[olympiaworkers] Fast-food workers in NYC stage strikes, rallies

NEW YORK (AP) — Workers at McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's restaurants
across New York walked out Monday in a one-day strike to demand better pay
and the right to unionize, calling for minimum wage to more than double
from $7.25 to $15 an hour and the end to what activists called "abusive
labor practices."

"It's noisy, it's really hot, fast, they rush you. Sometimes you don't
even get breaks. All for $7.25? It's crazy," said Nathalia Sepulveda, who
works at a McDonald's opposite Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where one
protest took place.

Outside the McDonald's as well as a Wendy's in lower Manhattan, workers
chanted "we can't survive on $7.25" and "supersize our wages." At the
Wendy's, the crowd shouted at customers not to go in and two police
officers were stationed inside.

They were among hundreds of people who took part at locations throughout
New York, activists said. Similar strikes were planned across the country
this week, organized by the national Fast Food Forward campaign, which was
launched last year to tackle stagnating wages and the proliferation of
low-wage jobs as the nation recovers from the recession, said campaign
director Jonathan Westin.

"The workers' actions will lift up all of New York City," he said. "If
they have more money in their pockets, they'll spend it right here,
helping to boost the entire economy."

Doubling the minimum wage would have a "significant effect on the private
sector's ability to create jobs, especially those typically filled by
first-time workers and teens," said Scott DeFife of the National
Restaurant Association. McDonald's had directed requests for comment to
the trade group.

Spokesmen for Burger King and Wendy's both said they respect the rights of
their workers.

"We're proud that Wendy's provides a place where thousands of people with
different backgrounds and education levels can enter the workforce," said
Wendy's spokesman Bob Bertini.

Glenda Soto, 35, a single mother supporting four children said that though
she works full-time and often puts in 13-hour days at the Bronx
McDonald's, money is a constant headache.

"My rent is going up in September," she said. "We are already living
paycheck to paycheck."

Many workers brought their families with them, including children.

"We're a movement, we're a team," Sepulveda said as she held the hand of
her 3-year-old son, Hayden.

The striking workers in Manhattan were joined by politicians and community
leaders, including U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat who represents the
district. He said the fact that the fast food industry is worth $200
billion a year and yet many of its employees still rely on food stamps and
Medicaid is "disgusting."

Ashley Pinkney, who works at McDonald's in Times Square, arrived at the
downtown rally still in her uniform.

"I can't even order something off the menu with what I earn," she said.
"It makes me wonder what I'm even doing there."

[olympiaworkers] Backbone Activist Camp! What fun! You should come!

Hello Olympia! Have you been to a summer camp made just for you and your activist friends focused on creating a better world? If you have, you know it's fun, if you haven't, think Wet Hot American Summer... (It's nothing like that.) Come to Localize This! Action Camp!

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https://www.facebook.com/events/533301153379337/

July 31 is an anti-oppression training with the camp following August 1-5 in full. If you don't know how you'll get there or don't have camp gear to bring or just want to know more, email me (this is my 4th year). Lot's of fun, share this with friends and let's all meet by the campfire after days of kayaking, tree climbing, strategizing, blockade trainings and art making.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bill Moyer <bill@backbonecampaign.org>
Date: Mon, Jul 1, 2013 at 8:35 AM
Subject: Pitch in to Get Change Agents to Localize This! $5? Frequent Flyer Miles? What Can YOU Do?

If this doesn't look BEAUTIFUL then, Click Here to View Online

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ REGISTER for Localize This! 2013 - Contribute - AND Spread the Word! Get AMAZING Change Agents like Jeff and Ahern to Localize This! 2013 so they can share their skills with others! (like YOU) $5? $10? Share & Tweet? Frequent Flyer Miles? What Will YOU Do? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ahern Dreadsen - Direct Action, Online Media & Tactical Communications Ahern is the Direct Action trainer and Organizer of Multi Kulti in Chicago. Unity For A Change, the Activist organization of Multi Kulti, recruited him to conduct Direct Action training workshops and long-term power-building consultation with the many grassroots organizations who utilize the Co-Op. Ahern has diverse experience & accomplished a wide-range of actions from animal rescue in Hurricane Katrina, and shutting down 2 of the oldest Coal plants in Chicago with Rainforest Action Network Chicago, to long-term campaigns which have closed a corrupt police department and worked on Appalachia Rising Campaign. Ahern has worked with FIJA , "Fully Informed Jury Association" and has been deeply involved with Occupy Chicago organizing, being one of the the first two people to form their Non-Violent Direct Action Committee. PLEASE Pitch in NOW! Jeff Lucas - Organizer, NonViolent Direct Action Trainer & Artful Activism Innovator Jeff Lucas hails from coal country in central Illinois. His introduction to activism came from his grandfather who was a 60 year rank and file member of the Industrial Workers of the World. His current focus is organizing and movement building with frontline communities in the Illinois Coal Basin, Chicago, and St. Louis. Residing in Chicago for 8 years Jeff has worked with Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Rainforest Action Network, Action Now, Forest Ethics, United Steel Workers, Heartland Coalfield Alliance, The Alliance for Appalachia, United Food and Commercial Workers, Chicago Housing Initiative, Anarchist Black Cross, Rising Tide, Service Employees International Union, Chicago Youth Climate Coalition, Agit-Pop, Food Not Bombs, and more, and trained Students for a Free Tibet. PLEASE Pitch in NOW! What is Localize This!? Check out this 2 min. video Change is not just possible, it is inevitable. But opportunity favors the prepared. There is nothing the Backbone Campaign does that is more crucial to preparing progressive change agents or weaving connections between them than our annual Localize This! Action Camp. All year long, the Backbone team appears in our region and across the country, but only one time per year does the country come to us. For the past four years this gathering has been at the cusp of movement innovation, a source of numerous collaborations, and a spark for countless creative actions from viral Flash Mobs to Giant floating buttocks. Our giant 1% arrows banner and light projections preceded Occupy. Last year's camp lifted up Eviction Protection in the Seattle area and now our allies are celebrating a victorious Eviction Blockade. Our first camp helped save an island! HERE is how you can help spread the word about the 5th annual Localize This! Artful Action Camp Please copy and SHARE/Tweet/email to friends this link http://LocalizeThis.org Invite Facebook Friends to our FB event page HERE. Download 4 per page handbill HERE. Download poster HERE.

Feel free to contact the Backbone office or Bill at: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ email: bill@backbonecampaign.org o. 206-356-9980 c. 206-356-9980 web: http://backbonecampaign.org/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~