say enough to business as usual, enough to giving our money to big banks that then hand it over to greedy CEOs and enough to rewarding big banks for laying us off.

We’ve had enough. We’ve talked enough and it’s time we started acting.

We can drive out of this jobs crisis, if we fix our roads and bridges.

By Nate Jackson You’re not the only one who feels like they should be driving an ATV down parts of I-5 and other major roads.

In fact, one out of four roads in the greater Seattle area is in desperate need of repair. We are not even talking about new roads and ramps; we’re talking about maintaining the structures we already have.

Schools are overcrowded and it seems like our electrical grid sputters whenever a tree thinks about falling over. We have work that needs doing and the jobs that come with that work are essential if we want to pull this economy out of the ditch. We have a jobs crisis and we need to get people working again first. That’s why we are gathering on November 17^th to stand up for good jobs. Our roads need work and so do we.

Investing in our communities’ infrastructure would be a boon to local workers who are having a terrible time finding gainful employment in this economy. We need those good jobs and we need the work done for everyone who relies on the infrastructure for their everyday needs.

We need to invest in our infrastructure and create good jobs. We need to get back to work.

The city of Seattle, according to Seattle Times columnist Susan Kelleher, is effectively ignoring many of the roads that need repair by having no plans to improve these roads in the foreseeable future. Daily commuters know where the particularly problematic potholes live and they swerve around. We need to fully invest in our vital infrastructure.

Cars, bicycles, and buses all need repaired roads in order to function. Fix our infrastructure, fix our economy.

The bottom line is that we should be taking the sad state of our infrastructure seriously. It is a fundamental problem in our economy that we are not working even when there is work that needs to be done. By investing in our infrastructure, we not only create jobs, but we make our neighborhoods and cities more attractive to businesses. Allowing our roads to be in disrepair is a sign to business that they should look elsewhere to set up shop.

We need efficient roads and bridges that are safe and stable.  We can’t afford to fill in a few potholes and smear tar on a street and call it maintenance. We need to fully invest in our roads, bridges and other infrastructure, and OUR PEOPLE! Deciding to do the work that needs doing fixes both problems, so why aren't we doing it yet?

Come out and join us on November 17^th to show our elected officials that we are serious about investing in our infrastructure and in good jobs.

Senator Patty Murray could be a Superhero on the Super Committee.

by Nate JacksonA superhero is larger than life, but we see heroes everyday.

The real life heroes teach our kids, keep our neighborhoods safe, grow our food  and are the first on hand when accidents strike. They are hardworking, brave and courageous, but they still have real needs. They can’t do their work without our help and support.

On Wednesday, October 26th, we will join with real life heroes and ask Senator Patty Murray to stand with us. As the co-chair of the Super Committee we ask her to stand up for good jobs and not cuts. She has a hard task ahead of her, but we can show her that she has our support to create jobs — not make more cuts that we can’t afford. Join us at noon at the Federal Building on 915 2nd Avenue in Seattle to show that you support good jobs, not cuts.

The super committee is tasked with finding solutions to a $1.2 trillion deficit by Thanksgiving. Senator Murray, with our help, can continue to stand up for everyday heroes and make sure the committee focuses on creating and maintaining good jobs. When people are working they are productive — and that’s exactly what we need to get the economy moving again.

We see real heroes everyday: firefighters, teachers, police, construction workers, janitors and parents. They struggle every day and work hard to make our society function. We need to support the real life heroes now and make sure that they continue to have good jobs with good benefits. We owe them that much.

Join us Wednesday, October 26th at noon at the Federal Building on 915 2nd Avenue, Seattle and tell Senator Murray to focus the committee on jobs and not cuts. With our support Senator Murray can continue to be a hero.

We need her to be.

*Updated*

Break up with the big banks — November 5th

Are you in a bad relationship with Chase or one of the other big banks? You're not alone.

That's why more than 61,000 people across the country — and counting — have already signed up to move their money out of the big banks on November 5th, National Bank Transfer Day.

We're moving our money because we've had enough with an economic system that keeps giving bailouts and bonuses to the big banks while the 99% are still struggling to find good jobs. We've had enough with a system that protects loopholes for private jets while cutting education and health care. And we've had enough with CEOs who make millions a year while they lay-off thousands of workers.

Show the big banks that you've had enough: Join Working Washington at 10 am in Westlake Park on November 5th to celebrate Bank Transfer Day in Seattle.

Don’t have an account at a big bank? Come rally in support of people who are moving their money, make your voice heard, and hear what local politicians are doing to support responsible banking.

If you think it's time for an update to our banking relationship status, join us November 5th.

From Banner Drops to the Today Show

by Nate Jackson

The 99 percent are fed up with economic injustice.

We want a better today where we can find good jobs and a better future for our children. Greedy CEOs have had their chance to run things, and we’ve seen what happened as a result: bailouts, tax giveaways to out of state corporations and massive cuts to public services. Enough!

Now, it’s time for our priorities. Invest in our communities by creating good jobs around the work that needs doing, like our crumbling infrastructure. On November 17th you can add your voice as hundreds of your neighbors rally at Montlake Bridge.

Bridges need work, and so do we.

As a way of showing the world what we’re willing to do for good jobs, today the 99 percent appeared on the Today Show.

Hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, the Today Show was filming from Pike’s Place Market Thursday and we were there. We had signs proclaiming “Today is a good day for a good job” and “I got 99% problems, but a job ain’t one. Employ me,” and “Today’s Forecast: No Jobs.”  We even got co-host Hoda Kotb to pose with us for a photo.

We see two bridges ahead of us. One is safe, up to code and leads up to a solid, good job and a steady future when public services and companies invest in our communities. The other bridge continues down the path of tax giveaways for the rich, greedy CEO bonuses and slashing budgets from important work like fixing our bridges, roads and highways.

We choose the first bridge. Working Washington members and some University of Washington students took to the streets over the 520 highway to fight for good jobs by building up our infrastructure. We talked to people about why we weren’t going to take things sitting down. We were fighting for good jobs. Cars and buses honked in support as we told them that we need to put people back to work right now with an active plan, not wait for the economy to somehow “right itself.”

We have seen what happens when greedy CEOs and out of state corporations make all the decisions with no one holding them accountable. People are laid off, unemployed and can’t provide for their families. Meanwhile, companies sit on record profits and keep lobbying for more tax giveaways while refusing to hire. We won’t accept it.

We’ve worked too hard to let our future slip through our fingers so we will gather, support each other and let our voices be heard.

We want to hear your voice too. You can join us on Nov. 17 at Montlake Bridge and tell these CEOs and corporations that they need to invest in good jobs right here in our communities. If no one else will hold them accountable we will. We are the 99% and we’re not going to sit idly by and watch.

We’re crossing the first bridge. Join us!

Who will the Supercommittee shelter?

by Sage Wilson

"If you cut everything, there will be nothing left to harvest."

Rabbi Jonathan Singer of Temple Beth Am shared that simple wisdom as he led an interfaith vigil to mark Sukkot today.

The Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a celebration of God's abundance, falls from October 13th - October 19th this year. One tradition of Sukkot involves the construction of a sukkah, or temporary shelter, which symbolizes the years the Israelites spent wandering in exile from Egypt. The tradition of the sukkah speaks to the notion of fragility and exile inside abundance, and to the importance of providing shelter to those in need.

As the supercommittee led by Senator Patty Murray considers more than $1 trillion in cuts to health care, housing, education, and other services, Rabbi Singer and other faith leaders from the Faith Action Network constructed a temporary sukkah shelter outside the Federal Building to serve as the site of an interfaith prayer vigil. Joined by Working Washington and other supporters, they appealed to supercommittee members to act with discernment and wisdom to ensure shelter is provided to the most vulnerable — and to end the tax shelters and other loopholes which corporations and the rich exploit to avoid doing their part.

At the vigil, faith leaders from the Jewish, Baptist, Lutheran, and other traditions called on the supercommittee led by Senator Patty Murray to reckon with similar issues of shelter and abundance. Despite the abundant economic resources in our city and country, deep cuts are being considered to programs that serve the neediest members of our community, including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, housing & homeless programs, and other critical services.

Similar prayer vigils were held at Federal Buildings in Yakima, Spokane and Tacoma.

Join us November 17th: we need jobs, not cuts

We have a jobs crisis here in Washington. But instead of getting us back to work by investing in transportation, education, and health care, Congress and the State Legislature are considering billions more in cuts.

We need  jobs, not cuts:

• 45 bridges in King County are “structurally deficient”. 349 more are “functionally obsolete.”
• $6 billion of repairs are needed in Washington’s public schools.
• More than 800,000 people in our state don’t have access to affordable health care.
• We could create up to 30,000 new construction jobs in Washington with a general obligation bond next April.

But some politicians in Washington, DC and the State Capitol in Olympia keep saying no to jobs. Instead of getting us back to work, they’re rejecting proposals to invest in our bridges and transportation system and demanding cuts to health care, education, and other programs — cuts that we simply can’t afford.

On November 17, people from across the area will converge at the Montlake Bridge to bring attention to the need to invest in our bridges and other infrastructure. Montlake Bridge itself is "functionally obsolete", and in sight of the 520 floating bridge — which is just one of 45 bridges in King County that are considered "structurally deficient" by the Federal Highway Administration.

Join us on November 17th at Montlake Bridge to declare an economic emergency for the 99%. It's time for our elected officials to stop the cuts, create jobs, and make Wall Street banks pay.

Note: We will meet at the plaza at corner of Montlake Blvd NE & NE Pacific Street, immediately across Montlake Blvd from Husky Stadium at 3:30 p.m.

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Participating organizations include Working Washington, Martin Luther King County Labor Council, OneAmerica, SEIU, Somali Community Services, Teamsters 117,Washington Community Action Network, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), CURB (Communities Uniting Rainier Beach), Martin Luther King Celebration Committee, NAACP Seattle/King County Chapter, PINW (Peoples Institute Northwest), POCAAN (People of Color Against AIDS Network), Rainier Community Empowerment Coalition, Tyree Scott Freedom School, YUIR (Youth Undoing Institutional Racism), and many more.

The Economy isn't Sick; It's Broken

by Nate Jackson

Young people were sold a bad bill of goods.

The rules were simple: go to school, work hard, graduate and good jobs will be waiting. But the CEOs and their lobbyists fixed the rules so the system only benefits them.

We’re not giving up. The top one percent may control 40 percent of the wealth, but we have our voice, and our vote. There is work that needs doing and we will demand good jobs until politicians hear us.

In Seattle’s Westlake Park, working families and young people are standing up for good jobs. We’re asking for a return to policies that don’t reward shipping jobs overseas and million dollar bonuses for CEOs. We share supplies, support each other and peacefully protest a system that was broken by corporations and greedy CEOs who now pretend that the economy “got sick” on its own.

The economy is not a living creature; it can’t “get sick,” but it can be broken. The economy is a series of choices, policies and priorities made by people.

The corporations that are sitting on trillions of dollars instead of investing in our community have shown their priority. They have broken this economy for the rest of us.

But we can fix it. We have our own priorities. Good jobs, good benefits and a chance to support our families and build a positive future.

We’ve been standing side by side through rain and cold to bring the message that we can’t afford to wait for the economy to stop stalling. We need good jobs now and there are jobs waiting to be done.

We’ve seen the crumbling roads and rusting bridges, but we’ve also seen the lines at unemployment offices, the understaffed medical centers, and the homeless forced to find shelter in tents on the sides of highways or in urban forests. Out of sight, but not out of mind.

We are getting organized. Standing true to each other and showing that we are not going to let policies that benefit the richest 1 percent stand while leaving the rest of us to struggle just to survive. Working families are taking to the streets to fight for good jobs and policy changes to make a more fair economy.

Young people get it. We know that something is wrong when we see our peers graduate with mountains of debt but no jobs. We know something is wrong when we see schools cram more students inside of run down portables. We know something is wrong when our libraries are closed due to budget cuts and lay offs.

We really know something is wrong when we see our parents cry into their hands.

We’re not going to stand for it. There is work that needs doing all around us and it is time that the CEOs, lobbyists and politicians change policies to get us back to work.

We’ll keep speaking out for good jobs and a better future. We can’t afford to wait and we need your voice.