What Is a Living Wage?

Today many fast food workers across the country are striking for a "living wage" even though they earn the minimum w    wage of $7.25 per hour.  To many pao  people this looks like nothing more than Greed.

But it's not that simple.  First, fast food tends to employ a lot of part time workers so they don't have to offer benefits.  Second, if you earn $72  $7.25 per hour and are p paid on a debot card which charges you a $% $5 fee every time you use it, to buy groceries, gas, etcc. that chops wages to sub-minimum.

I cannot do any of the things suggested in the email below.  Hell, Blogger has become so inaccessible I can't Even correct my own spelling mistakes!  I am sorry and because I'm very tired today I know there are a lot of mistakes.

But take a look at this suggested "budget" by McDonalds, including a 75 hour work week, if I read the following email right.

McDonald’s is STILL trying to convince workers to accept their wages in the form

of ridiculously exploitative Visa debit cards. These cards

charge employees huge fees every time they want to access their own money

, but they save McDonald’s a bundle on the administrative cost of cutting checks.

 Now we’ve got an idea

 to show McDonald’s that customers won't let it scam its workers.

McDonald’s is in the middle of its summer Monopoly promotion, and it actually staged

this photo-op, unintentionally showcasing its 1% bona-fides. We couldn’t resist putting

our own spin on it. Now, to get McDonald’s attention,

we want to take over its promotional hashtag #McDMonopoly

. And since McDonald's doesn't let anyone write on its Facebook page (we wonder why),

make sure to tag it by including @McDonald's

 in your own comment.

Click here to share this image on Facebook -- and don't forget to add #McDMonopoly and @McDonalds to your comment to make sure McDonald's notices

Turn on images to see McDonald's unintentionally hilarious photo-op

And if you're on Twitter, click here to help us take over McDonald's hashtag there, too.

McDonald's is pushing these cards on the same website that hosts the totally out-of-touch

McBudget, complete with a 75-hour work week and magical free heat. That budget was

bad, but these cards might be even worse.

One McDonald’s franchise tried to force workers to accept the cards

 and backed down when workers sued. But the corporation is still pushing the cards,

and there may still be stores forcing workers to take them. We need to act now to

stop McDonald's from scaling up this scheme ripping off its employees.

Luckily, we've got momentum on our side. In recent weeks, McDonald’s has gotten tons

of negative publicity for its ham-fisted attempts to disguise the way it cheats its

workers. Let's let McDonald's know that consumers are still angry about the ways

it exploits workers, and that if it wants to be left alone, it can stop charging

employees to access their own money.

Thanks,

Rob and the team at SumOfUs

 P.S. If you want to learn more about this debit card scheme,

check out this video

. And don't forget to share it with your friends!

 SumOfUs is a world-wide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

You can follow us on

Twitter

, and like us on

Facebook

.

Was this email forwarded to you?

Click here

 to add yourself to SumOfUs.

If you don't want to receive emails from us anymore, you can remove yourself xmeybrlz@att.net

from our list by clicking

here

. But just know, we'll miss you! Teresa

McDonald’s is STILL trying to convince workers to accept their wages in the form

of ridiculously exploitative Visa debit cards. These cards

charge employees huge fees every time they want to access their own money

, but they save McDonald’s a bundle on the administrative cost of cutting checks.

 Now we’ve got an idea

 to show McDonald’s that customers won't let it scam its workers.

McDonald’s is in the middle of its summer Monopoly promotion, and it actually staged

this photo-op, unintentionally showcasing its 1% bona-fides. We couldn’t resist putting

our own spin on it. Now, to get McDonald’s attention,

we want to take over its promotional hashtag #McDMonopoly

. And since McDonald's doesn't let anyone write on its Facebook page (we wonder why),

make sure to tag it by including @McDonald's

 in your own comment.

Click here to share this image on Facebook -- and don't forget to add #McDMonopoly and @McDonalds to your comment to make sure McDonald's notices

Turn on images to see McDonald's unintentionally hilarious photo-op

And if you're on Twitter, click here to help us take over McDonald's hashtag there, too.

McDonald's is pushing these cards on the same website that hosts the totally out-of-touch

McBudget, complete with a 75-hour work week and magical free heat. That budget was

bad, but these cards might be even worse.

One McDonald’s franchise tried to force workers to accept the cards

 and backed down when workers sued. But the corporation is still pushing the cards,

and there may still be stores forcing workers to take them. We need to act now to

stop McDonald's from scaling up this scheme ripping off its employees.

Luckily, we've got momentum on our side. In recent weeks, McDonald’s has gotten tons

of negative publicity for its ham-fisted attempts to disguise the way it cheats its

workers. Let's let McDonald's know that consumers are still angry about the ways

it exploits workers, and that if it wants to be left alone, it can stop charging

employees to access their own money.

Thanks,

Rob and the team at SumOfUs

 P.S. If you want to learn more about this debit card scheme,

check out this video

. And don't forget to share it with your friends!

 SumOfUs is a world-wide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

You can follow us on

Twitter

, and like us on

Facebook

Hope I haven't already Posted, but it's Past Time

I'm checking out this blog.

 Outrage over the Zimmerman verdict has sparked a true movement moment—as hundreds

of thousands of MoveOn members have spoken out for justice and a more equitable and

progressive America.

You can capture the energy of this moment to bring change to your community. Start

a campaign today using MoveOn's petition platform.

Start Your Campaign

Dear MoveOn member,

In the wake of the George Zimmerman trial verdict, the past 10 days have been incredible—

a true movement moment.

It started in the immediate aftermath of the decision. Within minutes,

the NAACP launched a petition calling on the Department of Justice to open a civil

rights case against Zimmerman

. To date, more than 600,000 MoveOn members have signed, despite the largest attack

ever on our website by malicious hackers. With those signatures and others gathered

by the NAACP, more than 1 million people have added their names.

But that was just a preview of the action that was coming.

Last Tuesday,

a youth-led activist group known as the Dream Defenders began a peaceful occupation

of the Florida Capitol, what they called "Takeover Tuesday."

 They're

still

 in the Capitol today, demanding that the governor call a special legislative session

to pass "Trayvon's Law," which would address

"stand your ground" vigilantism, racial profiling, and the school-to-prison pipeline.

28,000 MoveOn members have joined in calling for the law, and some have even joined

the occupation.

This was all happening on the ground in Florida, the birthplace of the

deadly legislation known as "stand your ground"—or, more accurately, "shoot first."

But

on the Internet, a larger conversation was brewing about race in America

, after a couple of friends started a blog called WeAreNotTrayvon that went viral.

They provided a space for thousands of people to share their personal stories of

race, privilege, and struggle. And when responses to the blog became so overwhelming

that two people couldn't possibly keep up, a group of MoveOn volunteers helped keep

the momentum growing.

Then, this past Saturday, a massive day of rallies and vigils was orchestrated by

the National Action Network and supported by MoveOn members. From New York to Los

Angeles, and from Miami to Detroit,

more than 7,500 MoveOn members joined tens of thousands of other progressives

 and faith leaders—and even Beyoncé and Jay-Z—in support of Trayvon Martin's family,

and in a resounding call for justice.

Click here to get a glimpse of some of this past weekend's rallies.

Coming just weeks after the Supreme Court dealt a serious blow to voting rights,

and as the Republican House threatens the potential for immigration reform, this

moment gave glimpses of a new civil rights movement.

But we've been around long enough to know that this energy could disappear with the

next big media story—before we've even had a chance to take on the laws, policies,

and mindsets that brought us here. Challenging those three things is something that

has to happen at every level of government and society.

That's why right now is the time to launch a campaign in your community or state

about a progressive issue that matters to you.

Chances are high that you live in a state that is either actively considering or

has already enacted a "shoot first" law that needs to be overturned.

1

 Maybe you're ready to launch a statewide campaign, knowing that other MoveOn members

will be here to support you. Or maybe the threat of austerity and slashing budgets

is putting your local school district in jeopardy, and you need a base of fellow

residents to help show your outrage and disapproval.

If there's one thing this past week displayed, it is that millions of MoveOn members

are as devoted as ever to the fight for justice. And that members are ready to help

each other when it's time to campaign for a progressive future.

Click here to start your campaign today and work with other MoveOn members who'll help you win.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Susannah, Stefanie, Justin, and the rest of the team

P.S. Our friends at Color of Change have started an effort to put an end to "Stand

your Ground" laws in the 26 states that have them. Click here to sign:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291882&id=71894-9089709-XtnqMnx&t=4

And here is a look at some of the photos from this past Saturday's rallies.

Click here to view more.

Sources:

1. "Does Your State Have A Shoot First Law?" Second Chance on Shoot First, accessed

July 24, 2013

http://secondchancecampaign.org/laws/

Want to support our work?

 MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions,

no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a

long way.

Chip in here.

Caught in the Middle

I buy used clothing.  I only buy clothes when mine get too h  filled with holes and/or stains to be worn outside the house.  Then they become scrub rags and later tomato ties.

When I buy clothing I look first at the DAV Store.  But if they don't have what I need I have two choices.  I can go to a thrift shop which employs no people with disabilities or to Good Will.  The following petition is important to me.  What do you think?  As stated in an earlier post, the situation is complicated.

Change.org

I worked at Goodwill until they cut my pay so drastically that I was forced to quit. Join me in asking Goodwill to pay disabled workers like me and my husband a living wage.

wf/click?upn=L4wUyO6b13sjdmUXmXaF3ImVTD6G6GFyhYT-2F9kLEoC8oge47MBnGChWd7j6VUqkFaLmMt1I1-2FxLFgGePREqaj46Jid1eN3XQlmR1zFL5d35OEX9wcawsaKTzweZJibLnWbb9jfmzFOy527P1jok8DSnYGn6-2FI2MMC7bK5SIYbjPs-2BtGGBpQ7sBigNCvM5-2BF-2BzUcF7S1v1v4wdJG3tGtQ2MHcyI2Wq5al9Kl-2BnArvk941MoRHo9H8a6CDabKNHe5-2BwtSbX2ag7Rob6WChULgrVA-3D-3D_M97dK4ppjqAUhQa03OdsxnXFjwvZVp-2BcPZpDEKfq2Ds60Pfo03Nj9IryL-2FsRbqMQGxBA6h6n3AUJjoLmIjK-2BM2R3uffSPg1-2BIxqCGYpigXqjwrtAuR8H14VJRKavvsmiBxF0Aa4gZeeXqJNga4orIBsArhLbhbRcHIFJBiE6TR2sANtM4CF2zMxM6oLhq-2F75Vfc6cv-2FvDesj3Knsmd88aflFK4h-2Bry1sLVJoam1LLwcm2yDD-2BJrGxS6pw-2BzVvzJi

Sign the Petition

My husband and I are both blind. We've struggled for years to find consistent employment,

even though we both have college degrees. We finally took jobs hanging clothes at

Goodwill for only $3.50 an hour: barely enough to live on, less than minimum wage,

and less than our non-disabled co-workers got paid.

After I had knee surgery last summer I returned to my job to find out my wage had

been lowered to $2.75 an hour.

Working for this little money barely covered my cost of getting to work. I wasn't

making enough money and eventually was forced to quit.

I was shocked to find out that Goodwill exploits a 75-year-old legal loophole to

pay disabled workers like me far less than the minimum wage -- some make as little

as .22 cents an hour.

 I want to be paid a living wage for meaningful work, and other workers like me deserve

the same.

My friends at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network started a petition on Change.org asking Goodwill to pay disabled workers like me a living wage. Click here to sign the petition.

Goodwill determines how much they pay disabled workers using "time studies" where

an employee uses a stopwatch to time how long it takes to complete a certain task

and compares it to a non-disabled worker. Time studies were the most stressful part

of my job because I never knew what the task would be and how they would turn out.

My husband even had his wages lowered because of a time study, and they could cut

it again.

My husband and I feel trapped by Goodwill. They know they can pay disabled workers

like us less and less because we have fewer places to go.

Goodwill recently came under scrutiny for this practice of paying disabled people

pennies for their labor, and defended it.

 I know they are vulnerable right now and could be pressured to change this practice

if enough people join me in speaking out.

Click here now to sign a petition demanding that Goodwill stop exploiting disabled workers and pay a fair wage.

Thank you for your support.

Sheila Leighland

Great Falls, Montana

Sign the Petition

Mailing Address: Change.org · 216 W 104th St., #130 · New York, NY 10025

Finally

FINALLY

I am So Disgusted about So many things, I've been Wondering when a backlash Against Tea Party "ethics" would take place.  I pray it Can be Nonviolent, and that the change saying We have Had Enough is finally beginning.  I'm going to check out this blog.

Outrage over the Zimmerman verdict has sparked a true movement moment—as hundreds

of thousands of MoveOn members have spoken out for justice and a more equitable and

progressive America.

You can capture the energy of this moment to bring change to your community. Start

a campaign today using MoveOn's petition platform.

Start Your Campaign

Dear MoveOn member,

In the wake of the George Zimmerman trial verdict, the past 10 days have been incredible—

a true movement moment.

It started in the immediate aftermath of the decision. Within minutes,

the NAACP launched a petition calling on the Department of Justice to open a civil

rights case against Zimmerman

. To date, more than 600,000 MoveOn members have signed, despite the largest attack

ever on our website by malicious hackers. With those signatures and others gathered

by the NAACP, more than 1 million people have added their names.

But that was just a preview of the action that was coming.

Last Tuesday,

a youth-led activist group known as the Dream Defenders began a peaceful occupation

of the Florida Capitol, what they called "Takeover Tuesday."

 They're

still

 in the Capitol today, demanding that the governor call a special legislative session

to pass "Trayvon's Law," which would address

"stand your ground" vigilantism, racial profiling, and the school-to-prison pipeline.

28,000 MoveOn members have joined in calling for the law, and some have even joined

the occupation.

This was all happening on the ground in Florida, the birthplace of the

deadly legislation known as "stand your ground"—or, more accurately, "shoot first."

But

on the Internet, a larger conversation was brewing about race in America

, after a couple of friends started a blog called WeAreNotTrayvon that went viral.

They provided a space for thousands of people to share their personal stories of

race, privilege, and struggle. And when responses to the blog became so overwhelming

that two people couldn't possibly keep up, a group of MoveOn volunteers helped keep

the momentum growing.

Then, this past Saturday, a massive day of rallies and vigils was orchestrated by

the National Action Network and supported by MoveOn members. From New York to Los

Angeles, and from Miami to Detroit,

more than 7,500 MoveOn members joined tens of thousands of other progressives

 and faith leaders—and even Beyoncé and Jay-Z—in support of Trayvon Martin's family,

and in a resounding call for justice.

Click here to get a glimpse of some of this past weekend's rallies.

Coming just weeks after the Supreme Court dealt a serious blow to voting rights,

and as the Republican House threatens the potential for immigration reform, this

moment gave glimpses of a new civil rights movement.

But we've been around long enough to know that this energy could disappear with the

next big media story—before we've even had a chance to take on the laws, policies,

and mindsets that brought us here. Challenging those three things is something that

has to happen at every level of government and society.

That's why right now is the time to launch a campaign in your community or state

about a progressive issue that matters to you.

Chances are high that you live in a state that is either actively considering or

has already enacted a "shoot first" law that needs to be overturned.

1

 Maybe you're ready to launch a statewide campaign, knowing that other MoveOn members

will be here to support you. Or maybe the threat of austerity and slashing budgets

is putting your local school district in jeopardy, and you need a base of fellow

residents to help show your outrage and disapproval.

If there's one thing this past week displayed, it is that millions of MoveOn members

are as devoted as ever to the fight for justice. And that members are ready to help

each other when it's time to campaign for a progressive future.

Click here to start your campaign today and work with other MoveOn members who'll help you win.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Susannah, Stefanie, Justin, and the rest of the team

P.S. Our friends at Color of Change have started an effort to put an end to "Stand

your Ground" laws in the 26 states that have them. Click here to sign:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291882&id=71894-9089709-XtnqMnx&t=4

And here is a look at some of the photos from this past Saturday's rallies.

Click here to view more.

Sources:

1. "Does Your State Have A Shoot First Law?" Second Chance on Shoot First, accessed

July 24, 2013

http://secondchancecampaign.org/laws/

Want to support our work?

 MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions,

no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a

long way.

Chip in here.

Two Things Which Must be Changed

Don't the big banks Already have enough money?  This looks to me like an attempt to Control poor workers.

And Is this Truly the "age of color blindness?"  I never thought so.

Two Situations Which Must Be Remedied

This is the age of color blindness?

Change.org

wf/click?upn=1mmeex-2FjZn-2FwcNsRwSa6VYoFB62phX1wASdBX2-2BsR6urnJ-2Fma-2BmS8lGYBYNbSr61stXkY-2BBvo5vALu1R-2FYxwBhpasdh59Fx9aon80eu7UZgp27eFvL01nGcNmN0DsLHehkKbtXrX54e-2Bb09sCX6h2d6LxwGEu70D77YkJyUzKhManX9-2FfmJB06IlclOLlnJRzwqfKA1K04J7fXr6FkaxGjJuGCwH5oq8Umpp46y92Q8ttZ-2FkZ99hIhsGDHVg3bd9I0AKer5EzXLBay1J-2FuIdDb6syqqO1i24KhbFKdwtj1pULjUyvF9f7-2BFWeKWfksil0Ccf2olo9YEEbVIrk5P42Q-3D-3D_M97dK4ppjqAUhQa03OdsxnXFjwvZVp-2BcPZpDEKfq2Ds60Pfo03Nj9IryL-2FsRbqMQ8qv-2BrdfZU1n1OefhQ-2BNzy7IUgw4EREBW9dza8qRrosGL5lesVxOyeUuvXbIeG4xiHRwQhnCqoY3aUsUlzBaH1gByCjPymkVm7euag2h-2BE-2FP7VNTp-2BHbLNGbtxnzFYeeVB-2FVXj3MQJ6fSk15bz-2FhMcpgJuEu1MJC87eRGLa7JkfxBLkHQCPnjzh-2FsM0cKbPO5

NYC Chancellor Dennis Walcott: Help Us Terminate Principal Minerva Zanca of Pan American International High School

By BK Nation

Sign the Petition

Two teachers that were preparing for tenure this year were denied and subsequently

fired by a principal that referred to them as “having big lips” and “nappy hair.”

John Flanagan, a Spanish Language teacher, and Heather Hightower, an ESL-Science

teacher, were the targets of these remarks by Minerva Zanca, principal of Pan American

International High School in Elmhurst, Queens, New York.

These two teachers, as well as tenured Theatre teacher Lisa-Erika James, have filed

a discrimination claim against Principal Minerva Zanca within the Department of Education—Office

of Equal Opportunity—for poor performance ratings and undue budget cuts that they

feel were racially motivated.

Assistant Principal Anthony Riccardo, who is also filing a harassment claim against

Ms. Zanca, uncovered these comments in a written statement that discloses, in vivid

detail, the targeting of these three teachers over the course of the 2012-2013 school

year. In Post-Observation Conferences with Mr. Riccardo, Zanca states that Ms. Hightower

“looked like a gorilla in a sweater with nappy hair” and asked, “Did you see his

big lips quivering?” in reference to Mr. Flanagan.

"It is not only important to have high standards for our public school teachers,”

says Kevin Powell, President of BK Nation. “But we must also support the good ones,

like these teachers, who are completely dedicated to their young people. I find it

unacceptable that a principal can engage in this kind of conduct without any repercussions.

We are not going to stop until due justice and process is served here. We are calling

on the school district and the DOE to review this matter thoroughly, to deal with

the facts fairly, and to make it clear that racial bias and mistreatment of teachers

in any form is not tolerated in New York City.

The New York City Department of Education’s Chancellor's Regulation A830 is a strict

antidiscrimination policy that protects its employees from discrimination based on

race/color/ethnicity/gender and sexual orientation. The three teachers feel their

Civil Rights have been violated and in return are pursuing their complaint in the

hopes of getting their jobs back. Ms. James is asking that Ms. Zanca be held fully

accountable in compliance with the Chancellor’s Regulations. Ms. James states “It

is deeply disappointing that Ms. Zanca has made such hurtful racial epithets and

is allowed to run a school where many of the children are of Afro-Latino descent.”

There are currently no African American teachers left at the school.

Sign the Petition

The person (or organization) who started this petition is not affiliated with Change.org.

Change.org did not create this petition and is not responsible for the petition content.

Mailing Address: Change.org · 216 W 104th St., #130 · New York, NY 10025

Change.org

McDonald's: Stop paying employees with debit cards loaded with fees

By Natalie Gunshannon

Dallas, Pennsylvania

Sign Natalie's Petition

I was looking forward to my new job when I started working at a McDonald’s location

in Pennsylvania in April, but

I was disappointed to find out that in order to be paid, I would have to activate

a JP Morgan Chase debit card with heavy fees attached.

I’m a young single mom. When I started my job at McDonald’s, I knew that I would

only be making slightly more than minimum wage. I didn’t expect that the only way

I would be paid would be on a debit card that would dock pay that I earned through

lots of different fees. When I asked if McDonald’s could pay me through direct deposit

to my local credit union, which doesn’t charge withdrawal fees, I was told that the

debit card was the only option.

These cards come with a lot of fees: from fees for cash withdrawals to balance inquiries

to lost or stolen cards to overdrafts and even inactivity fees. The federal government

has helped reduce fees on credit and debit cards that most consumers use, but those

protections don’t apply to the kinds of cards companies like McDonald's are using

to pay employees. In the end, I feared that

once all of the fees from getting my own hard-earned wages through this card were

taken out, my pay would go below minimum wage.

I decided to leave my job at McDonald’s not because I didn't like the people, but

because I think it's only fair that I get paid for all of my work there. Since I

quit, I’ve found out that paying employees through these cards with fees attached

is a growing trend among dozens of major employers. The New York Times reported that

last year roughly 4.6 million active payroll cards were issued by companies like

McDonald’s.

Like millions of other workers, I deserve to get fairly paid for my work. When I

stood up and spoke out against the lack of choices for employees, the local franchise

in Pennsylvania that I worked for announced that it would offer employees more options

for payment. But I’ve seen that

 employees at other McDonald’s franchises as far away as Milwaukee are still dealing

with the same problems and that's not fair.

I think everyone should be given the choice of what they want to do with their hard-earned

money.

I think

McDonald’s should be a leader nationwide in ensuring that employees get to keep their

own wages

 in full and I'm concerned for other McDonald's employees who don't have that option.

Will you join me in calling on McDonald’s to ensure that all employees nationwide

can keep their wages and chose to say no to fee-heavy cards?

Sign Natalie's Petition

The person (or organization) who started this petition is not affiliated with Change.org.

Change.org did not create this petition and is not responsible for the petition content.

Mailing Address: Change.org · 216 W 104th St., #130 · New York, NY 10025

Can't Put it in Title

This Stinks!

Change.org

McDonald's: Stop paying employees with debit cards loaded with fees

By Natalie Gunshannon

Dallas, Pennsylvania

Sign Natalie's Petition

I was looking forward to my new job when I started working at a McDonald’s location

in Pennsylvania in April, but

I was disappointed to find out that in order to be paid, I would have to activate

a JP Morgan Chase debit card with heavy fees attached.

I’m a young single mom. When I started my job at McDonald’s, I knew that I would

only be making slightly more than minimum wage. I didn’t expect that the only way

I would be paid would be on a debit card that would dock pay that I earned through

lots of different fees. When I asked if McDonald’s could pay me through direct deposit

to my local credit union, which doesn’t charge withdrawal fees, I was told that the

debit card was the only option.

These cards come with a lot of fees: from fees for cash withdrawals to balance inquiries

to lost or stolen cards to overdrafts and even inactivity fees. The federal government

has helped reduce fees on credit and debit cards that most consumers use, but those

protections don’t apply to the kinds of cards companies like McDonald's are using

to pay employees. In the end, I feared that

once all of the fees from getting my own hard-earned wages through this card were

taken out, my pay would go below minimum wage.

I decided to leave my job at McDonald’s not because I didn't like the people, but

because I think it's only fair that I get paid for all of my work there. Since I

quit, I’ve found out that paying employees through these cards with fees attached

is a growing trend among dozens of major employers. The New York Times reported that

last year roughly 4.6 million active payroll cards were issued by companies like

McDonald’s.

Like millions of other workers, I deserve to get fairly paid for my work. When I

stood up and spoke out against the lack of choices for employees, the local franchise

in Pennsylvania that I worked for announced that it would offer employees more options

for payment. But I’ve seen that

 employees at other McDonald’s franchises as far away as Milwaukee are still dealing

with the same problems and that's not fair.

I think everyone should be given the choice of what they want to do with their hard-earned

money.

I think

McDonald’s should be a leader nationwide in ensuring that employees get to keep their

own wages

 in full and I'm concerned for other McDonald's employees who don't have that option.

Will you join me in calling on McDonald’s to ensure that all employees nationwide

can keep their wages and chose to say no to fee-heavy cards?

Sign Natalie's Petition

The person (or organization) who started this petition is not affiliated with Change.org.

Change.org did not create this petition and is not responsible for the petition content.

Mailing Address: Change.org · 216 W 104th St., #130 · New York, NY 10025

Please Read This

Please Read This.

This is a Very complex issue.  I don't like "non-profit" CEO's making megabucks and ripping off their disabled workers. 

Another thing which bothers me is disabled workers being paid according to a time study.  That time study is Never compared with the time taken by Non-disabled workers to do the same jobs.  What I suspect is that the performance of Non-disabled workers varies a lot.  Does the "able-bodied" worker have a headache?  Does he/she have to go to the bathroom?  Is she having "morning sickness" accompanying pregnancy?  Is that worker lacking sleep due to not having air conditioning, heat, or proper nutrition?  Is the worker distracted by a serious family problem, fight, or illness?  If so, the able-bodied worker's pay Is Not Cut due to one time study result.  His/her pay isn't Constantly jumping up and down, Preventing budgeting. But that is Exactly the situation disabled workers in this article are subjected to.  And they may have all of the Same issues and More effecting their job performances. 

  These two things are clear in my mind and both of them suck.

What is complicated is that some people with disabilities cannot do the work of others with disabilities.  Some people need and/or like the sheltered workshop at which they work.  As for protection at such work places, sometimes it happens and at other times employers or other workers are abusive in various ways. This has been documented.   

So, should workers who cannot perform at the level of those said to be "normal" in body and mind be paid minimum wage?  I'm not certain.

What I Do think is that, including any SSI (Supplemental Security Income) they receive, these workers Should be paid enough money to live on and this usually doesn't happen.  The same is true of workers who receive SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) because they were able to work in the past.

And What constitutes "enough to live on?"  The Buddha said people need food, shelter, medicine, and clothing.  But many disabled And Non-disabled people lack these four basics.  I think it also helps to have enough money to be able to make some choices.  An occasional change in diet, a monthly ice cream break or meal out, some small treat, ($15 or less) even these things can keep being poor from being Totally Borring.  Others would label me a "liberal spender" for adding these treats to break up the monotony.  How much money is enough to live on?

Disabled workers paid just pennies an hour – and it's legal

By Anna Schecter, Producer, NBC News

One of the nation's best-known charities is paying disabled workers as little as

22 cents an hour, thanks to a 75-year-old legal loophole that critics say needs to

be closed.

Goodwill Industries, a multibillion-dollar company whose executives make six-figure

salaries, is among the nonprofit groups permitted to pay thousands of disabled workers

far less than minimum wage because of a federal law known as Section 14 (c). Labor

Department records show that some Goodwill workers in Pennsylvania earned wages as

low as 22, 38 and 41 cents per hour in 2011.

"If they really do pay the CEO of Goodwill three-quarters of a million dollars, they

certainly can pay me more than they're paying," said Harold Leigland, who is legally

blind and hangs clothes at a Goodwill in Great Falls, Montana for less than minimum

wage.

"It's a question of civil rights," added his wife, Sheila, blind from birth, who

quit her job at the same Goodwill store when her already low wage was cut further.

"I feel like a second-class citizen. And I hate it."

Section 14 (c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which was passed in 1938, allows

employers to obtain special minimum wage certificates from the Department of Labor.

The certificates give employers the right to pay disabled workers according to their

abilities, with no bottom limit to the wage.

Most, but not all, special wage certificates are held by nonprofit organizations

like Goodwill that then set up their own so-called "sheltered workshops" for disabled

employees, where employees typically perform manual tasks like hanging clothes.

The non-profit certificate holders can also place employees in outside, for-profit

workplaces including restaurants, retail stores, hospitals and even Internal Revenue

Service centers. Between the sheltered workshops and the outside businesses, more

than 216,000 workers are eligible to earn less than minimum wage because of Section

14 (c), though many end up earning the full federal minimum wage of $7.25.

Harold Leigland, who is blind, with his guide dog on the bus during his morning commute

to the Goodwill facility in Great Falls, Montana, where he works hanging clothing.

When a non-profit provides Section 14 (c) workers to an outside business, it sets

the salary and pays the wages. For example, the Helen Keller National Center, a New

York school for the blind and deaf, has a special wage certificate and has placed

students in a Westbury, N.Y., Applebee's franchise. The employees' pay ranged from

$3.97 per hour to $5.96 per hour in 2010. The franchise told NBC News it has also

hired workers at minimum wage from Helen Keller. A spokesperson for Applebee's declined

to comment on Section 14 (c).

Helen Keller also placed several students at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Manhasset,

N.Y., in 2010, where they earned $3.80 and $4.85 an hour. A Barnes & Noble spokeswoman

defended the Section 14 (c) program as providing jobs to "people who would otherwise

not have [the opportunity to work]."

Most Section 14 (c) workers are employed directly by nonprofits. In 2001, the most

recent year for which numbers are available, the GAO estimated that more than 90

percent of Section 14 (c) workers were employed at nonprofit work centers.

Critics of Section 14 (c) have focused much of their ire on the nonprofits, where

wages can be just pennies an hour even as some of the groups receive funding from

the government. At one workplace in Florida run by a nonprofit, some employees earned

one cent per hour in 2011.

"People are profiting from exploiting disabled workers," said Ari Ne'eman, president

of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. "It is clearly and unquestionably exploitation."

Defenders of Section 14 (c) say that without it, disabled workers would have few

options. A Department of Labor spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News that

Section 14 (c) "provides workers with disabilities the opportunity to be given meaningful

work and receive an income."

Terry Farmer, CEO of ACCSES, a trade group that calls itself the "voice of disability

service providers," said scrapping the provision could "force [disabled workers]

to stay at home," enter rehabilitation, "or otherwise engage in unproductive and

unsatisfactory activities."

Harold Leigland, however, said he feels that Goodwill can pay him a low wage because

the company knows he has few other places to go. "We are trapped," he said. "Everybody

who works at Goodwill is trapped."

Leigland, a 66-year-old former massage therapist with a college degree, currently

earns $5.46 per hour in Great Falls.

His wages have risen and fallen based on "time studies," the method nonprofits use

to calculate the salaries of Section 14 (c) workers. Staff members use a stopwatch

to determine how long it takes a disabled worker to complete a task. That time is

compared with how long it would take a person without a disability to do the same

task. The nonprofit then uses a formula to calculate a salary, which may be equal

to or less than minimum wage. The tests are repeated every six months.

Harold Leigland works at the Goodwill facility in Great Falls, Montana, where he

earns $5.46 an hour.

Leigland's pay has been higher than $5.46, but it has also dropped down to $4.37

per hour, based on the time-study results.

He said he believes Goodwill makes the time studies harder when they want his wage

to be lower.

"Sometimes the test is easier than others. It depends on if, as near as I can figure,

they want your wage to go up or down. It's that simple," he said.

His wife, Sheila, 58, spent four years hanging clothes at the Great Falls Goodwill

for about $3.50 an hour. She said the time study was one of the most degrading and

stressful parts about her job. "You never know how it's going to come out. It stressed

me out a lot," she said.

She quit last summer when she returned to work after knee surgery and found that

her wage had been lowered to $2.75 per hour, a training rate.

"At $2.75 it would barely cover my cost of getting to work. I wouldn't make any money,"

she said.

Harold said he believes Goodwill can afford to pay him minimum wage, based on the

salaries paid to Goodwill executives. While according to the company's own figures

about 4,000 of the 30,000 disabled workers Goodwill employs at 69 franchises are

currently paid below minimum wage, salaries for the CEOs of those franchises that

hold special minimum wage certificates totaled almost $20 million in 2011.

In 2011 the CEO of Goodwill Industries of Southern California took home $1.1 million

in salary and deferred compensation. His counterpart in Portland, Oregon, made more

than $500,000. Salaries for CEOs of the roughly 150 Goodwill franchises across America

total more than $30 million.

Goodwill International CEO Jim Gibbons, who was awarded $729,000 in salary and deferred

compensation in 2011, defended the executive pay.

"These leaders are having a great impact in terms of new solutions, in terms of innovation,

and in terms of job creation," he said.

Gibbons also defended time studies, and the whole Section 14 (c) approach. He said

that for many people who make less than minimum wage, the experience of work is more

important than the pay.

"It's typically not about their livelihood. It's about their fulfillment. It's about

being a part of something. And it's probably a small part of their overall program,"

he said.

And Goodwill and the organizations that run the sheltered workshops are not alone

in their support for Section 14 (c). In many cases, the families of the workers who

have severe disabilities say their loved ones enjoy the work experience, enjoy getting

a paycheck, and the amount is of no consequence.

Sheila Leigland, who is blind, with her guide dog. She quit her job at Goodwill in

Great Falls, Montana, after her hourly wage was lowered to $2.75.

"I feel really good about it. I don't have to worry so much about him," said Fran

Davidson, whose son Jeremy has worked at Goodwill in Great Falls, Montana, for more

than a decade. "I know he's not getting picked on, and he's in a safe place. He enjoys

what he's doing, and he's happy, and that's what we like for our kids." Jeremy started

out working for a sub-minimum wage but did well on his last time study and is currently

earning $7.80 an hour, Montana's minimum wage.

But foes of Section 14 (c) have hopes for a new bill that's now before Congress that

would repeal Section 14 (c) and make sub-minimum wages illegal across the board.

"Meaningful work deserves fair pay," the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Gregg Harper,

R.-Miss., told NBC News. "This dated provision unjustly prohibits workers with disabilities

from reaching their full potential."

The bill is opposed by trade associations for the employers of the disabled, and

past attempts to change the law have failed. But Marc Maurer, president of the National

Federation of the Blind and a foe of the sheltered workshop system, is cautiously

optimistic that this time the bill will pass, and end what he called a "two-tiered

system."

That system, explained Maurer, says "'Americans who have disabilities aren't as valuable

as other people,' and that's wrong. These folks have value. We should recognize that

value."

Monica Alba contributed to this report.

--

Did Your Bread Die? Monster High, and Going Away Honey?

Did your Bread  Die? Monster High, and Going Away, Honey?

Heard a report on NPR about a wheat field in Oregon.  It was planted with non-GMO wheat.  But there was one plant of GMO wheat created by Monsanto in that field and no one can figure out where it came from.

All the Rest of the wheat in that field Died.  The GMO wheat Killed the non-GMO wheat.  I don't want wheat from That field, do you?

Dolls, can you Believe it?

Another report said Monster High dolls are outselling Barbies.  Only complaint, too scrawny.  Evidently girls 6 to 12 years identify and so do some of us grown ups.  Question:  How could one family Afford Thirty of them?

Going Away, Honey?

Bees are dying. It's up to us to save them.

Last month, 50,000 dead bees were discovered littering a parking lot in Oregon. Then

last week, a shocking 37 million bees were reported dead across a single farm in

Ontario.

After years of research, scientists have finally figured out what’s causing the massive

bee die-offs all around the world, from China to the UK: It’s a class of dangerous

pesticides called neonics. And here’s the wildest thing --

even though we know they’re killing the bees, in most parts of the world, neonics

are still in widespread use.

Independent American garden store owners are critical to the fight to stop neonics

and save the bees. If you live in the US, your local garden store owner down the

street probably sells neonics to your neighbors, who are in turn spraying them on

their flowers and poisoning bees all around you. Collectively,

these independent garden stores are the largest single group of commercial pesticide

distributors in the world.

That’s why Bonide, one of the largest corporate producers of neonics, is spending

a pile of cash to try to buy the trust of these small business people.

 This August, Bonide is sponsoring the largest gathering of independent garden store

owners in the world: The Independent Garden Center Show in Chicago. Bonide’s name

-- and their spin -- will be everywhere: From the conference program to the exhibit

hall.

We can’t allow the pesticide industry to have the only voice there. So we came up

with a crazy plan:

We want to fly in activist beekeepers who’ve been watching their bees die for years,

and buy them tickets to the conference. They’ll take their case directly to the garden

center owners

 -- talking to them at their booths, distributing scientific research, holding press

conferences and more. They’ll get the convention buzzing about the dangers of neonics,

and convert garden center owners to the side of science, the bees, and our environment.

Will you chip in $4 today to fly beekeepers to Chicago, to fight back against pesticide industry spin at the largest annual gathering of independent garden store owners in the world?

The corporations that make neonics, like Bonide and Bayer, are on the defensive.

Thanks in part to intense grassroots activism, the EU just implemented a trial ban

against neonics for the next two years. But we have to keep up the momentum

 if we want to save bees worldwide -- and the US is the next key battleground.

The global pesticide industry will do anything to protect its profits -- and as usual,

the US is ground zero for corporations trying to ward off regulation at any cost.

Neonics corporations are following the playbook written by Big Tobacco regarding

lung cancer and Big Oil on climate change

 -- pouring millions into lobbying and fake science to stop decision-makers from

taking action. They’re pumping out their own industry-backed studies to undermine

the work of legitimate scientists, then claiming that there isn’t enough conclusive

evidence to make a decision -- that we should continue to wait, for years, while

the bees die off.

And Big Pesticide is also taking its spin straight to America’s independent garden

store owners -- because the prospect of these small business owners turning against

them is terrifying. That’s why Bonide is sponsoring the conference in Chicago --

and it’s why we have to make sure the bees’ interests are represented in full force.

The best people to speak for the bees are beekeepers themselves.

 If together we can raise at least $30,000, we can bus in a swarm of friendly beekeepers

from across the region, buy them conference tickets, put them up in nearby hotels,

print flyers and banners for them, and hold a huge press conference. If we raise

enough money, we will even be able to fly in activists from Oregon that helped pass

the neonics ban there.

As the garden store owners pour into the convention hall, we want them to be met

by

this swarm of friendly beekeepers telling their stories.

 Once they return home, they’ll be as fired up as we are, and will sow the seeds

of a national movement to get neonics off the market for good.

If independent garden stores stopped selling the bee-killing pesticides, it would

be a huge blow to the neonics industry

 and create massive additional momentum for legislation to save the bees. And the

best part of all: Once independent garden stores begin banning neonics, the pressure

will double down on major retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s to follow suit.

Can you donate $4 today to bring the bees’ plight to the attention of the small business people who are selling neonics in local communities?

The bee die-offs in Oregon and Ontario aren’t flukes. This winter, the British Beekeepers

Association recorded its worst loss in its history. In China, the situation has gotten

so bad that farmers are forced to hand-pollinate their trees.

In the biggest kill yet, a large commercial beekeeper in the United States watched

in helpless horror as a mind-boggling 500 million of his bees died “like crazy” --

80% of his entire total.

Neonics are made to be water-soluble, so the vast majority is washed off the seeds

in the first rainstorm. Over 90% of the pesticide washes away, to end up in the soil

and groundwater, where they will persist for years -- the pesticides break down incredibly

slowly, so that every year the crops are sprayed again, 80% of the pesticide from

the previous year is still in the soil. Over the years, the surrounding ground and

water continues to get more and more toxic, to the point that the pesticide is working

its way up the food chain and killing off birds.

We are reaching the point where our global ecosystem is straining, and the threat

to the bees is becoming a threat to all of us.

 As bees die off, up to a third of the food we consume is threatened, and food prices

are already being affected around the world. That’s why we have to step up now to

get out the truth. Big pesticide companies may be trying to rewrite the record, but

together the SumOfUs community can help cut through the noise and ensure the safety

of our ecosystem for future generations.

Click here to join with SumOfUs members all over the world to crowdfund a swarm of activist beekeepers to take on the pesticide industry in Chicago.

Thank you for fighting for the bees,

Kaytee, Claiborne, Taren, and the rest of us

**********

More information:

The New York Times:

Mystery Malady Kills More Bees; Heightening Worry on Farms

, 28 March, 2013

The New York Times:

2 Studies Point to Common Pesticide as a Culprit in Declining Bee Colonies

, 29 March 2012

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