We work at Utrecht Art Supply on 13th Street in New York City. In addition to being dedicated employees, we are artists who are passionate about art and take pride in providing quality service to our customers. As artists, we have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to provide our customers with a high level of expertise. Despite the knowledge we bring to the job and the hard work we put in every day, most of us make less than $10 per hour. On top of that, last year Utrecht was bought by competitor Blick Art Materials. Without any notice, Blick unilaterally slashed our hours. We tried talking to corporate about the impact this would have on many of our lives, but they simply refused to do anything about it. That’s why we decided to come together and unionize with the Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union (RWDSU). We know that by standing together we can make real change. In January we filed for a union election in order to force the company to recognize our union and negotiate a legally binding contract. Under the instruction of their high paid lawyers and consultants, Blick immediately launched a sophisticated campaign aimed at convincing us to vote against our own interests. We were subjected to mandatory meetings filled with misinformation and emotional appeals from the CEO. In spite of it all, on March 4th, our store voted to unionize with the RWDSU. Now the company is legally required to sit down and negotiate with us. We’ve already won immediate improvements such as increased weekly hours. We hope to secure this improvement and win more in contract negotiations. We are calling on the company to provide: • Living Wage: Pay us wages we can live on • Raises: Provide guaranteed, regularly scheduled raises • Schedules: Provide advance notice of our schedules and ensure proper staffing levels As we negotiate a contract with Blick, we know that winning the best contract we can won’t happen alone. That’s why we’re asking for your support. Tell Blick you stand with us and will support us in our fight to win a good contract!

Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain have called for direct U.S. military action in Iraq in the wake of the failure of the Iraqi Army to defend Mosul against Sunni insurgents. But Senate Armed Services Chair Carl Levin has correctly called for caution. Levin said: "It's unclear how air strikes on our part can succeed unless the Iraqi army is willing to fight, and that's uncertain given the fact that several Iraqi army divisions have melted away." As the New York Times has written, “The United States simply cannot be sucked into another round of war in Iraq.” The U.S. war in Iraq ended in 2011 with the withdrawal of our troops, and we don’t need a new U.S. war in Iraq. President Obama is right that the Iraqi government must be responsible for security in Iraq. To avoid another rush to war, Members of Congress must insist that an explicit Congressional authorization of force precede any direct U.S. military action in Iraq, including airstrikes.

because no one else will

For those who have no insight guardians can control whom a person speaks to or sees. Every human being has the right to happiness and not being controlled in this manner. My brother and I recently lost our father, his advocate in 2013. Since then his Guardian has forbidden all contact between Jim and his family. We've received threats of harassment/trespassing and we fear for his emotional and physical well being. I've come to the conclusion this is not just an issue for those in Iowa but all over our country. Guardians should have limitations and Jim should be able to speak and see his family. For more information: http://freejimmy.org https://www.facebook.com/guardianshiplaws Giving the voiceless a voice. One signature at a time.

The Town of Chevy Chase initially objected to the installation of portables at Chevy Chase Elementary School (CCES) to preserve open space in the Town. MCPS Director of Department of Facilites, James Song, proposed and agreed to dismantling the CCES computer lab and converting the space to a classroom and eliminated the second portable. Other elementary schools in our cluster are not losing their computer labs as a result of technical modernization. Our student population is growing and we will need the space afforded by a second portable. Town of Chevy Chase Mayor Strom has written a letter to MCPS indicating that the Town has removed its objection to the second portable and has agreed to defer to MCPS in assessing the need of a second portable classroom. Given this recent development, CCES needs to obtain a second portable classroom and NOT lose its cherished computer lab. we ask that MCPS stick to its previously approved plan.

During my spring 2014 semester, I received a 'F' for "class participation/attendance" in one of my graduate courses. Immediately, I contacted my academic advisor to file an academic grievance. However, I was told that professors are not required to provide documentation of how the class participation portion of the "class participation/attendance" evaluation is calculated. As a result of not having this policy, I received a B+ in the course and my 4.0 GPA dropped to a 3.95 GPA. This is an important issue because students receive an average of 15% of their final course grade from "class participation/attendance" without a standardized policy on how to perform.

Too many children are being removed from safe homes to unsafe homes. My son was removed from my home under false allegations and placed with his dad who denied him at birth when he did not sign the birth certificate or come around at all till he was 11. He only saw him three times after then. My sons 14 now his dad has given him marajuana and smoked it with him, he's also given him alcohol, tried to fight him under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and threaten to put him out for telling me what was going on. I expressed these concerns to the worker, her supervisor, and the hot line and still I've received no help.

After being allowed entry through Israel's (Tel-Aviv) Ben Gurion International Airport on several occasions, on 11-24-2005 I was denied entry and imprisoned the whole night when I had committed no crime at all besides being of Arabic descent. I was humiliated by the State of Israel for no reason, as many U.S. citizens constantly are. I was going to attend my sister's wedding and instead of being a joyful time of the family gathering for a happy occasion, my whole family was worried about my whereabouts because the Israel border agents put me on the first flight leaving to Germany and I had to find another flight back to the U.S.A. It was the most humiliating experience I had ever had in my life. Israel boosts itself as the only democracy in the Middle East, but it is the only state that will deny me, a U.S. tax-paying citizen entry. Join our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/LetUsGoin2014/

Sallie Mae is funding opposition to the legislation in Congress to allow lowering student loans interest rates. My Grandson owes them over $100,000 at 6.4 percent interest. A reduction of even a percent would help. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/11/1306172/-Who-s-fighting-student-loan-reform-Why-the-lender-of-nbsp-course

This Petition is for The Patriot Act U.S.A., which caused emotional distress.

Mayor Quan has a chance to help kids in Oakland, and across the whole country. Later this month, the Council of Mayors will consider resolutions in support of expanding quality early education to every child in America. Kids who attend preschool not only do better in school as they grow older -- they're also more likely to go to college and get a good job. But for many families, a quality preschool program is simply too expensive or not available. Last year a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress that would help every child get access to quality preschool. We need more support from the local level to push this measure forward. Support from Mayor Quan and her colleagues is the kind of local support that we will need to win. What we need to do right now is to demonstrate widespread support from people like you.

Mayor Garcetti has a chance to help kids in Los Angeles, and across the whole country. Later this month, the Council of Mayors will consider resolutions in support of expanding quality early education to every child in America. Kids who attend preschool not only do better in school as they grow older -- they're also more likely to go to college and get a good job. But for many families, a quality preschool program is simply too expensive or not available. Last year a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress that would help every child get access to quality preschool. We need more support from the local level to push this measure forward. Support from Mayor Garcetti and his colleagues is the kind of local support that we will need to win. What we need to do right now is to demonstrate widespread support from people like you.