Immigrants, Constituents Ask Rep. Smith for Good Jobs

by Sara Kiesler Update: See the Adam Smith "Speak Out" video

Des Moines, Wash.--About 170 people came to Rep. Adam Smith in the 9th congressional district Monday to ask him to bring back a message of good jobs to Congress.

The large group, comprised of a variety of backgrounds including Somalian, Bhutanese and Mexican immigrants, filled the Highline Community College auditorium in Des Moines. Many of the people attending were out of work or looking for more work, and came ready to share stories of how the economic crisis is affecting their families.

Kim Garcia, a construction worker that was formerly in the military, said when she lost her job in 2009, things took a downward spiral and she now may lose her home. Her 18-year-old son has recently joined the military because he cannot find a job either.

“We don’t see a bailout for us,” she said, referring to the government’s Big Bank bailouts, such as the $100 billion that went to mega-profit making Chase Bank.

The “Speak Out for Good Jobs” event is part of an ongoing series during the August Recess in which Washingtonians are reminding Congress that good jobs are vital to keep America moving forward.

David R. Lindberg, a cargiver, shared a message heard over and over this month--that the recession may be over for the rich, but what about the rest of us?

“We need to re-establish the American Dream,” he said. “The only way to do that is to end tax loopholes and create jobs.”

Rep. Smith (D-WA) reflected on the access his family had to the American Dream.

“My father was in a labor union, and when he died, my family had enough support to keep going,” he said. “There’s a lot more we can do to protect jobs in the US.”

He responded to many of the constituents concerns and encouraged them to keep contacting their representatives.

At the end of the day, emcee and Washington state Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-33) looked out over the crowd of diverse faces and congratulated everyone for speaking up for good jobs.

“The Tea Party ain’t got nothing on us,” he said.

Making Change

by Sandra VanderVen

There are fundamental beliefs that I hold true. I believe that as people age, they should have peace knowing that if they have to stop working, they won’t starve.

I believe that there should be special programs in place to help give everyone a leg up, no matter what is holding us back. A free, high quality education should be available to everyone.

But the United States doesn’t care for people who have less the way it used to.

Mental health facilities have been dismantled. People with real problems end up living on the street.  Rich people have used their influence to get the government to look the other way when they did something that wasn’t right.

Where I live in Seattle, Wash., people work hard but still struggle to get by. The future of the kids here depends very much now on who they were born to, because the programs that once leveled the playing field are being removed one by one.

Rep. Dave Reichert was elected in Washington’s 8th congressional district to speak for us in Washington, DC.  His job is to see to it that our idea of what this country stands for is upheld.

Unfortunately, he has his own idea of what to stand for. He believes that rich people and corporations should have more and the rest of us should have less. This belief isn’t harmless. It is ruining our country.

I don’t have any intention of leaving, so I’ve decided to try to make things the way I think they should be. I found some groups of people who have decided it isn’t enough to watch from the sidelines, and I now spend some of my spare time helping persuade our elected leaders to stand for our values.

That is why I am a volunteer organizer.

I now feel like I can make a difference when someone like Dave Reichert demonstrates that he prioritizes the rich over the middle class. For the future of our kids, we go out and tell him what we think.

It all comes together because individuals decided it was time to do something, and when we all do a little bit, we have a loud voice.

I hope you think about adding your voice to ours.  We need you.

Who We Are--Luis Escamilla

by Nate Jackson  

Teacher Luis Escamilla is very worried about the lack of options many of his students have due to state wide budget cuts.

The SeaTac resident has been an active member of Working Washington because he sees the need for different groups and organizations to stand together in the face of crisis against big corporations that are not doing their part to build up the community.

"As a teacher, I see firsthand the effect of cuts to education,” he said. “Class sizes are a problem, which is compounded by the diverse needs of the students in the classroom.”

Luis also sees the problems with budgetary cuts to special education.

"When special needs schools are closed, those students then get absorbed by mainstream schools, where their unique needs are often not met."

Many of those students fall through the cracks as the instructors, faced with large class sizes, have a difficult time meeting the needs of their students with limited resources, time and support.

But blaming parents and teachers is not the answer. The community needs to become more "socially responsible," according to Luis. Budgets are cut because corporations are not paying their fair share; they are being socially irresponsible and we need to hold them accountable.

He is also worried that the community is becoming disconnected from its schools. Some young people do not graduate with basic requirements either because of lack of good grades, support or the allure of the street. The community, and particularly families and churches, needs to step up, Luis said, as he feels that the faith organizations are the only buffer against Seatac becoming “a true ghetto.”

This has led him to get involved in coming to various Working Washington events, meetings and gatherings to fight for a more fair economy that will hold corporations accountable to pay their fair share just like the rest of us already do.

"These multi-billion dollar corporations are feeding at the trough like pigs,” he said. “Communities need to stand up to corporations (because) any institution in our community should benefit our community."

Speak out for good jobs Monday with Rep. Smith

Unemployment is still rising, and most of Congress isn’t paying attention. Rep. Adam Smith is one of the good ones. He wants to hear from you about the effects of joblessness on your family and your community.

Join us on Monday, August 22nd at Highline Community College to have a conversation with Rep. Smith about how Washington state needs good jobs now.

The recession may be over for the very rich, but it’s not over for the rest of us. Rep. Smith is ready to take our message back to the other Washington and call on Congress to focus on creating good jobs for our communities.

Will you meet us at 11:30 am so that Rep. Smith can hear your story and see for himself just how many people need good jobs now?

Join us to call for Good Jobs Now! Speak out for good jobs now with Rep. Smith Monday, August 22 11:30 am to 1:00 pm (doors open at 10:45 am) At Highline Community College, Building 7 South 240th Street and Pacifica Hwy South, Des Moines, WA

CLICK HERE to commit to joining us and calling on Congress to create good jobs for our communities?

We’ve had enough of rising unemployment. We’re ready to work, and we’re ready to make the call for good jobs loud and clear so that Congress can hear us.

Making Change

by Sandra VanderVen

There are fundamental beliefs that I hold true. I believe that as people age, they should have peace knowing that if they have to stop working, they won’t starve.

I believe that there should be special programs in place to help give everyone a leg up, no matter what is holding us back. A free, high quality education should be available to everyone.

But the United States doesn’t care for people who have less the way it used to.

Mental health facilities have been dismantled. People with real problems end up living on the street.

Rich people have used their influence to get the government to look the other way when they did something that wasn’t right.

Where I live in Seattle, Wash., people work hard but still struggle to get by. The future of the kids here depends very much now on who they were born to, because the programs that once leveled the playing field are being removed one by one.

Rep. Dave Reichert was elected in Washington’s 8th congressional district to speak for us in Washington, DC.  His job is to see to it that our idea of what this country stands for is upheld.

Unfortunately, he has his own idea of what to stand for. He believes that rich people and corporations should have more and the rest of us should have less. This belief isn’t harmless. It is ruining our country.

I don’t have any intention of leaving, so I’ve decided to try to make things the way I think they should be. I found some groups of people who have decided it isn’t enough to watch from the sidelines, and I now spend some of my spare time helping persuade our elected leaders to stand for our values.

That is why I am a volunteer organizer.

I now feel like I can make a difference when someone like Dave Reichert demonstrates that he prioritizes the rich over the middle class. For the future of our kids, we go out and tell him what we think.

It all comes together because individuals decided it was time to do something, and when we all do a little bit, we have a loud voice.

I hope you think about adding your voice to ours.  We need you.

“Good Jobs Now!” Rally Draws 200 people

Constituents ask Rep. Dave Reichert, “Where are the jobs?”by Sara Kiesler

Michael Betts is a warehouse worker that is out of work and struggling to find a job. He joined a raucous crowd of over 200 people Thursday morning outside of Rep. Dave Reichert’s office to demand the Congressman listen to his constituents’ pleas for good jobs.

“If we don’t stand up, we’re not going to get the jobs,” said Betts, a Federal Way resident who is in Reichert’s district. “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed.”

The day was filled with intense action--lots of Washingtonians in the streets, chanting, marching outside of Reichert’s office, press everywhere, and dozens of signs held high about jobs.

Constituents of Reichert and concerned citizens were all there to form a Great Depression-era unemployment line to demand that Reichert, a Republican in the 8th Congressional District, stop supporting tax cuts and start supporting good jobs. In keeping with the Depression-era theme, free tomato soup was served in the unemployment line as a reminder that the economy may be fine for the rich, but the rest of us are sill struggling.

Reichert, (R-WA) who supported the Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) budget that would have killed 2.5 million jobs, was nowhere to be seen. Martha Sharp, a resident of Mercer Island and constituent of Reichert’s, walked up to his office door with another local resident to try and speak to him, without any luck.

“They would not open the door to hear what our concerns were,” Sharp said over the loud speaker. “I think it’s a shame because people on both sides of this issue need to be heard.

“We’ll tell him in the next election!” she said, to loud applause.

No Jobs, No Peace

The message of the day was clear:  We need good jobs now, and Reichert should start listening to us instead of the very rich. Dozens of signs dotted the landscape along the sidewalk, from "Good Jobs 4 WA state" to "I'm unemployed and I vote". Chanters led various rally cries, such as "No Jobs, No peace" and "Hey Dave, can't you see, jobs help our economy!"

Dressed as Depression-era newsies, two participants handed out fliers that detailed Reichert’s poor performance creating jobs.

“Extra, extra, read all about it! Reichert gives millions in tax breaks but creates zero jobs,” they said.

People had good reasons for being there to speak with Rep. Reichert. Some, like Lauren Beck of Mercer Island, are worried about Social Security and whether young people in future generations will be able to retire. Others, like Susan Foley, a teacher and resident on Mercer Island, see kids that are struggling just to have enough food in their bellies and clothes on their backs when they get to school.

Members of the Tea Party showed up for a counter-protest, which clearly lacked the diversity, strength and good nature of our crowd. More telling about the Tea Party folks, however, were their "job ideas".

One Tea Party supporter said, “There are plenty of jobs--McDonald's is hiring.” We asked her if she could raise a family on that wage. Predictably, she had no response, underlining how important our protest was.

The rich and big business already have had the government's ear and our money:  we need someone to care about the middle class and offer real solutions--real good jobs in Washington now.

All in all, Betts, the Federal Way warehouse worker, said he felt really pumped up about the day and his chance to “speak up for the little guy.”

“It makes me feel like I’m not the only one who’s struggling,” he said. “Rich, poor, black, white--we all came together.”

Photo credit: Julio Sanchez and Scott Taylor

Join us for FREE tomato soup at the unemployment line!

Whose side are Rep. McMorris-Rodgers and Rep. Reichert on? We need good jobs for people in Washington state. But these politicians consistently votes for policies that benefit only the very rich at the expense of the rest of us.

Join us on Thursday, August 18th to tell Representative McMorris-Rodgers and Representative Reichert that their job is to represent all of us, and we need good jobs now.

With the Great Recession looking more and more like the Great Depression, we are forming a Depression-style unemployment line – with free soup for the unemployed – at Rep. McMorris-Rodgers office in Spokane and Rep. Reichert's office on Mercer Island.

Make your own sign calling on Rep. McMorris-Rodgers and Rep. Reichert to focus on good jobs for Washington, and think about how you would tell them your personal story of how the lack of good jobs has affected you.

They listens to Wall Street, but they're our representative – why won’t Rep. McMorris-Rodgers and Rep. Reichert listen to us?

Join us to call for Good Jobs Now! Line up to show Rep. McMorris-Rodgers just how many people are hurt by joblessness Thursday, Aug. 18 11:30 am to 1:30 PM   FREE: Soup in the unemployment line At the fountain near Rep. McMorris Rodgers Spokane Office 10 North Post Street, Suite 625, Spokane, WA 99201

Tell Dave Reichert jobs, not tax cuts!  Thursday, July 18, 9:30 am to Noon  FREE: Soup in the unemployment line Reichert’s Mercer Island office, 2737 78th Avenue, S.E.. Suite 202, Mercer Island, WA 98040

Can you commit to joining the unemployment line as we demand good jobs on Aug 18?

We’ve had enough of Rep. McMorris-Rodgers and Rep. Reichert's support of Wall Street and the very rich at the expense of the rest of us. It’s time to make our Congresswoman stand up for us – we need good jobs now.

Verizon, can you hear us now?

Working Washington stands behind good jobs at Verizon Wireless

by Nate Jackson

Profits are up, the stock holders at Verizon Wireless are happy and the management has decided that now is the time to rip away working families' security and peace of mind.

Not if we have anything to say about it.

Working people at Verizon have toiled behind the scenes to make the telecommunications giant profitable and recognizable around the world. They’ve installed cell phone towers, land line telephone poles, created software and code and made the company one of the fastest growing companies in its field.

Verizon has reaped the benefits and now they are trying to take them away from the very same people who made them a successful company in the first place.

Working families are not going to take it on the chin anymore. More than 45,000 workers have taken a stand to disallow their hard-earned security from being taken away.

There’s history behind today’s strike. Previously, a deal was hammered out for good jobs.  The struggles were hard fought, but in the end both sides came to an accord that made sense.

Verizon got motivated, dedicated workers out of the deal and the workers had rewarding, honest work that they enjoyed.  It was a win-win solution.

Now, in the midst of great profits, Verizon is trying to change the rules. The main points of contention at the strike, according to the NY Times, are benefits, wages, health costs and paid sick leave.

They want to strip away the mutually beneficial agreements and balance more profits on the backs of working families.  Many workers are worried that if the accord is changed too much, they will slip out of the middle class.

At Working Washington, we are fighting for those good jobs to stay good jobs in downtown Seattle at the Verizon store on 6th Ave. from noon until 3 p.m this Tuesday, Aug. 15.  You can stand with us at 1633 6th Ave., Seattle, WA 98101.

Working families who have earned a good job cannot afford to have their jobs downgraded.  After working too hard and long for the respect, healthcare and living wages that have allowed families to claw their way into the middle class, it’s not fair to be pushed down or shoved aside, especially when profits have nearly tripled.

Come join us this week to show you support good, middle class jobs and the rights for families to earn a good living from honest work. There is strength in multiple voices. We want to make known that we want those good jobs we fought so hard for.

We don't want more than our fair share. We want a win-win.

Our Stories -- Manh

My name is Manh. I was born on my parents’ journey from Laos to Thailand and raised in Seattle. I’m still not a citizen. It takes a lot of paperwork to become naturalized.

Right out of high school, I began working at a restaurant. I was employed by the restaurant for 13 years.  I was let go in 2010. After working for a company for 13 years, you don’t think the termination will be so brief, short, and abrupt.

I applied for unemployment. I was turned down on my first attempt, they told me something about my employer contesting my unemployment and giving a different reason than I did for why I was fired.

I considered filing an appeal all by myself, but there was so much paperwork I got intimidated. I found that there were free lawyers available to help people who had been denied unemployment. With their help, I appealed the unemployment denial and finally won--five and a half months after my employment ended.

I didn’t want to trouble family and friends, but the bills kept piling up. I basically closed myself in my house and did not come out for anyone. It got to a point where my sister came by and was banging on my window saying “I am your sister and I love you, open the door.”  She said even if I didn’t talk to anyone, could I at least answer the phone when she called and let her know I was still alive. I said “O.K.  I’m alive,” and closed the door.

I just didn’t feel like being bothered by anyone.

My sister sat me down and said, “You will live with me. If you go back to school, I will take care of you.”  So, I moved back in and began helping her with babysitting and things like that.

Because someone had reached out to me and given me support, I finally decided to pursue a degree and become a surgical assistant.

That is when things started looking up again and I began to feel back on my feet. My adviser at Seattle Central Community College referred me to the Women’s Center. I learned how to be more successful in my education and I also got information on tuition help and fees. I started to feel better when I saw a path to success.

Ithaca, NY is the latest city to divest from Chase Bank

As Working Washington begins its campaign to encourage our friends and allies to end their relationship with Chase Bank, we see that Ithaca, NY just succeeded in doing just that. Congratulations to Ithaca on joining a movement of people who are fighting for a fair economy for everyone, not just CEOs, big banks and corporations!