We are the hardworking men and women who feed students day-in and day-out at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. We have a union contract that ensures we are paid fairly, treated with respect and provided with benefits that help us take care of our families. We can't allow these protections to be threatened by the PA State System of Higher Education's (PASSHE) merger of the food service operations at IUP, Edinboro University, Slippery Rock University, and Clarion University. Starting next academic year (2021-22), one food service contractor will feed students at all four campuses under one agreement. Food service companies have submitted their bids and the winning company will be chosen soon. We call on Dr. Driscoll and Chancellor Greenstein to demand that the winning company honor our existing union contract as well as the contracts of our union brothers and sisters at Edinboro and Slippery Rock. The winning company should also grant workers at Clarion University a fair process for joining a union so that they too can negotiate for fair wages, benefits and working conditions. We are prepared to take action if this arrangement threatens our union contract. We are well aware of how unfairly many nonunion food service workers are treated and how poorly they are compensated. We will do whatever it takes to preserve the fair treatment, pay and respect we have fought for!

Shoppers are dedicated to providing the high-quality service that our customers expect and work hard to earn tips to supplement our modest base wages. For months, we have experienced issues with tipping that Shipt has failed to take seriously or rectify. Shoppers have reported tips they receive that are not paid out, or are submitted by customers but not collected and paid to the shopper. When we bring these issues to Shipt’s attention, we are almost always treated as though we are lying or trying to receive compensation we don’t deserve. We are ignored and forced to jump through hoops to ensure we receive the proper pay. Tips are a fundamental part of Shipt’s pay structure, and should be treated as such. For months, customers have expressed concerns when placing orders on certain devices, especially through Target’s website, they are not even given the opportunity to tip. As we put their health on the line to deliver essential items during a global pandemic, Shipt should do more to ensure all customers have the opportunity to tip, and that they are encouraged to do so at a level that is in line with industry standards. Too frequently, we go the extra mile for customers who are not properly informed (by Shipt) about how tipping works and when it is expected. We understand that mistakes happen, and for that reason we believe there should be a standardized and transparent process for reporting missing tips. Shipt should work to create a process in which shoppers can audit their tips, identify discrepancies, and report them to the company, without being left in the dark, ignored, or treated with suspicion. As an app-based company, Shipt bears full responsibility for the app’s functionality. Whether by design or in error, when shoppers are not paid the amount they rightfully earn, this is a form of wage theft.

This letter is a Petition for Immediate Measures to be taken in order to protect and improve the lives of Fullbeauty fulfillment center workers during the COVID-19 crisis. At Fullbeauty we work hard, we look out for each other, and we are invested in the success of the company. We are Proud to work at Fullbeauty. However, Fullbeauty workers are currently subject to unfair, mandatory overtime that can leave us physically exhausted and more susceptible to Coronavirus infection. Furthermore, the excessive mandatory overtime is creating havoc in many of our households, as school schedules are in flux, and high quality, affordable, reliable child care is often difficult to find. Additionally, many of us without school aged children are feeling the pinch as we take on increased roles as caregivers for sick and elderly family members. In short, the current, unfair, mandatory overtime situation is hurting everybody. To make matters even worse, Fullbeauty has taken away our Hazard Pay despite the fact that contraction is again spiking in Indiana and all workers are at continued, serious risk of infection. With over $500 Million in annual revenue, Fullbeauty can certainly afford to reinstate Hazard Pay in recognition of our sacrifice to the company . Consequently, we the undersigned demand that Fullbeauty be a better corporate citizen during this health crisis by: Immediately suspending mandatory overtime for its distribution center employees and Immediately reinstating Hazard Pay for all workers We engage in this collective, concerted activity under the protection of Federal Law, specifically, Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. We are also prepared to engage in further actions that are also protected by the Act, as well as collective action designed to safeguard our immediate health and well-being from imminent danger as defined by OSHA, Standard number 1977.12 (b) (2). We anxiously await your response to our demand.

All of the Lovestruck writers are members of marginalized genders and/or sexualities. Voltage has given us an invaluable foot in the door to the industry and a platform to tell stories that represent our voices, our passion, and our experiences. We are also all fans of the app, and we care deeply about the stories we tell. We don't want this to be the end of our partnership with Lovestruck, nor does it have to be. However, the conditions under which we are currently working are untenable. Not only are we paid less than half the industry standard in both base pay and our raises, we are not provided with information about how the routes we write perform either. The increased base pay that Voltage is currently offering is still well below the industry standard. We are eager to have an open and honest conversation with management in order to work together to settle on an equitable rate. The ultimate goal of the contract writers of Lovestruck is to see our hard work and commitment to authentic storytelling given the value it deserves, which will allow us to continue to provide loyal Lovestruck fans with the top-notch content they deserve. We've seen the support for our request for equitable pay and improved conditions come pouring in across social media, and it means the world to us. We cannot thank you enough! By signing this petition, you add your voice to the chorus of Lovestruck fans, game workers, romance writers, organizations, and more in inviting Voltage executives to hop on a call with us to discuss these matters. Thanks again for your incredible support! 🖤🤎❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Acting in solidarity with the July 20th Strike for Black Lives, Googlers Against Racism call on Alphabet to take stronger action in dismantling racism and advancing equity across our company in solidarity with the communities that host our offices. Alphabet has an unprecedented opportunity to be a global leader in antiracist corporate action. Google’s recent commitments to racial equity are commendable and represent the first step, but Alphabet continues to build products, conduct employment practices, and impact communities in ways that increase racial disparities - actions that cause particular harm for Black+ workers and users. One of the demands of the Strike for Black Lives is that “Corporations take immediate action to dismantle racism, white supremacy, and economic exploitation wherever it exists, including in our workplaces.” We look forward to Google setting the standard for anti-racist corporate leadership. In addition to the demands in our other petition on ending police contracts, we believe there are meaningful ways that Google can respond to the pain many are expressing. The demands are common-sense actions that the company should take in the short term to show that it takes its responsibility in dismantling racism seriously. We are under no illusion that these demands are comprehensive or sufficient to dismantle our company’s role in continuing systemic racism. However, not to address these concerns represents a failure on the part of leadership to meet the moment. We have a long way to go to correct for centuries of harm, and we must seize every opportunity we can to build a society that is consistent with our values. Let’s start with a meeting to work together on this.

"Gig workers" and "crowd workers" are among the most underpaid and exploited workers in the twenty-first century. While there have been efforts to unionize gig-workers at platforms like Uber and Lyft, efforts to unionize their "crowd worker" counterparts have been rare. This is a petition that supports the rights of crowd workers at the world's largest crowd work platform - Amazon's Mechanical Turk - to unionize and collectively bargain for better wages, just like workers in any other industry. Under the National Labor Relations Act, all workers have the right to collectively bargain, and workers at MTurk should be no exception. Please sign this anonymous petition to voice your support for the rights of MTurk workers to unionize.

On June 10, President Zimmer announced austerity measures, including voluntary and mandatory furloughs and the suspension of University contributions to retirement plans. Union-represented staff have been asked to approve cuts to their retirement plans in order to avoid possible layoffs. This is on top of freezing all non-contractual raises across campus and cuts to our collections budget in the Library, which pays for resources like books and journals. The release of the budget is necessary to show how much has been spent, and is budgeted to be spent, on the UCPD. This information is needed to understand the fairness of the cuts to the Library and other units, and to understand the spending priorities of the University. Questions about police spending are more important than ever Much of the campus, city, and the nation understand this. We view the question of UCPD’s budget as directly relevant to the austerity measures that have been imposed upon us without our consent amidst calls from University administrators to embrace antiracism. If Provost Lee believes that “the Library reflects the University of Chicago’s aspiration to be the most dynamic research and learning environment in the world,” then we need a transparent budget to demonstrate that such professed priorities align with actual spending. If President Zimmer wants our community to do the work of “[a]ddressing racism and creating positive and sustainable change,” then we need immediate concrete steps to dismantle racist policies and policing on campus. We agree with #CareNotCops that UCPD has failed to create a safe environment on campus and the surrounding community. As library workers, we know firsthand the centrality of the library to research and education. We also know that many patrons consider the library a refuge from a toxic campus environment. But we acknowledge that the Library has failed to be a refuge for some. There must never again be a patron who is subjected to police brutality in the Library. Like #CareNotCops, we too want “the space to dream and build truly liberatory and collective safety for all.” As library workers, we are often placed in potentially dangerous situations. These situations are likely to be more common now that on site workers are responsible for enforcing social distancing regulations and patrons are more likely to be in heightened states of stress. We are not experts in de-escalation or mental health crises. Currently, if we are in immediate danger our choice is either to call armed law enforcement, who have a record of using violence and racial profiling, or to attempt to defuse the situation on our own, which could put ourselves or patrons in danger. We need a better option. We deserve a better option. For this reason, we also endorse the statement of the Maroon Editorial Board. The University must immediately transition to an unarmed, emergency management service that is aligned with anti-oppressive principles. If this University truly prioritizes research, education, and the safety and well-being of its community, then we demand that its leaders show this.

We as Baristas feel that no corporation may decide when a pandemic is over. Working every day is a high risk factor as many customers cannot be turned away when not wearing masks. The COVID-19 situation is still very real and partners should be paid accordingly if we are considered essential.

There is a time for profit, but this is not that time. The actions of leadership in the Co-op during the coronavirus pandemic have been disingenuous: they have breached trust, they have disrespected the workers who represent the Co-op, and they have put human lives at risk in the interest of sales numbers. In a crisis such as this, the REI Co-op needs to be a leader in our communities and in our country by putting people over profits. We do not live in the same world we did a year ago, and we must courageously embrace change. Industries will change, businesses will fail, and we will have to find a way forward. This is a difficult and unprecedented situation, but it is not impossible. Now is the time for the Co-op, at every level, to live our values. These demands are not made for the selfish gain of a few during this unprecedented crisis, but rather in the interest of protecting everyone at the Co-op, both members and stewards — we go further together, after all. These demands are about worker’s rights. They are about public health and safety. Granting these demands will create trust in the Co-op for employees and members alike, and will maintain the reputation this company has been building since 1938. To fail in doing so would be failing at the Co-op’s most basic goal: to enjoy a life well-lived. We are all responsible for the Co-op’s results. It’s time for Co-op leadership to do their part.

Bank employees continue to be at risk to exposure to COVID-19, especially since states have eased lockdown restrictions and now the virus is surging. If workers are expected to perform in these hazardous conditions they should be compensated with hazard pay. Furthermore, the hazard pay should not have a set timeline, it should be provided for the duration of this pandemic.

Amazon has made numerous statements in the recent pass saying that it supports Black lives - for instance in a twitter post it wrote: "The inequitable and brutal treatment of Black people in our country must stop. Together we stand in solidarity with the Black community — our employees, customers, and partners — in the fight against systemic racism and injustice." Black and Latinx people are significantly more likely to be impacted by coronavirus than people of other backgrounds. This is the result of the systemic racism and injustice Amazon claims to stand in solidarity with us against. If that's the case, they should be willing to forego the service of this facility long enough to ensure that workers are as safe as they possibly can be. 1 preventable death is unacceptable. Shut down this facility in defense of Black lives!

In addition to the pay increase period coming to an end, partner hours have recently been reduced. Many employees have had to resort to filing for partial unemployment to meet financial needs. Until conditions have returned to the pre-pandemic status that we were accustomed to, employees should be granted an hourly pay increase that would effectively provide financial stability.