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New Study: Living Near Trees Is Good For Your Body AND Wallet

<p>Not only do trees supply life-sustaining oxygen, they help nearby residents become fitter, happier, and richer.</p>
<div><a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/new-study-living-near-trees-is-good-for-your-body-and-wallet/tree-23/" rel="attachment wp-att-36513"><img alt="Credit: Inhabitat" class="wp-image-36513" height="548" src="http://cdn9.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Tree.jpg" width="730" /></a>
<p>Credit: inhabitots.com</p>
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<p>It’s no secret people adore trees. Why, just a couple of weeks ago, TrueActivist shared what <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/this-is-what-happened-when-the-city-of-melbourne-gave-email-addresses-to-trees/">happens when you give trees email addres</a>s (<strong>hint:</strong> citizens send them <em>thousands</em> of love letters).</p>
<p>But a <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/07/13/living-on-tree-lined-streets-has-health-benefits-study-finds.html">recently published study</a> affirming the lesser-known benefits derived from living near trees is also something to get excited about. According to researchers from the University of Chicago and various Toronto organizations:</p>
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<p><em>“…people who live in neighborhoods with a higher density of trees on their streets report significantly higher health perception and significantly less cardio-metabolic conditions (controlling for socio-economic and demographic factors). We find that having 10 more trees in a city block, on average, improves health perception in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $10,000 and moving to a neighborhood with $10,000 higher median income or being 7 years younger.”</em></p>
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<p>Researchers began by looking at Toronto, a location which has a lot of tree cover in its residential areas and highly accurate health data from the Province’s universal health plan. They found that <em>“people who live on a tree-lined block are less likely to report conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease or diabetes.”</em></p>
<div><a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/new-study-living-near-trees-is-good-for-your-body-and-wallet/toronto/" rel="attachment wp-att-36514"><img alt="Credit: Toronto " class="wp-image-36514" height="537" src="http://cdn9.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Toronto.jpg" width="730" /></a>
<p>Credit: Toronto Study</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/07/13/living-on-tree-lined-streets-has-health-benefits-study-finds.html">According to team leader</a> of the study, <a href="http://psychology.uchicago.edu/people/faculty/berman.shtml">Marc Bergman of the University of Chicago</a>:</p>
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<p>“<em>Researchers don’t know why, exactly, trees seem to be good for people’s health. “Is it that the trees are cleaning the air? Is it that the trees are encouraging people to go outside and exercise more? Or is it their aesthetic beauty? We need to understand that,”</em> he said.</p>
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<p><em>L</em>ikely everyone who appreciates this study will agree with city councillor Sarah Doucette’s sentiments: <em>“Yes, I’m a tree hugger – and I love it.”</em></p>
<p>An interesting point is noted by the website <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/economics/living-tree-lined-streets-makes-you-young-thin-and-rich.html">TreeHugger</a>, however, in bringing to attention several correlations discovered and documented several years ago. The staff writer Brian Merchant, in his titled piece “<a href="http://www.treehugger.com/economics/how-spot-income-inequality-space-look-trees.html">How to Spot Income Inequality from Space: Look for the Trees</a>,” quoted <a href="http://persquaremile.com/2012/05/17/urban-trees-reveal-income-inequality/">Tim DeChant</a> who shared that:</p>
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<p><em>“For every 1 percent increase in per capita income, demand for forest cover increased by 1.76 percent. But when income dropped by the same amount, demand decreased by 1.26 percent. That’s a pretty tight correlation. The researchers reason that wealthier cities can afford more trees, both on private and public property. The well-to-do can afford larger lots, which in turn can support more trees. On the public side, cities with larger tax bases can afford to plant and maintain more trees.”</em></p>
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<p>So, are people living near trees because they are already rich and healthy or are the trees contributing to their longevity and padded wallet?</p>
<p>At the moment, all one <em>really</em> needs to know is that trees are an indispensable resource worthy of the admiration so far gained. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.</p>
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<p>This article (<a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/new-study-living-near-trees-is-good-for-your-body-and-wallet/">New Study: Living Near Trees Is Good For Your Body AND Wallet</a>) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"><em>Creative Commons</em></a> <em>license with attribution to the author and</em> <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/"><em>TrueActivist.com</em></a></p>
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activism knowledge news New Study: Living Near Trees Is Good For Your Body AND Wallet

Not only do trees supply life-sustaining oxygen, they help nearby residents become fitter, happier, and richer. Credit: inhabitots.com I...

The People Who Live On This Island Will Kill Anyone Who Tries To Come Ashore

<p><a href="http://cdn9.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Sentinelese-tribe-700x469.jpg"><img alt="Sentinelese-tribe-700x469" class="aligncenter wp-image-36509" height="489" src="http://cdn9.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Sentinelese-tribe-700x469.jpg" width="730" /></a></p>
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<p>By:<a href="http://themindunleashed.org/author/annalemind">Anna Lemind</a>, <a href="http://themindunleashed.org/2015/07/the-people-of-this-isolated-tribe-kill-anyone-approaching-their-island.html">TheMindUnleashed</a>,</p>
<p>North Sentinel Island, located in the Bay of Bengal, between Myanmar and Indonesia, is home to an isolated tribe that has never been colonized or even made contact with. These people are one of the last Stone Age tribes on Earth whose culture has been completely untouched by modern civilization.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that the island formally belongs to India, no one dares to visit it and approach the Sentinelese tribe. The reason is their extreme violence and hostility – anyone who has ever tried to come ashore the island was attacked or even killed.</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn10.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/1024px-North_Sentinel_Island.jpg"><img alt="1024px-North_Sentinel_Island" class="aligncenter wp-image-36510" height="730" src="http://cdn10.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/1024px-North_Sentinel_Island.jpg" width="730" /></a></p>
<h4>Contacts with the Sentinelese tribe</h4>
<p><strong>In 1896,</strong> a Hindu convict escaped from the prison but had a bad luck to ground on North Sentinel on a makeshift raft. As a result, his body was found a few days later on a beach, perforated by arrows and with the throat cut.</p>
<p><strong>On August 2, 1981,</strong> when the ship Primrose ran aground on the North Sentinel Island reef, the crew noticed men on the beach who were carrying arrows and spears. The captain tried to use radio communication to ask for help, but did not receive it. Fortunately, the crew was lucky enough to be kept away from the island by the troubled waters and rescued by helicopter a few days later.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3049022/The-island-dangerous-visit-Mysterious-Sentinelese-tribe-rejected-outsiders-60-000-years-try-kill-sets-foot-land.html">The Daily Mail</a>: “<em><a href="http://www.survivalinternational.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Survival International</a> reported late last year that it had received reports that fishermen are targeting the area, with seven men being apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard.</em></p>
<p><em>One of the fishermen reportedly stepped foot on the island in close proximity to the tribe’s members, and he managed to leave unscathed.</em></p>
<p><em>Survival International, which advocates for tribal peoples’ rights, describes the Sentinelese as ‘the most vulnerable society on the planet’ as they are likely to have no immunity to common diseases such as flu and measles.</em></p>
<p><em>Due to their complete isolation, the chances of them being wiped out by an epidemic are very high, according to the organization.”</em></p>
<p>After the catastrophic Indian Ocean earthquake of 2004, the Indian government sent a helicopter to check on the Sentinelese tribe. It’s curious that the North Sentinel Island and its inhabitants were almost unaffected while some nearby islands suffered heavy damage.</p>
<p>When the helicopter hovered over a group of tribesmen, they were throwing stones and shooting arrows at it.</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn10.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sentinell.jpg"><img alt="sentinell" class="aligncenter wp-image-36511" height="473" src="http://cdn10.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sentinell.jpg" width="731" /></a></p>
<p><strong>On January 26, 2006,</strong> two men were killed when fishing illegally in the area. A coastguard helicopter tried to retrieve their bodies but was unable to land because of a shower of arrows from the locals.</p>
<h4>What else is known about the Sentinelese tribe</h4>
<p>The Sentinelese are believed to have lived on the island for 60,000 years! After this unthinkable period of time in isolation, it’s no surprise that they are so hostile to outsiders, which may be due to past conflicts with the outside world. In order to protect the Tribe and prevent unnecessary violence, the Indian government has also made it illegal to approach it closer than three miles.</p>
<p>Due to the inability to study the tribe and the island, we don’t know much about them. It is estimated that the tribe counts between 50 and 400 members and lives exclusively by hunting and gathering. Though it is difficult to observe the island from the air because of the dense tree cover, it is established that the Sentinelese are not familiar with agriculture.</p>
<p>Their drive to protect their culture from the outside world is probably the reason they have survived in isolation for so many years. Who knows how long they will manage to live in the middle of the ocean without having the slightest interest in the “civilized” rest of the world. And perhaps being without contact with us is a good thing.</p>
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<p>1. <a href="http://wackulus.com/people-live-island-kill-anybody-tries-come-ashore/" target="_blank">Wackulus</a><br />
2. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3049022/The-island-dangerous-visit-Mysterious-Sentinelese-tribe-rejected-outsiders-60-000-years-try-kill-sets-foot-land.html" target="_blank">Dailymail</a><br />
3. <a href="http://www.unbelievable-facts.com/2013/08/the-north-sentinel-island-one-of-most.html" target="_blank">Unbelievable Facts</a></p>
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activism knowledge news The People Who Live On This Island Will Kill Anyone Who Tries To Come Ashore

By: Anna Lemind , TheMindUnleashed , North Sentinel Island, located in the Bay of Bengal, between Myanmar and Indonesia, is home to an is...

Generosity Triumphs Greed In This Awesome Social Experiment

<p>If you came across the opportunity to 'help yourself to some free money,' what would you do?</p>
<div><a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/generosity-triumphs-greed-in-this-awesome-social-experiment/money-7/" rel="attachment wp-att-36491"><img alt="Credit: Ark Project Now" class="wp-image-36491" height="411" src="http://cdn10.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Money.png" width="730" /></a>
<p>Credit: Ark Project Now</p>
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<p>If you came across the offer to <em>‘help yourself to some free money,’</em> what would you do?</p>
<p>This is what the folks from Ark Project Now decided to find out, and they did this by conducting a social experiment in which they stuck a bunch of dollar bills on a board with the words <em>“Take what you need, give what you can.”</em> The footage below shows the community’s response – and it’s awesome!</p>
<center>[embedded content]</center>
<p>The board was located on the busy Mission Beach in San Diego, California. As might be expected, the money covered board drew a lot of attention. Some people stopped to take photos, and others even put some put some cash on it!</p>
<p><strong>The experiment began with $20, and within 45 minutes had $40.</strong></p>
<p>Said one man in awe of the experiment: <em>“It makes your brain scramble seeing all that money floating around. It makes you think how many people are out here doing the right thing.”</em></p>
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<p><em>“If I were rich, I’d be putting $100 up there,”</em> he added. <em>“There’s so many hundreds of other people in more need than I am. As long as I got my mental health and meal for tomorrow I’m not greedy. Greed destroys love. marriages, relationships, it destroys everything. Trust and friendship are worth more than gold.”</em></p>
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<p>Experiments like this inspire hope in humanity. <em><strong>Share your thoughts below!</strong></em></p>
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<p>This article (<a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/generosity-triumphs-greed-in-this-awesome-social-experiment/">Generosity Triumphs Greed In This Awesome Social Experiment</a>) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"><em>Creative Commons</em></a> <em>license with attribution to the author and</em> <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/"><em>TrueActivist.com</em></a></p>
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activism knowledge news Generosity Triumphs Greed In This Awesome Social Experiment

If you came across the opportunity to 'help yourself to some free money,' what would you do? Credit: Ark Project Now If you came...

100,000 German Beekeepers Demand Ban On G.M.O.'s to Prevent Colony Collapse

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<h2>100,000 German Beekeepers Demand Ban On G.M.O.'s to Prevent Colony Collapse</h2>
<span>100,000 German Beekeepers Demand Ban On G.M.O.'s to Prevent Colony Collapse</span>
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<div>This article originally appeared on <span>True Activist</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/field/image/bee.jpg?itok=tPJESYUO" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/styles/slide_narrow/public/field/image/bee.jpg?itok=tPJESYUO" /></a>
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<p>Bees’ importance cannot be overstated. As TrueActivist has <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/since-april-2014-bee-population-has-declined-40-60/" rel="nofollow">shared before</a>, the tiny, bumbling insects are responsible for a lot – making them essential in the future of our planet.</p>
<p>Therefore, with massive bee die-offs (otherwise known as "colony collapse disorder"), it has been the plight of many scientists, beekeepers, and educated activists to do whatever it takes to ensure bees survive.</p>
<p>Some theories exist as to what is causing colony collapse, such as Monsanto’s GMO crops, the insecticides used to treat them, and EMF frequencies from excessive technological use. But debate persists.</p>
<p>In wake of all the controversy, the German Beekeepers Association (DIB), which represents almost 100,000 beekeepers, decided to take action by calling for a nationwide ban on GMO cultivation. The news comes from a report published by the German NGO keine-gentechnik.de.</p>
<p>As GMWatch shares, this call for a ban follows controversial legislation allowing E.U. member states to opt-out of GM cultivation, even though it has been approved at the European Union level.</p>
<p>As might be expected, many pro-GMO advocates are angry about the new law, calling it “unfounded,” and stating that it “lacks scientific justification.” Many non-GMO supporters – especially beekeepers – stand strong in their stance, however, and point to the many documented dangers (and unproven suspicions) of genetically modified foods.</p>
<p>They also bring to attention the known damage caused by herbicides and pesticides used to grow them, as well as the decimation of pollinating insects.</p>
<p>Beekeepers are hoping that Germany's Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt will soon administer a nationwide ban. At this point, they – and the rest of the world – need action to be taken to preserve the declining numbers of pollinating bees. So far, the Minister has argued in favor of allowing each state individually to decide if they will ban GMOs.</p>
<p>Because bees can fly up to eight kilometers to pollinate and search for food, this is far from the compromise bee advocates are seeking. Even if one state banned GM crops, cross-contamination from crops of a nearby state could occur, further harming bee populations.</p>
<p>Beekeepers state that this would be “environmentally and agriculturally unacceptable.”</p>
<p>In addition, the exposure of bees to biotech chemicals like glyphosate (which was determined to be "probably carcinogenic" by the WHO’s IARC), would no doubt compromise their numbers even more.</p>
<p>We agree with the DIB’s statement: “Bees know no borders.”</p>
<p>For this reason, it is essential individuals recognize the importance of bees and band together to demand a ban on GMOs in their own country. No doubt a ban so large will be tough to uphold, but at this point measures must be taken.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/100000-german-beekeepers-just-called-for-a-ban-on-gmos/" rel="nofollow">Originally published by True Activist</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/Honey%2BBee%2B-%2BHoneycomb%2BYellow.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="GMO ban, colony collapse, bee die-off, Monsanto, German Beekeepers Association, GMO opt-out, GMO cross-contamination, glyphosate" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/Honey%2BBee%2B-%2BHoneycomb%2BYellow.jpg" title="GMO ban, colony collapse, bee die-off, Monsanto, German Beekeepers Association, GMO opt-out, GMO cross-contamination, glyphosate" /></a></p>
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<p>The call for a ban follows controversial legislation allowing E.U. member states to opt-out of GM cultivation, even though it has been approved at the European Union level.</p>
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<p>On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Wage Board exercised its power to set the new minimum for the fast food industry's 200,000 workers in the state – without requiring approval of the legislature.</p>
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<p>As President Michelle Bachelet sets to implement comprehensive education reform, the movement is in a crucial phase – now students and teachers are ratcheting up pressure with huge protests and an indefinite strike.</p>
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<p>In one of the more remote areas of Odisha, eastern India, live small communities of subsistence farmers who over the last few years have managed to return to a system of cooperative, zero-input agriculture.</p>
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<p>The bill, proposed by the presidential candidate and Democrats in the House, goes far beyond the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and makes it easier for federal workers to join a union.</p>
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<p>Eric Holder’s return to a corporate law firm undermines public trust.</p>
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<p>The deepening gap between rich and poor is both a sociological fact and a state of mind – as the cost of housing is up dramatically, and so is homelessness.</p>
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<p>The deepening gap between rich and poor is both a sociological fact and a state of mind – as the cost of housing is up dramatically, and so is homelessness.</p>
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<p>Poverty rates have nearly doubled among African-Americans and American Indians since 2008, and hardship is most severe in the South and Southwest.</p>
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<p>The prankster activist duo are back at it again, now directing their comical creative theater at the climate crisis and the earth's worst offenders.</p>
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<p>If the U.K. government continues to maintain its grip on North Sea oil, it will continue to prop up an industry that is in decay – with large profits for fossil fuel companies coming at a steep price to people and the climate.</p>
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armageddon news revolution 100,000 German Beekeepers Demand Ban On G.M.O.'s to Prevent Colony Collapse

100,000 German Beekeepers Demand Ban On G.M.O.'s to Prevent Colony Collapse 100,000 German Beekeepers Demand Ban On G.M.O.'s ...

In Latest Victory, New York's Fast Food Workers Get $15 Minimum Wage

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<h2>In Latest Victory, New York's Fast Food Workers Get $15 Minimum Wage</h2>
<span>In Latest Victory, New York's Fast Food Workers Get $15 Minimum Wage</span>
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<div>This article originally appeared on <span>The Washington Post</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/field/image/a-15-minimum-wage-is-coming-to-new-york.jpg?itok=130KSxCT" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/styles/slide_narrow/public/field/image/a-15-minimum-wage-is-coming-to-new-york.jpg?itok=130KSxCT" /></a>
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<p>After three years of campaigning, New York's fast food workers are getting exactly what they wanted: A $15 an hour minimum wage.</p>
<p>The boost comes as a result of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to convene a Wage Board, which has the power to set a new minimum for the fast food industry's 200,000 workers in New York without the approval of the state legislature.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, the Board recommended that the new floor be phased in, rising to $15 by the end of 2018 in New York City, and July of 2021 for the rest of the state.</p>
<p>The three-member board arrived at its decision after listening to hours of emotional testimony from workers, unions, and business owners who described both the difficulty of working for the current state minimum wage, and the potential impact of raising it dramatically. The increase still has to go through a comment period and a regulatory process at the state's Department of Labor before becoming final.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the board members sided with workers like Alexandra Candelaria, 21, who testified at a hearing in Buffalo. She lives with six other family members, while struggling with a cancer called soft tissue sarcoma, and works three part-time jobs including one at McDonalds, for $9.25 an hour.</p>
<p>"I work so hard, and I’m only 21. I’m so tired of being sick and tired all the time, and I don’t have time to stop, because I’ve got so many bills," she told the panel at a hearing in Buffalo. "Working my way out of poverty has never been in the cards for me until now. Now I have hope."</p>
<p>The Wage Board's decision is a victory for the Service Employees International Union, which has poured millions of dollars over the past few years into campaigning for a $15 minimum wage nationwide. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle have put themselves on the path towards that level.</p>
<p>The "Fight for $15" campaign has also racked up several more incremental wins: Massachusetts recently decided to raise the minimum wage for home health care aides to $15 an hour, for example. Major companies like Facebook and Aetna have done so for their own employees, and in Facebook's case those of its contractors.</p>
<p>Just Wednesday, the University of California system announced that all its employees and contractors would also be paid $15 an hour within the next three years.</p>
<p>In New York, Cuomo decided to pursue the fast food industry specifically because it's the largest low-wage employer in the state, and wages had not risen significantly despite robust employment growth, forcing taxpayers to make up the difference through public assistance programs.</p>
<p>"When an industry is not going to correct itself, the government has to step in," said board member Mike Fishman, the SEIU's secretary treasurer.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/1432349920182.jpeg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/1432349920182.jpeg" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Industry opposition</strong></p>
<p>The restaurant industry has fiercely fought the idea of targeting one sector with a higher wage, and accuse the governor of setting up the Wage Board to have a predetermined outcome.</p>
<p>"The entire process has been a sham and the cards have been stacked against the hard-working men and women that own and operate New York’s restaurants from day one,” the Save NY Restaurants Coalition said in a statement after the vote.</p>
<p>“Today’s decision will hurt the very people Governor Cuomo is purportedly trying to help. Restaurants will be forced to streamline labor costs through automation and attrition or close their doors completely."</p>
<p>Although the wage hike targets fast food chains with more than 30 outlets nationwide, full-service restaurants expect that they’ll be indirectly affected as well.</p>
<p>“All restaurants, at some level, compete in the same labor pool. Full-service restaurants will have to lift their wages even higher to retain the top talent in the back of the house,” said Kevin Dugan, a spokesman for the New York State Restaurant Association.</p>
<p>"This raise, combined with the 50 percent increase that the previous wage board gave to tipped employees, will force labor costs to dramatically increase for all types of restaurants."</p>
<p>The extent to which the wage hike will actually impact customers, however, is still hard to predict. In places where large wage increases have started to take effect, prices have risen, but so far there’s no solid indication of how those changes have affected sales.</p>
<p>“For something like fast food, you’re not likely to see as big a shift as you would for example clothing retail, where you might go bargain shopping,” said Chris Jones, vice president for research at the Regional Plan Association, which analyzes issues affecting the area where New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania intersect. “Someone’s not going to go bargain shopping for a Burger King. They want it where they are."</p>
<p>But Jones cautions that there are ways in which raising wages could actually help restaurants: Workers may stay in their jobs longer, cutting down on turnover costs, and may become more productive. Also, higher wages puts more money in the pockets of people who are the most likely to spend it.</p>
<p>Besides, if prices do go up, there could be a health-related silver lining, said Mike Cassidy, a policy associate at the research-minded Century Foundation. “It’s like a tax on fast food that we don’t want people eating anyway.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/Screen-Shot-2015-07-22-at-3.03.10-PM.png" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/Screen-Shot-2015-07-22-at-3.03.10-PM.png" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Spillover effects</strong></p>
<p>Rising wages likely won’t be confined just to the restaurant industry. Other businesses that employ low-wage workers are likely to offer more in order to compete for quality workers. Take retail, for example: Workers at a shoe store in the mall are likely going to need a little something extra to keep them from taking a job at the food court.</p>
<p>“We in the retail industry are drawing from the same pool of potential employees, clearly. And we’re not the only ones,” said Ted Potrikus, president of the Retail Council of New York State. “Anyone who’s paying under $15 an hour is going to have to look at what they’re offering to get good employees.”</p>
<p>Eventually, the spillover effect might get another nudge from the governor. Cuomo resorted to a wage board only after his proposal to raise the state minimum wage to $10.50 an hour across the state and $11.50 in New York City — which most of the state’s business community also opposed — failed in the legislature.</p>
<p>Last week, he started moving on another front, convening a task force to investigate abuses in other low-wage industries. That will likely lead to a series of reports, which may undergird a renewed push to raise the state minimum wage across the board. That’s the approach that economists tend to prefer anyway.</p>
<p>“In terms of economic efficiency, it would be better to impose it generally,” said Isaac Ehrlich, chairman of the economics department at the State University of New York-Buffalo.</p>
<p>And this time, it may be successful, because of the shifting politics around the issue. “This thing polls so highly,” said Potrikus of the retail council, who bucked the state’s business community and backed the first minimum wage proposal.</p>
<p>“Ninety percent of New Yorkers want an increase in the minimum wage. I really want 90 percent of New Yorkers to come into my store. Maybe I should support this.”</p>
<p>From here, the SEIU is likely to take the sector-specific fight to other states with laws that empower governors to unilaterally raise wages. But first, the model being forged in New York will likely face more tests. The Wage Board process is settled law in New York — Cuomo’s predecessor, Gov. David Patterson, used it to raise wages for tipped workers in 2009 — but that hasn’t stopped a coalition of franchisees from hiring a high-powered lawyer to fight it.</p>
<p>That’s why the Wage Board sought to back up its determination with evidence. At the announcement Wednesday afternoon, a representative from the federal Department of Labor presented data showing that the cost of living statewide is $15.91, and that the average fast food worker makes far below that.</p>
<p>"These guys have undergone this process with an expectation that there will be aggressive challenges because of what it could mean for other cities and states and the growing movement,” said Neal Kwatra, who served as a labor representative on the 2009 Wage Board, and now consults for the New York State Democratic Party. "You want a step that’s not going to be a detriment."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/22/in-labor-victory-fast-food-workers-in-new-york-will-get-a-15-minimum-wage/" rel="nofollow">Originally published by Washington Post</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/fightfor15.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/fightfor15.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/2013-05-30t182208z_1867900325_gm1e95v06ja01_rtrmadp_3_usa.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Fight for $15, $15 minimum wage, increased wages, fastfood workers, Wage Board, Andrew Cuomo, Save NY Restaurants Coalition" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/2013-05-30t182208z_1867900325_gm1e95v06ja01_rtrmadp_3_usa.jpg" title="Fight for $15, $15 minimum wage, increased wages, fastfood workers, Wage Board, Andrew Cuomo, Save NY Restaurants Coalition" /></a></p>
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<p>The call for a ban follows controversial legislation allowing E.U. member states to opt-out of GM cultivation, even though it has been approved at the European Union level.</p>
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<p>On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Wage Board exercised its power to set the new minimum for the fast food industry's 200,000 workers in the state – without requiring approval of the legislature.</p>
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<p>As President Michelle Bachelet sets to implement comprehensive education reform, the movement is in a crucial phase – now students and teachers are ratcheting up pressure with huge protests and an indefinite strike.</p>
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<p>In one of the more remote areas of Odisha, eastern India, live small communities of subsistence farmers who over the last few years have managed to return to a system of cooperative, zero-input agriculture.</p>
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<p>The bill, proposed by the presidential candidate and Democrats in the House, goes far beyond the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and makes it easier for federal workers to join a union.</p>
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<p>Eric Holder’s return to a corporate law firm undermines public trust.</p>
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<p>The deepening gap between rich and poor is both a sociological fact and a state of mind – as the cost of housing is up dramatically, and so is homelessness.</p>
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<p>The bill, proposed by the presidential candidate and Democrats in the House, goes far beyond the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and makes it easier for federal workers to join a union.</p>
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<p>The prankster activist duo are back at it again, now directing their comical creative theater at the climate crisis and the earth's worst offenders.</p>
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<p>Poverty rates have nearly doubled among African-Americans and American Indians since 2008, and hardship is most severe in the South and Southwest.</p>
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armageddon news revolution In Latest Victory, New York's Fast Food Workers Get $15 Minimum Wage

In Latest Victory, New York's Fast Food Workers Get $15 Minimum Wage In Latest Victory, New York's Fast Food Workers Get $15 ...