Talk about brewing up trouble

By Nathan Jackson Community members were leafleting in downtown Seattle talking to tourists and Seattleites alike about Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s latest recipe--straight from the 1% cookbook.

Schultz had his workers in DC write a slogan for his own political ideals on their customers’ cups. His "Come Together" slogan may sound reasonable, but what it stands for is really about *CEOs* joining forces to push Congress to “fix the debt” by lowering tax rates on the rich and slashing budgets for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

On second thought, that’s not reasonable at all.

We have our own message for Schultz and his other 1% CEO buddies--pay your fair share and stop trying to slash budgets for vital services we need.

Hundreds of you have already responded with your own messages for Schultz and his other 1% CEO buddies online (if you haven’t had a chance yet you can still add your own message) and now we are going to take it to the streets this January 30^th.

Now we are going to send a message by gathering at the Starbucks Global Headquarters on January 30^th.

Join us as we tell the coffee brewer to stick to grinding coffee and leave the politics to We-The-People.

It’ll be a grande old time.

Alaska Airlines announces record 2012 profits – but Sea-Tac workers are stuck in poverty-wage jobs

*For Immediate Release, January 24, 2013 Contact: Thea Levkovitz, thea@workingwa.org

Today (Thursday, Jan. 24) Alaska Airlines reported profits of $316 million in 2012. This represents a 3rd consecutive year of record profits for the SeaTac-based company.

But meanwhile, poverty wages continue for the Sea-Tac baggage handlers, fuelers, passenger service workers, and cabin cleaners who work for the contractors that help make Alaska Airlines successful. Their reaction to today’s news of Alaska’s record profits:

Saba Belachew serves Alaska Airlines customers as a wheelchair attendant for BAGS, Inc.:

"It’s appalling that my co-workers and I are paid minimum wage while Alaska Airlines makes record profits. We’re part of Alaska’s success. We provide quality customer services, every day of the year. Who can raise a family on $9.19 an hour? It’s time for Alaska’s executives and shareholders to respect all the workers who have made their company so profitable. It’s time for them to share in the success.”

Muse Abdallah serves Alaska Airlines customers as a baggage handler for Menzies:

“I am responsible for getting passenger bags out in 20 minutes to help Alaska Airlines make their record profits. I'm proud to provide quality service to Alaska's customers but my co-workers and I are paid poverty wages. While Alaska's executives are making more money, at the same time I will make less because my holiday pay has just been cut.”

Community leaders also weighed in on the news of Alaska’s record profits.

Jackie O’Ryan, Co-Director, Faith Action Network:

“With the gulf continuing to grow between the rich and the working poor, companies face the moral challenge of sharing success. We’re waiting for the leaders of Alaska Airlines to say they will share the success with all the workers who helped them win it. It’s unfathomable that many of Alaska’s contract workers still earn poverty wages while company leaders celebrate such monetary gains.”

The baggage handlers, fuelers, passenger service workers, and cabin cleaners are employed by contractors that are hired by Alaska Airlines. They are among the 2,800 airline- contracted workers at our airport who are paid poverty wages by area standards. These workers and their community allies are beginning to speak out and to call on Alaska and other airlines at Sea-Tac to make every airport job a good job.

Additionally, these workers also are speaking out about unsafe and illegal working conditions at contractors of Alaska Airlines and other airlines. Last month, more than 50 workers filed complaints with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, alleging widespread violations of workplace health and safety, and also wage theft. L&I is investigating the allegations against the contractors, and also has expanded the investigation to include Alaska Airlines itself.

For additional information: www.itsOURairport.org

Download the report: First-class Airport, Poverty-class Jobs

Read the op-ed from SeaTac Deputy Mayor Mia Gregerson: Alaska Airlines should hire contactors that pay a living wage

Read the Faith Leaders’ open letter to Alaska CEO: Faith leaders’ letter to Alaska CEO Brad Tilden

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.

Starbucks CEO pushing bitter budget-cut brew

*** MEDIA ADVISORY FOR JANUARY 24, 2012 ***Contact: Sage Wilson, Working Washington: sage@workingwa.org

Starbucks CEO pushing bitter budget-cut brew

Customers & community members call on CEO to "fix the greed"

Concerned Starbucks customers and community members will descend on one of the coffee chain's busiest downtown Seattle locations today to spread the word about the all-greed agenda that CEO Howard Schultz and his fellow big-bucks executives are pushing in Congress.

Schultz has left an especially bitter taste in many mouths by requiring baristas in some stores to write his pro-CEO political slogans on coffee cups — effectively issuing an executive order that turns employees and customers into political billboards for the 1% agenda.

The truth beneath the sloganeering is that the Starbucks CEO and his 1% allies are pushing for a budget plan that lowers tax rates on big corporations and the ultra-rich … and pays for it with deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other vital government services. They say they want to "fix the debt" — but what really needs fixing is their greed.

When: TODAY - Wednesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:00 am

Where: Starbucks Coffee at First & Pike in downtown Seattle

What: Starbucks customers and community members spread the word about CEO Howard Schultz's agenda in Congress by handing out stickers reading "Budget cuts are bitter brew" and leaflets declaring "Let them drink dregs!".

Starbucks is considered an icon of Seattle, but the agenda their CEO is pushing doesn't reflect our community's values. We voted for jobs, not cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. We voted to close corporate loopholes, not create new ones. And we voted to make sure the rich pay their fair share, not lower their tax rates. That's why many customers and community members are outraged that Schultz has come together with dozens of other ultra-wealthy CEOs like Jamie Dimon of Chase Bank and Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs to peddle the same old trickle-down brew in Congress.

Today's outreach event comes less than a week before a January 30th rally at Starbucks Global Headquarters in SoDo, where customers and community members will urge Schultz to stop peddling the bitter brew of the 1% to our community, our Congress, or our baristas.

Working Washington is bringing people together to fight for a fair economy. We are speaking out to demand that our political leaders do what it takes to invest in good jobs and move the economy forward. We need good jobs — not cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other vital services. For more information, visit WorkingWA.org

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Lower tax rates with that latte?

By Nathan Jackson Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is leading a charge of merry CEOs to Washington DC, mocha in hand, to say to our elected leaders, “Hey Congress! Cut more social services and give us rich guys more money.”

They have a more subtle way of saying it, but that’s the primary message of the so called "Fix the Debt" organization, whose backers include Schultz, Chase Bank CEO Jamie Dimon, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, and many other 1% CEOs.

What message do you want to send to Schultz and his “cut, cut, cut” buddies?

Speaking of messages, in Washington DC Schultz actually made Starbucks baristas advocate for the “give the rich lower tax rates, cut every other social spending” message on customers’ cups--while they were working. These workers had to write a slogan that is in opposition to their own interests--by executive order from the CEO.

Let’s see how he likes getting a message from his customers.

Write your own slogan on his cup. Let’s give him some actual ideas that will help the economy, not just the rich 1%. It will be a latte fun.

Here’s a few ideas to get your mouth watering, but feel free to come up with your own. Our elected officials’ priorities should be: full employment, good jobs that pay living wages, the rich paying their fair share, and investing in quality education and healthcare.

We’ve tried the “tax breaks for the wealthy” double espresso before, and it didn’t lead to economic growth or good jobs. It led to the biggest recession since the Great Depression and a bitter taste in our mouths.

Starbucks is from here. It is one of the companies that people identify with Washington State. If their CEO wants to start advocating in the political sphere it should follow our shared community values--good jobs, quality healthcare, quality education and a tax system that makes the rich pay their fair share.

Our Economic Resolution

By Nathan Jackson Every year people make New Year’s resolutions. Eat healthier. Reconnect with old friends. Save money. This year it’s time we all came together and made an Economic Resolution, and unlike the promises the fade away after a few weeks, we can’t afford to let this resolution fail.

We can’t just sit around and wait for the economy to “get healthy.” We have to cut out the trans fat (like corporate giveaways), exercise our civic muscles and go to the gym a few times a week.

We won’t let the richest 1% forget how they got where they are

Nobody is an island. Most of us worked hard for what we have, but even the richest entrepreneur got where they are with the help of a prosperous and stable society, an infrastructure we all helped to get built, an ample & educated labor force — and at least a little bit of luck. Nobody is successful all by themselves — all of us have worked together to create a system that makes it possible.

But many of these of these rich folks are now actively campaigned to make us forget that we helped them build that wealth — throwing insult after insult at public investment and then turning around and taking advantage of those same kinds of investments to make themselves richer.

They’ve used us and the truth of the matter is that the rich haven’t been paying their fair share.

Tax avoidance by the wealthy costs the country $3 Trillion dollars a year. That’s trillion with a “T.”

To put that gargantuan number into perspective, Social Security has a budget of $884 Billion. Medicare has a budget of around $534 Billion. In other words, the tax avoidance by the wealthy could pay down Social Security, fully fund Medicare and still have lots of moola left over for jet planes, 21st Century Bridges and building the world’s biggest ball of twine.

We need the rich to pay their fair share so that we can fund social services, education and healthcare — to be a society. We don’t want to be a country that says “you are on your own.” We are all in this together and good neighbors offer a helping hand for those that need it. We help others pick themselves up, dust themselves off and get back to living a productive life.

Everyone deserves to share in the prosperity of our society. It’s the right thing to do, it’s good policy, and we won’t let the top 1% act like some of us don’t deserve it.

We won’t let big corporations continue to dodge their responsibilities.

Big corporations have been fighting tooth and nail for more tax loopholes and write-offs while stealing wages, shaving hours, and misclassifying workers as “temporary” or “independent contractors.”

Corporations are evading their societal responsibilities and hurting workers at the same time. It’s time we put a stop to that.

Big corporations should live up to their responsibilities — pay their taxes, hire workers and pay living wages with benefits. We should hold them to account and let them know that we won’t sit idly by and let them keep getting away with it

Corporations are sitting on record profits and instead of doing the right thing and paying their fair share they spend millions sidestepping taxes. It’s time they grew up and gave back to the country that has made them so profitable in the first place.

Corporations’ primary goal may be making money, but our job as a community is to make sure that that money isn’t picked from our pockets. That’s why we have rules and laws on the books that are supposed to ensure that workers, consumers, and the environment are protected.

Unfortunately, we’ve let the corporations chip away at those protections, and we’re all paying the cost.

That’s why this year will keep calling them out--we’ll expose their tax dodging ways and their irresponsible behavior.

We’ll do whatever we can to support workers who are coming together for good jobs.

We need good jobs that are secure, safe and pay living wages.

The best way to make this happen is for workers to come together and form a union. That’s exactly why so many companies are afraid of unionization. In fact, they’re so scared of their own workers that some even show anti-union films to new hires during their orientation.

Strong unions helped lift millions of working folks out of poverty and helped keep greedy CEOs in check. Workers organizing themselves fought for better wages, safety in the workplace, the 40 hour work week, the end of child labor and many more efforts that benefitted workers across the spectrum. We know that the organized workers don’t just improve their own lives at work –  by taking action together, they help lift up standards for all workers

The gap between the rich and the poor is bigger now than it has been in fifty years. We are seeing the vision of a good job that pays family, living wages become a far off dream for many of us--and we need that to change.

So when workers stand up to improve their jobs in 2013, we’ll be there right alongside them.

We won’t let our elected officials ignore the 99%

It’s time for elected officials to put the needs of the voting public ahead of the big corporations. Our elected officials need to stand up with us against the needs and desires of the super wealthy and the big corporations. They’re supposed to represent us, the people, not the corporate bottom line.

Too often the opposite happens. For example, the Port of Seattle has been letting companies at our airport misclassify workers as independent contractors, pay substandard wages, and even continue to make profits in the face of unsafe working conditions. The Port of Seattle belongs to the people of King County. It’s our port, and it needs to put the needs of the public good over the good will of big corporations like Alaska Airlines and the multinational contractors they hire to serve their passengers.

Leadership means doing the right thing by the people. It means standing up for workers in our ports who are facing unsafe working conditions, low pay and mistreatment.

We need our elected officials to stop hiding behind flimsy arguments and start holding businesses to account.

2012 was a good year for advancing the cause of worker justice and we took many steps in the right direction to build a more fair economy, but we are just getting started. We have to do better as a society and this Economic Resolution is a good place to start.

Now, let’s get to work.

Martin Luther King Jr fought for good jobs for all.

We will be participating in the annual Martin Luther King Jr birthday celebration and march again this year in Seattle. We will be leading a workshop alongside Jobs for All about the need for good jobs in the community--especially for people of color, immigrants and other working folks who don't always get a fair shake in this economy. The workshops and march attracts thousands of people a year — it's one of the biggest MLK Day events in the country — and we are honored to be trusted with a workshop.

We'd love to see you there.

MLK Day Seattle Workshop Living Wage Jobs for All Monday, January 21, 2013 9:30 AM Garfield High School 400 23rd Avenue, Seattle

Five of our favorite moments of 2012

By Nathan Jackson This year has been a banner year for Working Washington and working folks who are standing up for fairness, better pay and good jobs. So, without further ado, here are five of our favorite moments of 2012--news worthy events that we all were able to accomplish together.

Amazon gives ground to the 99%

This year we launched a series of actions at the largest online retailer in the world, Amazon. We took over product review pages, marched with Amazon warehouse workers and even crashed their annual stockholders meeting. The largest online retailer in the world under public pressure gave ground. Amazon left the 1% lobbying group, ALEC and even installed over $50 million dollars’ worth of air conditioning in their warehouses.

The 99% form a SuperPAC

The big corporations and the 1% have had their wishes granted by complacent politicians. We decided we've had enough. It was time that politicians and elected officials started listening to US. From neighborhoods ranging from Renton all the way up to Everett citizens formed local SuperPACs (People's Action Committees) and took to the streets to fight for issues we care about: good jobs, a tax system that makes the rich pay their fair share, and an economy that works for the rest of us.

We knocked on doors, made tons of phone calls, protested 1% candidates (even making presidential candidate Rmoney leave his own fundraiser early--tail between his legs). We registered new voters. We wrote letters and forged alliances with groups that have been ignored by our elected officials, but have just as much at stake. We reached out to churches, mosques and other congregations and often knocked on doors with faith leaders lending their voices.

Stronger Together

Whether it was marching alongside community members at a Martin Luther King Junior parade, supporting striking Teamsters, or standing with Walmart workers who for the first time in the company's 50 year history walked off the job, we have shown our support for the community. We forged stronger ties with community allies like Puget Sound Sage, Washington CAN! and faith leaders pushing for the common good that we all value. We stand with folks fighting for social justice, good jobs, fairness and the rights to organize and collectively bargain.

Holding big corporations accountable

It didn't matter if it was Chase Bank, Wells Fargo, Amazon, McDonalds, or Alaska Airlines. We stood in opposition to the big companies slipping out of paying their fair share, or turning a blind eye to the mistreatment of their workers. Port workers sick of sub-standard treatment stand up

There are thousands of poverty wage jobs at our airport and seaport. They are the fuelers, the baggage handlers, the ramp workers, taxi drivers, port truck drivers who help make our port so prosperous. This year workers took action to combat the low wages, unfair treatment, safety issues, and other issues they face.

Port truck drivers in an unprecedented move went on an unprecedented work stoppage forcing port shipping companies to finally recognize some of the safety and pay issues port truck drivers have been clamoring against.

Taxi drivers pulled over and put their cars in park over unfair wages and working conditions.

Airport workers have taken their message to their bosses, the bosses' bosses and to the streets. They've even put together a coloring book that explains their situation in simple terms--good for kids and bosses alike.

Looking forward, 2013 looks to be even bigger for workers, communities and organizations fighting for a more fair economy.

We’ve patted ourselves on the back enough, let’s get back to work.

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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