Low-wage airport workers will give away FREE coloring books + crayons to young Sea-Tac travelers on the busiest day of the holiday season

 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***Contacts: Thea Levkovitz, Thea@workingwa.org

When:  December 20, 2012, 6 AM — one of the busiest travel day of the holiday season according to the Port of Seattle

Where:   Sea-Tac Airport, Skybridge 6

What:  Dressed in Santa hats, airport workers and community supporters hand out free airport coloring books and crayons

On Thursday, December 20th — one of the busiest travel day of the holiday season — airport workers and their community supporters will hand out free “Who Makes our Airport Work” coloring books and crayons to kids and their parents at Sea-Tac Airport. So instead of asking “are we there yet,” kids can enjoy drawings, puzzles, and games that feature  the cabin cleaners, fuelers, baggage handlers, taxi drivers and wheelchair agents who make Sea-Tac work, through drawings, puzzles and games. The coloring book is also available online here. http://bit.ly/airportcoloringbook

The Sea-Tac Airport Activity Book includes a connect-the-dots wheelchair agent, a fueler maze, a good-jobs word find, and other pages that help tell the real story of Sea-Tac – a first class-airport with thousands of poverty-class jobs. Many of these low-wage workers recently filed 140+ pages of complaints that has prompted a mass investigation by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries into serious health and safety issues involving these same workers.

Along with the coloring book, Working Washington is sponsoring a coloring contest. Kids can submit their drawings and the best ones will be posted on the organization’s website for all to see.

For additional information and to submit contest entries:  http://www.itsOURairport.org

Working Washington, a Washington based non-profit coalition of individuals, neighborhood associations, immigrant groups, civil rights organizations, people of faith, and labor united for good jobs and a fair economy.

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Santa's 99% helpers to deliver lumps of coal for naughty CEOs in downtown Seattle

As fiscal cliff looms, coal to be dumped at companies whose CEOs are pushing Congress to cut to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security

More than 100 of Santa's 99% helpers will deliver lumps of coal by the wheelbarrow-full to downtown Seattle branches of Macy's, Bank of America, and Chase today.  These corporations are receiving lumps of coal because their naughty CEOs have called on Congress to cut tax rates for the rich this holiday season — and pay for it by making deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

When: TODAY, Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 12:00 noon

Where: Gather at Westlake Park, then proceed to local outlets of Macy's, Chase, and Bank of America to deliver lumps of coal by the wheelbarrow-full.

What/visuals: People affected by the budget cuts being proposed in Congress will deliver lumps of coal by the wheelbarrow-full to corporations whose naughty CEOs are pushing Congress to cut tax rates on the rich and pay for it by cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs. Santa Claus will attend with a giant naughty list naming the CEOs pushing for budget cuts. Each lump of coal being delivered represents one of hundreds of names added to a petition calling on our elected officials to stand with the people, not the CEOs, and give us what we voted for: jobs, not cuts.

The top executives of Macy's, Bank of America, and Chase earned their place on the naughty list for coal delivery because they were among the 80 CEOs who recently signed a letter calling on Congress to cut spending on healthcare and retirement security and cut the tax rates the rich are supposed to pay. While the rest of us would suffer, a recent report from a DC think tank shows that the CEOs pushing these priorities in Congress have big money at stake:

* Terry Lundgren, the CEO of Macy's, personally received a $1.9 million tax cut on his $41 million paycheck last year. * Bank of America would see a tax cut of as much as $2.5 billion from the proposals they are pushing. * Chase would see a tax cut of as much as $4.9 billion from the proposals they are pushing.

Today's coal delivery comes less than 24 hours after a high-ranking source in the Claus Administration leaked a document believed to be Santa's official list of naughty budget-cutting CEOs. The action is the latest move in a local campaign calling on Congress to stick with the people, not the CEOs. Our effort kicked off less than a week after Election Day, when more than 8,000 people from across the state joined a tele-town hall with Senator Patty Murray. The Senator heard stories from community members who spoke about the importance of programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and urged her to stand with us against the corporate 1% agenda of tax cuts for the rich and budget cuts for the rest of us. As the incoming chair of the Senate Budget Committee and the former chair of the Congressional Supercommittee, Senator Murray is a key leader in Congress on budget issues.

TODAY, local residents will call on elected officials to fulfill their commitment to represent us — not the CEOs — and deliver on what we voted for: jobs, not cuts.

More information:

* Santa's Naughty List includes the budget-cutting CEOs of Macys, Bank of America, and Chase. * A recent report by the Institute for Policy Studies titled "The CEO campaign to 'Fix' the Debt: A Trojan Horse for Massive Corporate Tax Breaks" showed how corporations & CEOs would profit greatly from their budget proposals.

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BREAKING: Santa's naughty list of budget-cutting CEOs obtained by Working Washington

*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***Contact: Sage Wilson, Working Washington -  sage@workingwa.org

"Naughty list" names budget-cutting CEOs who will receive hundreds of lumps of coal tomorrow in downtown Seattle

As Congress debates the "fiscal cliff" this holiday season, Santa's 99% helpers will leave lumps of coal at companies whose CEOs are pushing for cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security

NORTH POLE & SEATTLE - As Congress threatens to make deep budget cuts as part of the debate over the so-called "fiscal cliff", a high-ranking source in the Claus Administration who was not authorized to make a statement on the record has provided Working Washington with a copy of a scroll containing correspondence between Santa and his elves.

The document — believed to be Santa's official naughty list — names 3 CEOs whose corporations will receive lumps of coal in downtown Seattle tomorrow: Macy's, JP Morgan Chase, and Bank of America. The CEOs of these companies earned their naughty distinction because they have called on Congress to cut their tax rates this holiday season by billions of dollars — and pay for it by making deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

The letter is copied below:

Dec. 2012

To: Elves Re: Very naughty! (partial list)

It’s Lumps of Coal again this year for the CEOs of MACY’s, CHASE BANK, and BANK OF AMERICA.

These CEOs are demanding that the U.S. Congress lower tax rates for rich one-percenters like them, while passing Huge Budget Cuts that hurt the rest of us. How Grinchy!

So check this list twice–no toys for these bad boys:

Brian Moynihan, Bank of America $2.5 billion corporate tax cut

Terry Lundgren, Macy’s $1.9 million personal tax cut

Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase $4.9 billion corporate tax cut

– Santa

Per Santa's clear instructions, his 99% helpers will deliver lumps of coal tomorrow to Seattle outlets of these naughty, greedy, budget-cutting corporations:

When: TOMORROW: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 12:00 noon

Where: Gather at Westlake Park, then proceed to local outlets of Macy's, Chase, and Bank of America to deliver lumps of coal by the wheelbarrow-full.

What/visuals: People affected by the budget cuts being proposed in Congress will deliver lumps of coal by the wheelbarrow-full to corporations whose naughty CEOs are pushing Congress to cut tax rates on the rich and pay for it by cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs. Santa Claus will attend with a giant naughty list naming the CEOs pushing for budget cuts. Each lump of coal being delivered represents one of hundreds of names on a petition calling on our elected officials to stand with the people, not the CEOs, and give us what we voted for: jobs, not cuts.

More information

* Click here to read Santa's Naughty List naming budget-cutting CEOs. * A recent report by the Institute for Policy Studies titled "The CEO campaign to 'Fix' the Debt: A Trojan Horse for Massive Corporate Tax Breaks" showed how corporations & CEOs would profit greatly from their budget proposals. * The Wall Street Journal published a list of corporate CEOs who urged Congress to cut tax rates and slash critical programs.

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CEOs to the rescue--of their low tax rates

By Nathan Jackson We have to admit, the CEOs do have guts.

After taking a shellacking in the election these greedy CEOs think they can still work their will on Congress. They've even formed their own little private party called "Fix the Debt."

Eighty CEOs including the heads of companies like Macy's, Bank of America and our good friend JP Morgan Chase all signed on to a blatantly deceptive plan to keep tax rates low for the rich while slashing budgets for the rest of us.

They don't deserve more handouts, bailouts or presents. They deserve a lump of coal, so we're giving it to them.

Sign up to send your own piece of coal to these companies who completely missed the lessons of the election.

The main problem we have with this group of CEOs parachuting in is because of the utter hypocrisy they are blind to. The 1% fought tooth and nail to get tax write-offs and loopholes for their companies and for their personal assets. They wanted more and more gifts while slashing hours, benefits and pay for their workers.

According to the Institute For Policy Studies, this group of CEOs are fighting hard to protect their own assets, not what is good for the economy. These CEOs and their companies if they got their way would rake in $134 Billion in tax savings. These savings for the 1% would be from profits made in foreign countries.

Another “selfless” act by these 1% CEOs is that under the Bush Tax Cuts plan they personally received $40 Million dollars in tax write offs.

They don’t care about the budget, the fiscal cliff or steering the economy back into a stronger place, they care about money in their pockets.

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein said in regards to the “Fiscal Cliff” that people need to understand that they won’t get what they need in regards to social services like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. By the way he is the CEO of the company that got over $10 Billion in public funds via bailouts. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

These CEOs think that they can dictate what happens to the budget by wrapping their desire for more tax cuts for themselves as solutions to the budget problem. Here’s a solution: make the rich pay their fair share so we can continue to have the programs we need.

We are delivering a shovelful of coal on December 12^th. Sign up and we’ll add your coal to the rest.

Elections have consequences. We had the choice to put a CEO in power and we rejected that. We won’t let the CEOs of Macy’s, Bank of America or Chase Bank put our economy down the same path that got us into trouble in the first place.

We want an economy that works for the rest of us. We can stop these budget cuts if we use our voices and in this case deliver some coal to CEOs who’ve earned it.

On Int'l Human Rights Day, Workers And Faith Leaders Rally For The Human Rights Of Airport Workers

 ***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 10***Contact: Thea Levkovitz, Thea@workingwa.org

Sea-Tac airport workers, many of whom make under $10 per hour, are standing up for humane working conditions.  They join a growing chorus of workers that are fighting back against poverty-wage jobs, including thousands of workers at LAX, Walmart workers around the country, and fast food workers in New York City.

Today on International Human Rights Day, workers will be joined by faith and community leaders in an LED Candle light vigil to educate holiday crowds and send a message to the Port of Seattle and Alaska Airlines and its contractors that airport worker rights are human rights.

WHAT: Low Wage Airport Workers March at Sea-Tac Airport for Basic human rights

WHEN: December 10, 2012, 1:45PM

WHERE: Sea-Tac Light Rail Station

WHO: Airport workers, area clergy members, and community supporters

VISUAL: Creative signs on luggage, colorful human rights posters, clergy from different faiths in liturgical dress carrying LED candles

Background:

Nearly 4,000 airport workers at Sea-Tac fuel planes, clean airplane cabins, transport disabled passengers in wheel chairs, load baggage and drive passengers to and from the airport. Many must work multiple jobs just to put food on the table as their wages are too low to support a family. And all too often they are treated with disrespect by their employers – Alaska Airlines, the other airlines, and companies contracted to do business at Sea-Tac.

On December 10, 1948, 64 years ago today, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In Article 23, they declared that everyone has the right to just pay, decent working conditions, the freedom of association to form unions, and the opportunity to live in dignity.

For additional information: www.itsOURairport.org

Working Washington, a Washington based non-profit coalition of individuals, neighborhood associations, immigrant groups, civil rights organizations, people of faith, and labor united for good jobs and a fair economy.

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Give lumps of coal to greedy CEOs 12/12/12

Stand Up for Human Rights at our Airport

(cross-posted from itsourairport.org)

December 10th is International Human Rights Day, a holiday which honors the basic truth that every human being has the right to be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect. That’s something everyone deserves, no matter what they do or where they live. This year, many airport workers will mark Human Rights Day by gathering with faith leaders and other community supporters at the Sea-Tac Airport light rail station.

Together, we’ll call on the Port of Seattle and the big airlines like Alaska that do business at our airport to respect the basic human rights of all workers at Sea-Tac.

Stand Up for Human Rights at Sea-Tac: Dec 10 Stand up for the human rights of airport workers: International Human Rights Day Monday, December 10, 2012: 1:45 pm Gather at the Sea-Tac light rail station

Today in West Seattle, Bellevue, and Renton: Local residents send message - "No More Cuts"

*** MEDIA ADVISORY FOR NOVEMBER 29, 2012 ***Contact: Sage Wilson, Working Washington - sage@workingwa.org

As Congress considers making deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security during the holiday season...

Local residents send message to Congress & CEOs: No More Cuts

WEST SEATTLE, BELLEVUE, AND RENTON - Local residents will gather at the West Seattle Junction, Renton Landing, and the Bellevue Square Mall today to spread the word about the brutal cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security currently being considered in the Washington, DC debate over the so-called "fiscal cliff".

Despite a resounding defeat in the November election, 1% corporate leaders are now pushing Congress to pay for new tax cuts with deep budget cuts. In response, the 99% are mobilizing in communities across the region and across the country to make sure we get what we voted for: jobs, not cuts.

This grassroots "no more cuts" campaign comes after 80 CEOs — including the top executives at JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and Macy's — signed a recent letter which called on Congress to cut spending on healthcare and retirement security, and cut the tax rates the rich are supposed to pay. The cuts these CEOs are proposing would have grave human and economic impact — a 5% cut to Medicaid, for example, would level a $500 million blow to the state economy, and cost more than 4,000 jobs.

When: TODAY - Thursday, November 29, 2012, 12:00 noon

What: Local residents wave signs and gather signatures on a petition calling on Congress to represent the people and give us jobs, not cuts. Each signature on the petition will result in the delivery of a lump of coal to some of the corporations whose CEOs are trying to grinch away our benefits — at one lump per signature, it will add up to a holiday coal delivery by the shovelful in the weeks ahead.

Where:  The CEOs of Chase & Macy's both signed the letter calling for more budget cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs, so we are gathering near Chase & Macy's locations today:

• West Seattle - California Ave SW & SW Alaska St, then proceeding to the Chase Bank branch a block north
• Bellevue - 400 Bellevue Square Mall, proceeding to the Bellevue Macy's
• Renton Landing - 1215 North Landing Way, near the Chase Bank ATM

The campaign against budget cuts kicked off less than a week after Election Day, when more the 8,000 people — including many from Bellevue, Renton, West Seattle, and beyond — joined a tele-town hall with Senator Patty Murray. The Senator heard stories from community members who spoke about the importance of programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and urged her to stand with us against the corporate 1% agenda of tax cuts for the rich and budget cuts for the rest of us.

As the incoming chair of the Senate Budget Committee and the former chair of the Congressional Supercommittee, Senator Murray is a key leader in Congress on budget issues. People across the state and more across the country calling on Congressional leaders to fulfill their commitment to represent us, not the CEOs and their allies in Congress.

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Stand with striking Walmart workers this Black Friday

By Nathan Jackson Walmart workers across the country are striking for the first time in the company’s 50 year history, this Black Friday.

Workers at the largest retailer in the world are fed up with their sub par treatment in the giant retailer. Many workers are underpaid, uninsured and treated with a lack of respect. This Friday they are asking for folks to join the workers in protest outside of Walmart stores in solidarity. You can find other ways to support workers here: -ForRespect Also some folks are coming out to the Renton Walmart at 9:30 AM. You can join us if ya like.

Walmart workers, through their organization of associates called OUR Walmart, has simple goals: Walmart should respect the workers, decent pay, make full time available for associates who wish it, and provide affordable healthcare. After all the Walton family who owns Walmart has more wealth than the bottom 40% of all Americans. Yeah, you read that right.

Don’t you think the Waltons can afford to treat the workers with basic respect between sips of champagne?

The workers also want protection from retaliation from raising concerns about unfair labor practices and respect.  In the past Walmart has fired workers who cause a stir and has intimidated and discouraged workers talking with each other.

Workers across the country are starting to flex their muscles, but it hasn’t been easy.

Big corporations and some unscrupulous elected officials have been trying for years to make it harder for workers to stand up together for better conditions. These efforts have a lot of money and influence behind them, but they don’t have the most important factor—being right.

Workers have the right to stand up for better treatment from their employers. What the Walmart workers want is fairness and respect. They want access to full time work, decent pay and affordable healthcare. It’s a reasonable request and if Walmart doesn’t respond, they are willing to walk off the job.

It’s happening right now and we have their backs.

No Cuts, No Compromises

By Nathan Jackson The elections are over, but we can’t just pat ourselves on the back.

We want good jobs, an economy that works for the rest of us and a fairer tax system that makes the rich and big corporations pay their fair share. So we had a little chat with Senator Patty Murray--over 8000 of us.

Senator Murray listened on our tele-town hall where we told her that essential programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security weren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet, but lifelines for many of us.

Our message: No Cuts, No Compromises.

On the call, caregivers talked about their struggles to provide care to those who need it and support their own families if healthcare funding is slashed. Seniors citizens called in worried about the potential “grand bargain” that would further cut programs that take care of the elderly, disabled, and the poor.

They were worried about being tossed to the side.

The Senator in response said she would fight for a tax system where the rich pay their fair share and that’s great, but we need to make sure our message is clear--we will not accept a compromise that cuts Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security.

We need to keep the pressure on our elected officials to tell them point blank that these programs are untouchable. The tele-town hall was a nice warm up, but we need to keep the momentum we’ve gained from the election going.

We need to plan our next steps. Tell us what should be our next action by following this link and give us feedback on the tele-town hall itself.

It’s so easy to get caught up in words. When we hear Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security sometimes we may forget what these programs actually mean. These programs are the social contract that we have all signed together to take care of one another in our society. It is the systematic way that we pull each other up, lend a helping hand and make sure that we treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Slashing the budgets of programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security is immoral. We take care of our elderly, folks with disabilities and the poor. We don’t throw them under the bus when budgets would tell us to tighten our belts--we figure out a way to do the right thing.

Don’t let elected officials forget that. Don’t let them look at this basic social compact as pure numbers just lined up on some balance sheet.

We’ve sent a strong message that we will not stand for cuts to these vital services, now we need to figure out the next steps to keep up the pressure.

We’ve opened the door with the results of the elections and this tele-town hall. Now we need to keep up the pressure and show our elected officials we are willing to walk the walk.