(no subject)
I just sent a letter to the CEO of Fila, one of the companies manufacturing athletic gear for the upcoming Olympics, to ask him to end exploitative labor practices in Fila's factories.
The upcoming Olympics are supposed to represent the triumph of humanity (the theme of this year's games is "celebrate humanity.") Isn't it ironic that the workers in Fila's factories making clothes for the athletes are forced to endure exploitative conditions for poverty wages with few rights and no hope of improving their lives? That's no way to celebrate humanity!
Join me in asking Fila to play by the rules and respect workers' rights in its factories. Click below to send a free message to Fila's CEO Steve Wynne now.
http://ga0.org/campaign/play?source=otaf
An investigation into conditions at Fila's factories in China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia found workers being forced to work until midnight without any advance warning before an export deadline. If they refused, they risked losing their jobs, jobs they needed very badly to support themselves and their families. Workers at one Chinese factory were even fined $6 for each mistake they made!
And these workers have almost no chance to join trade unions to improve their working conditions. Factory managers can and do fire workers who join unions. Knowing this prevents most workers from ever trying to unionize.
Help pressure Fila to honor the spirit of the upcoming Olympics by giving its workers the rights and respect they deserve! Click below to send your letter asking Fila to reform its business practices now.
http://ga0.org/campaign/play?source=otaf
Then please help spread the word by forwarding this message to your family and friends and asking them to join you in contacting Fila play by the rules.
Thank you so much for your help.
Dear Working Families e-Activist:
A new report by former Department of Labor officials finds the Bush
overtime pay take-away will harm working families and take overtime pay
from "large numbers" of workers. The three authors of the report, released
today, are government experts who worked at the U.S. Department of Labor
under both Republicans and Democrats beginning in the 1980s under
President Reagan.
The bottom line conclusion by these independent experts:
"...implementation of these new regulations will harm rather than promote
and protect the interests of U.S. workers and their families."
And,
The Bush regulation, "removes existing overtime protection for large
numbers of employees currently entitled to the law's protections"
We've been saying that for months. Now experts who have dedicated their
careers to the most technical aspects of wage and hours laws agree.
It is really important that as many people as possible join the fight to
save overtime pay. One of the most important ways you can help is to let
your friends, family and co-workers know about this new report and that
action is needed before it is too late.
Please reach out to your friends, family and co-workers by clicking on the
link below.
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/fax4otpay/forward/
Or, you can forward them this link with a note in your own words.
Forward this link >>
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/fax4otpay/
The Bush administration's final regulation that would take away overtime
pay from millions of America's workers becomes effective Aug. 23. In just
a few short weeks, employers could begin to reclassify their employees as
exempt--denying them the right to overtime pay. That is why action right
now is so important.
Thanks for all you do.
In solidarity,
Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO
July 13, 2004
P.S. Here are some helpful links.
Explanation of the Bush overtime pay take-away.
http://www.saveovertimepay.org/bushproposal.htm
New study by former government experts.
http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/overtimepay/ns07132004.cfm
Dear MoveOn member,
New polls validate what we already know: in a match-up between John Edwards and Dick Cheney, most folks will choose Edwards every time. That's why we've created a great new web ad that compares Edwards' message of hope and compassion with Cheney's cynical fear-mongering, using their own words.
You can view it now at:
http://www.moveonpac.org/edwards.html
Web ads are only effective if we get them out there. If you like this ad, please share it with your family and friends. It's fun to watch, but the message it carries is important: despite the Bush campaign's repeated claims, it's the Kerry/Edwards campaign that has put hope at the center of its message.
When President Bush was asked by reporters about the differences between Cheney and Edwards, Bush said that "Cheney can be President." John Kerry joked to a crowd that Bush was right: "Dick Cheney was ready to take over on day one -- and he did. That's what we have to change."
A new Time magazine poll shows that when asked which candidate would make a better president, 47% of voters picked John Edwards, compared to only 38% for Cheney. And according to a NBC News poll, "when asked who is more optimistic about the future of the country, 49 percent [of respondents] said Edwards, while just 28 percent chose Cheney."
Now we need to get this message out there. Writing a letter to the editor of your local paper is one of the most effective ways to get our voices in the media, and the opinion page is the most-read page for many papers. We've developed a tool that makes this easy, providing email addresses to send your comments to, talking points, and even sample letters. Just go to:
http://www.moveonpac.org/lte/lte.html?id=3075-3551724-hAVtNOMGtb7W7s9PQhzopg