Let's prank ALEC

Apparently, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) thinks they can fool us again. You remember them — the big, corporate lobbying group. Now they're trying to lower minimum wages. You read that right. They're up to their old tricks again — now they're trying to push for lower minimum wages because they want to pad their own pockets. But they can't trick us when it comes to our paychecks. So let’s think about tricks on them.

Click here and send  funny ideas on how we can prank the corporate front group.

We've tangled with ALEC before. Last year thousands of people across the country pushed dozens of companies and legislators to dump ALEC. Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, cut its ties with the corporate front group because of pressure from community groups, individuals and folks like you.

You would think ALEC would get the message.

Maybe we need to clown around a bit more since their ideas are such a joke.

We need good jobs with living wages. It really is that simple. Yet ALEC keeps going back to their playbook of failed economic policies that got us into this mess in the first place. ALEC thinks it can trick us again with clever names and more empty promises.

This time the joke's on them.

Worker unrest continues at Sea-Tac Airport

Media Release for March 26, 2013, Contact:  Thea Levkovitz, Thea@workingwa.org 

Worker unrest continues at Sea-Tac Airport...

Poverty-wage airport workers to announce union and march on Alaska Airlines headquarters

1,000+ form unions for good jobs and living wages

(Tuesday, March 26) Sea-Tac Airport workers will announce today that more than 1,000 poverty-wage cabin cleaners, baggage handlers, wheelchair assistants, and skycaps have formed unions for good jobs and living wages. Almost all of these workers are paid less than $10 an hour by the multi-million-dollar airport contractors who employ them to provide essential services to Sea-Tac passengers.

After announcing their union, they will march to Alaska Airlines Headquarters to demand Alaska executives direct the contractors they hire to negotiate with the workers’ unions for good jobs and living wages.

WHO: Poverty-wage baggage handlers, wheelchair assistants, skycaps, and cabin cleaners, joined by faith leaders and other community supporters.

WHAT: Announce that 1000+ workers have joined unions for good jobs & living wages at multi-million dollar airport contractors Menzies, Bags, AirServ, and Delta Global  Services. Carrying banners & signs reading “UNION!”, they will then march to Alaska Air Group’s Headquarters and call on the company to direct the contractors they hire to negotiate with workers unions for good jobs and living wages.

WHEN: TODAY - Tuesday, March 26 at 12:15 p.m.

WHERE: Alaska Air Group’s Headquarters, just south of the airport. (GPS address: 19300 Pacific Highway South, SeaTac, WA 98188)

Today’s event comes after a year in which airport workers have repeatedly spoken up and taken action together to raise the issues of poverty wages, inadequate benefits and job security, a lack of proper safety equipment, and other dangerous working conditions. These actions have sparked intense concern by elected officials and the general public, and even prompted an ongoing state investigation of illegal labor practices and health & safety violations.

Alaska Airlines is by far the biggest airline at Sea-Tac, accounting for about half the flights at our airport. Because of their dominant market position, they have the power to address workers issues and raise standards by directing the contractors they hire to negotiate with workers unions for good jobs and living wages.

More information:

Workers employed by 4 different multi-million dollar airport contractors at Sea-Tac will announce they have formed unions with SEIU Local 6:

• Menzies workers handle baggage and provide ramp services for Alaska and other airlines at Sea-Tac. Menzies Aviation is a global provider of passenger, ramp and cargo handling services, operating in more than 132 airports in 30 countries. Menzies made $51 million last year in profits on $2.9 billion in revenue.
• BAGS, Inc. workers provide passenger wheelchair services at Sea-Tac for Alaska and other airlines. BAGS employs 5,000 people nationwide and takes in approximately $100 million in revenue annually.
• Delta Global Services (DGS) workers provide cabin-cleaning services for Alaska and other airlines. DGS is wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc. which earned more than $1 billion in net revenue last year.
• AirServ workers clean aircraft cabins and provide other passenger services at Sea-Tac. AirServ is a privately-owned company employing about 12,000 people worldwide, with revenue of approximately $300 million.

Additionally, workers for ground transportation company GCA will announce they have formed a union with Teamsters Local 117.

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. More information about working conditions at our airport is available at itsOURairport.org

Sea-Tac Ranks Lowest of 5 Major West Coast Airports

(Originally posted on itsOURairport.org)

New report shows how other airports have raised working standards, lifted up communities

“Below the Radar,” a just-released report from regional think tank Puget Sound Sage, shows that Seattle-Tacoma International Airport arrives last among five major West Coast airports in standards for wages and working conditions.

Thousands of Sea-Tac workers are paid at or near the state minimum wage of $9.19/hour, lagging far behind the airport living wage standards established by other major airports.

- San Francisco: $12.43 – $14.18 minimum

- LAX: $15.37 minimum

- San Jose: $14.71 minimum

- Oakland: $13.45 minimum

“When I load baggage onto an Alaska Airlines flight headed for LAX, I get paid $9.19/hr. The guy who unloads the plane gets paid at least $15.37. It’s the same airline, the same contractor, the same work, the same flight, and even the same bag — but I get paid $5 less. That’s got to change.” — Yoseph Diallo, Menzies Ramp Worker

The report also shows that Sea-Tac ranks below the other 4 airports in paid sick days, safety training, and job security.

The report shows that Alaska Airlines and the other carriers doing business at our airport already operate profitably at these high-standard West Coast airports. “Below the Radar” notes that Southwest Airlines has actively supported high workplace standards at San Jose airport where it dominates the market, while Alaska Airlines has remained silent about poverty-wage conditions at Sea-Tac. The report concludes that Alaska Airlines can and should ensure that Sea-Tac contractors meet those same high standards.

“Why can Alaska Airlines meet the West Coast standard at these other 4 airports — and not at their hometown airport? Alaska Airlines –  it is time to do the moral and right thing here at home: working wages for our working people who serve us all.” — Rev. Dr. Monica Corsaro, Rainer Beach United Methodist Church

“Why should my employer pay me so much less for doing my job at Sea-Tac when they pay so much more at other airports. There’s no excuse for conditions to be so much worse at our airport.” — Mary Sagbo, DAL Global Services Cabin Cleaner

Low-wage workers at Sea-Tac have taken action repeatedly in recent months to demand that the big airlines like Alaska and the elected officials who oversee our airport ensure that every job at our airport is a good job. Airport workers are among the growing number of low-wage workers across country — including Walmart clerks, fast food workers, janitors, and more — who are rising up to demand that everyone gets a fair shot at a decent living, not just the CEOs who wrecked our economy in the first place.

B-Roll available:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/45069241/airport-workers_b-roll_2013-03.mov

0:00 – 0:03 – marchers with airport good jobs signs and international flags (April 2012 rally at Sea-Tac)

0:03 – 0:06 – Make every airport job a good job sticker

0:06 – 0:14 – Faith leaders lock arms with airport workers (September 2012, March to Alaska Airlines HQ)

0:14 – 0:24 – Marchers with signs moving down International Blvd (September 2012, March to Alaska Airlines HQ)

More information:

* Download the complete Below the Radar report or view the Report Webcast on Puget Sound Sage’s website. www.pugetsoundsage.org

* More information about working conditions at Sea-Tac available at itsOURairport.org

Below the Radar

(Originally posted on itsOURairport.org.) Puget Sound Sage has released its latest report “Below the Radar:How Sea‑Tac Airport’s substandard working conditions hurt our region and how other major airports changed course toward growth and prosperity.”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Many travelers are unaware of the work it takes to fly in and out of Sea-Tac Airport safely, comfortably and with all their belongings. The people who handle baggage, clean cabins and provide assistance for the elderly and passengers with disabilities are essential to the quality of this experience, yet they endure poor wages, benefits and working conditions.

The consequences and their underlying causes are below the radar of the public and policy makers.

It does not have to be this way.

Four major West Coast airports — Los Angeles International, San Francisco International, Oakland International and San José International — have set minimum workforce standards to address the adverse effects of low-wage jobs and outsourcing. These airports’ policies are setting standards that create economic success for workers, local economies, airports and their airlines. Moreover, a comparison between airline and airline contractor operations at these West Coast airports and Sea-Tac Airport shows that Sea-Tac is below standard.

For decades, the airline industry has cut costs on ground-based operations that are critical to passenger air service — including baggage handling, cabin cleaning and wheelchair services. By outsourcing these services to businesses with lower wages and fewer benefits, the industry’s workers, their communities and travelers have been subjected to many unintended, negative consequences. Currently, 2,100 workers at Sea-Tac Airport endure poverty-level wages, no benefits and unsafe working conditions.

A majority of these workers live in neighboring suburban cities with a dramatically higher poverty rate (16%) than the rest of King County (9%) and worse reported health. As airport workers rely on public services to feed their families, the airport’s largest carrier, Alaska Airlines, boasts record profits for 2012.

Airline contractors compete fiercely by cutting costs that can also compromise  airport security, public health and passenger safety. Before the tragic events of 9-11, low wages for passenger screeners led to such high rates of turnover (approaching 200% a year) that Federal agencies determined nationwide airport security to be compromised.

Thirteen years later, airport workers with other vital security functions continue to make poverty wages. Also, studies at major U.S. airports show that key personnel, such as wheelchair agents and cabin cleaners, lack proper safety equipment, receive inadequate training and cannot take paid time off for illness. Recent allegations filed by over 50 airline contractor employees with Washington’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health indicate similar problems at Sea-Tac Airport.

Sea‑Tac Airport and its dominant carrier, Alaska Airlines, can meet West Coast standards.

Alaska Airlines has made record profits for several years and analysts expect the carrier to continue outperforming its competitors.

A significant percentage of Alaska Airlines’ operations (12.5%) occur at West Coast airports that have established workforce standards. This number comprises one out of eight of all Alaska enplanements (the number of passengers boarding flights).

Requirements for living wages and better benefits have not prevented Alaska Airlines from expanding business.

In 2012 Alaska Airlines invested $16 million to renovate a terminal at LAX, the airport with the highest minimum wage on the West Coast.

Alaska Airlines increased passenger volume at San José (SJC) by 26% following implementation of living wage requirements.

Several of Alaska Airlines’ contractors at Sea-Tac Airport — all multi-national companies with global customers — operate successfully under workforce standards at other airports.

Sea-Tac Airport’s monopoly on regional air travel will prevent loss of airline business to local competitors.

Recommendations: Sea‑Tac Airport and Alaska Airlines should meet West Coast standards.

Agencies responsible for the health and welfare of King County residents should work together to enact policy and programs that align with the standard set by other West Coast airports.

Alaska Airlines can and should lead this transformation. The minimum standards should include:

• Living wages

• Paid time off for sick and personal days

• Worker retention for airline and airport contractors

• Flexibility for collective bargaining

• Increased security and safety training

Read the entire report at Puget Sound Sage. 

Congressman Ryan's love letter to Austerity

We've got our hands on a translation of Congressman Ryan's latest budget proposal called, "A Path to Austerity." Here's a couple of highlights of how austerity, also known as the "sequester" is already affecting Washington State.

Hanford pink slips coming today from the Tri City Herald.

Nine million dollars cut from Head Start Program in Washington State from The Olympian.

Clippy and Microsoft have a heart to heart

By Nathan Jackson You can’t keep a good annoying, incorrigible, out of work icon down; at least not for long.

Over 100 community members came to University Village to tell the Starbucks and Microsoft CEOs that they need to drop their support of the corporate front group “Fix the Debt.” This group of wealthy CEOs wants to lower tax rates on the wealthy, create more corporate loopholes, and slash budgets for vital social services like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

We came to tell them we wouldn’t stand for it. Leading the way was a disgruntled former Microsoft employee—an oversized Clippy the annoying pop up paperclip.

Clippy popped up outside the Microsoft Store and told it like it is: "It looks like the CEO of Microsoft wants try and push for more budget cuts to get a big tax break."

It was part of protest by community members who rallied outside — and inside — some local outlets of companies whose CEOs have been backing the "Fix the Debt" corporate front group.

These trickle-down advocates may call themselves "Fix the Debt," but what really needs fixing is their greed. After all, if these CEOs were really concerned about “fixing the debt,” they could start by paying their fair share. Instead, they've been pushing for a plan that doles out more corporate tax breaks like the one that would save Microsoft $19 BILLION dollars.

That's enough to pop Clippy out of retirement.

It was also enough to motivate dozens of activists to pop up inside the Starbucks and Microsoft stores and speak the truth, chanting “Hey you millionaires! Pay your Fair Share!” and “Fix the Greed! Fix the Greed!”

It was a way to get our message to the corporate honchos, and they heard it loud and clear. One manager quickly dialed up corporate desperate for advice saying, “There are people yelling in the store! They're not leaving. They say they’re mad about the budget cuts!”

You’re damn right we’re mad.

It is not right for 1% CEOs to expect working folks to have to make do with less so the CEOs can get more tax breaks. Everybody knows that we need good jobs, not more cuts. We’ve been there done that and austerity just doesn’t work.

Even Clippy has caught on to that message.

And so did people like Bill Neas, a community supporter who spoke at the rally. Sporting a full shock of white hair, he grabbed the microphone, pushed up his thick glasses and spoke to the crowd.

“I don’t get it. I’ve worked my whole life, did the right thing and paid my taxes and now these local corporations think they can just skip away from their taxes?” he said. “Just who do they think they are?”

That's a good question, and we're still waiting for an answer.

And the CEOs should keep this in mind: Clippy is hard to get rid of and so are we.

Microsoft customers call on CEO to Control-Alt-Delete his all-greed agenda

*** MEDIA ADVISORY FOR FEBRUARY 20, 2013 ***Contact: Sage Wilson, Working Washington, sage@workingwa.org

As brutal budget cuts loom in Congress...

Microsoft customers join campaign calling on local CEOs to send all-greed Congressional agenda to the recycling bin

Rowdy protests at Microsoft Store & Starbucks will push local CEOs to cut support for "Fix the Debt" corporate front group

WEDNESDAY 2/20 in SEATTLE - Concerned customers of Microsoft and Starbucks will gather at University Village for a rowdy protest and march aimed at pushing local CEOs Steve Ballmer of Microsoft and Howard Schultz of Starbucks to stop supporting the all-greed agenda of the deep-pocketed corporate front group known as "Fix the Debt".

If Congress doesn't act, devastating budget cuts called "sequestration" could take effect next month, including deep reductions to unemployment benefits, Medicaid support, senior assistance services, and even homeless shelters. But instead of agreeing to pay their fair share so we can stop the cuts, Steve Ballmer, Howard Schultz, and the other CEOs in “Fix the Debt” are trying to take advantage of the looming crisis to push for even more special loopholes and even more cuts to vital services. These CEOs say they want to "Fix the Debt" — but what really needs fixing is their greed.

Microsoft alone would save as much as $19 billion from just one of the new loopholes Ballmer and the other CEOs are pushing.

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Who: Microsoft and Starbucks customers and community members opposed to the all-greed trickle-down agenda being pushed by local CEOs and their big-bucks allies across the country.

What/Visuals: Rally at University Village, including rowdy march and protests at Microsoft Store and Starbucks. Protests will include a giant Microsoft Office Clippy popping up to point out that "It looks like Microsoft is trying to get a big tax break by slashing vital government services," and a 3-foot-tall Starbucks cup reading "Budget Cuts are Bitter Brew". Seniors and others who would be directly affected by cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will speak out and call on these local CEOs to drop their support of the "Fix the Debt" front group.

When: Wednesday, February 20, 2013, 12:00 noon

Where: University Village Shopping Center. (GPS Address: 2623 NE University Village St, Seattle, WA 98105) Concerned customers will hold a boisterous rally, then march to the Microsoft Store, Starbucks, and Bank of America — three of the companies whose CEOs have endorsed the Fix the Debt corporate front group.

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Microsoft Clippy was rejected by customers because he had an irritating habit of showing up at unfortunate times to offer help you don't need. Now, like Clippy back from the bin, Steve Ballmer of Microsoft and dozens of other CEOs are popping up in the middle of the budget debate in Washington, DC, pretending to offer useful advice. Ballmer has lent his name to the "Fix the Debt" corporate front group, joining dozens of other big-bucks CEOs like Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Brian Moynihan of Bank of America, Terry Lundgren of Macy's, and Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs.

These CEOs are fronting for an agenda that includes lower tax rates for the rich, new corporate loopholes, and massive spending reductions. It adds up to a budget plan that would give new breaks to big corporations and the ultra-rich … and pay for it with deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other vital government services.

Wednesday's event at University Village comes on the heels of a January event where Starbucks customers "roasted" CEO Howard Schultz over his support of "Fix the Debt" outside Starbucks Global Headquarters in SoDo, and a boisterous December rally which culminated with more than a hundred people entering the downtown Seattle Macy's to deliver lumps of coal to their budget-cutting CEO. Expect protests like this to continue in Seattle and across the country until these big-bucks CEOs stop fronting for the "Fix the Debt" trickle-down agenda and respect that customers and community members want what we voted for: jobs, not cuts.

More information:

• DC think-tank Institute for Policy Studies calculated that Microsoft alone would save $19 billion from one new loophole — called a "territorial tax system" — being pushed by "Fix the Debt": http://www.ips-dc.org/articles/the_trojan_horse_in_the_debt_debate
• The New York Times recently looked at the private corporate interests behind "Fix the Debt": http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/us/politics/behind-debt-campaign-ties-to-corporate-interests.html?_r=0
• The Reuters news service calls Fix the Debt "ridiculous", describing the CEO letter joined by Ballmer, Schultz, and others as "CEOs’ self-serving deficit manifesto": http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/10/25/ceos-self-serving-deficit-manifesto/
• The Wall Street Journal published a list of CEOs who have lent their names in support of the "Fix the Debt" agenda: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204076204578078560907325012.html

Working Washington is bringing people together to fight for a fair economy. We are speaking out to demand that the corporations and the politicians do what it takes to invest in our communities 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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Steve Ballmer bringing the spirit of Microsoft Clippy back from the recycling bin?

*** MEDIA ADVISORY FOR FEBRUARY 20, 2013 ***Contact: Sage Wilson, Working Washington, sage@workingwa.org

Steve Ballmer bringing the spirit of Microsoft Clippy back from the recycling bin?

"It looks like Microsoft is trying to get a big tax break by slashing vital government services."

Microsoft Clippy was rejected by customers because he had an irritating habit of showing up at unfortunate times to offer help you don't need. Now, like Clippy back from the bin, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is popping up in the middle of the budget debate in Washington, DC, pretending to offer useful advice. He's joined dozens of other big bucks CEOs (including Howard Schultz of Starbucks) in support of all-greed budget agenda by lending his name to the "Fix the Debt" corporate front group.

Ballmer and his fellow CEOs keep on trying to autoformat the budget debate into the same old trickle-down template: more tax cuts for the top one percent, and more budget cuts for the rest of us. But customers and community members know that we need jobs, not cuts, so they're calling on CEOs like Ballmer to stop fronting for the "Fix the Debt" all-greed agenda.

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Who:   Microsoft and Starbucks customers and community members opposed to the all-greed trickle-down agenda being pushed by big-bucks CEOs.

What: Rally at University Village, then march to Microsoft Store and Starbucks to send their CEOs a message: our economy needs jobs, not cuts. Seniors and others who would be directly affected by cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will speak out and call on these local CEOs to drop their support of Fix the Debt.

When: Wednesday, February 20, 2013, 12:00 noon.

Where: University Village Shopping Center.  (GPS Address: 2623 NE University Village St, Seattle, WA 98105) Rally will be followed by a march to the Microsoft Store, Starbucks, and Bank of America — three of the companies whose CEOs have endorsed the Fix the Debt corporate front group.

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The "Fix the Debt" CEO agenda — lower tax rates for the rich, new corporate loopholes, and massive spending reductions — amounts to a budget plan that would give new breaks to big corporations and the ultra-rich … and pay for it with deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other vital government services.

The CEOs who have endorsed these priorities — including Steve Ballmer, Howard Schultz, Brian Moynihan of Bank of America, Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs and dozens of others — say this is about "fixing the debt". But what really needs fixing is their greed: just one of the new loopholes they are pushing would save Microsoft alone an estimated $19 billion in taxes.

Microsoft & Starbucks are considered local icons, but the agenda their CEOs are pushing don'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 Ballmer and Schultz have come together with dozens of other ultra-wealthy CEOs to try and autoformat the budget debate and peddle the same old trickle-down brew in Congress. And we won't stop speaking out until Ballmer & Schultz renounce their support of the "Fix the Debt" trickle-down agenda.

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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Fronting for a corporate lobbying group

By Nathan Jackson We’ve driven our economy back from the worst of it, but without good jobs and investments in social services like quality education, healthcare and safety net programs we are risking the gains we’ve made. We could be heading back into the ditch.

Cue the CEOs telling us that the ditch isn’t so bad.

CEOs have come together to form a corporate front group called Fix the Debt. This group uses flowery phrases and spin to try to appear reasonable and pragmatic, but what they are pushing for is the same old economic policies of tax breaks for the rich and austerity, aka budget cuts for the rest of us.

Two local corporate leaders—Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have been acting as front men for the corporate front group.

Schultz made his workers in DC Starbucks push a pro austerity slogan on customers’ cups. Schultz agrees with the plans of the corporate front group to slash budgets for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid while lowering tax rates on the rich and big corporations.

Never mind that tax rates are the lowest they have been in decades or the fact that we have not taken the steps we need to steer this economy back onto a prosperous path for the rest of us. Schultz apparently thinks that drip down economics actually work.

He’s wrong.

Not to be outdone, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has also signed onto the Fix the Debt’s plan.

The corporate front group has been actively lobbying to put in place tax “reforms” (read gifts) that would save the software giant $19 BILLION dollars on their federal tax bill. Meanwhile Ballmer agrees that we should cut public spending.

Microsoft has a pretty consistent stance on paying their fair share—they don’t like it.

The software company actively lobbied to change Washington State law in regard to a B&O tax on software royalties. Previously, Washington State would tax the worldwide royalties of software if the company was based here in the state. Through active lobbying, Microsoft got our state legislature to change the law saving the company from potential BILLIONS in back taxes.

CEOs don’t have the economic solutions that will help the rest of us.

They shouldn’t be trying to dictate to our elected leaders laws and regulations that only enrich them and leave the rest of our society nipping at each other’s heels for scraps.

On March 1st, deep Federal budget cuts are slated to take effect. If Congress doesn't take action, the impact will be devastating: more than 100,000 formerly homeless people would lose access to housing and shelters; unemployment benefits would be slashed; Medicaid cuts would result in thousands of layoffs in Washington State alone; and more.

It’s time to get serious.

We can’t sit back and allow these corporate front groups to gut the social programs that we all pay into and need to help us get back on our own feet.  We’ve worked hard to get back to where we are and we won’t be pulled back.

It’s pretty simple what we want.

The rich and big corporations need to drop their affiliation with the corporate front group Fix the Debt, stop pushing for the failed austerity policies of the past and pay their fair share so that we can get or keep good jobs and invest in the policies that drive us onto a shared, prosperous economic path.

Budget Cuts are Bitter Brew

By Nathan Jackson Percolating with hundreds of coffee-economic-justice-puns written by the community, we went to Starbucks HQ in the SoDo district to deliver a message to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. TV news cameras rolling, we set up right outside the cathedral looking Starbucks HQ and shared some of the puns that the community had sent in online.

“This CEO just got an 80% raise and now he wants more tax breaks? He’s gotta a latte nerve!”

“Don’t grind the 99%.”

“This new plan to lower tax rates for the rich is nothing but a hill of beans!”

“This tax plan is all foam, no coffee.”

“1% is fine for milk, but the 1% shouldn’t be trying to run the country.”

Since we had already made it clear from the election that we wanted jobs, not cuts we thought a visual aide might help this CEO finally get the message. We made a giant coffee cup emblazoned with a slogan that he would understand, being a coffee man, “Budget Cuts are Bitter Brew.”

We don’t want lower tax rates for the rich and budget cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. We want the rich to pay their fair share and we want our elected leaders to focus on jobs, not cuts.

Bill Neas grabbed the microphone, unsuccessfully tried to ignore the TV cameras, walked in front of our “Jobs Not Cuts” banner and waved towards the Starbucks sign over the entrance to the corporate headquarters.

“We have to understand these rich guys have got the coffee jitters,” he said. “They have to get their tax cuts, slash Medicare and keep us ‘Takers’ in our place. It’s enough to make you feel sorry for them.”

Schultz had forced his DC employees to write messages on customers’ cups calling for Congress to “Come Together” and support the Fix the Debt’s agenda. Their agenda is more of the same from the 1%---lower tax rates for the rich and slashing social services. They want to balance the budget on the backs of the working poor, families and folks who are down on their luck and need a hand up.

It’s the same old plan we’ve tried before. It doesn’t work. It’s time for a new brew, a new plan—and we wrote it on cups.

We marched into Starbucks, pushing past the TV cameras, chanting and smiling and handed our messages to the baristas. We thanked them and some of us even bought some coffee as we left.

We don’t have a problem with Starbucks’ workers; we have a problem with yet another CEO who thinks that he has the right to push his own agenda on our elected officials using his employees as his proxies.

That’s wrong and we will continue to call out CEOs who throw their weight around and press down on working folks.

We ended the day with a “pun-off” in which folks cleverly came up with slogans to leave with the CEO. One woman came up with this gem off the top of her head, “These CEOs deserve to be in hot water for what they're trying to do to our safety net.”

Couldn’t have said it better ourselves.