JUUstice Washington

A Unitarian Universalist State Action Network

As WA restaurants struggle, workers weigh physical and economic survival

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By the end of April, nearly 200,000 leisure and hospitality workers across the state (more than half of the sector’s workforce, which is disproportionately made up of women and people of color) had lost their jobs, and employment levels in the sector are still down 32%, compared with 25.6% nationwide.

Those working in the food preparation and serving industry are particularly hard hit. For the majority of the pandemic, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, cafeteria workers and others in the industry have made up the largest percentage of Washington’s unemployed — even as Gov. Jay Inslee relaxed restrictions this summer, allowing dining rooms to reopen at reduced capacity.

Read more here.

Child care was already dysfunctional. COVID-19 could break it completely

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Liu’s child care facility is among the many that closed in Washington state during the early months of the pandemic. According to the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, about 1,000 child care programs closed temporarily between March and late August for pandemic-related reasons. Those closures affected about one-quarter of the state’s child care slots.

Some facilities shut down temporarily for a deep cleaning. Some closed because of exposure to the virus. And others closed because of declining enrollment, as more parents kept their kids home because of financial reasons or health concerns, according to Child Care Aware of Washington, which tracks child care availability.

Read more here.

“The Condor and the Eagle” film screening and fundraiser for Tokitae Fund of Lummi Nation’s Lhaqtemish Foundation

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Join the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth, the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship and many other friends and allies as we come together virtually as people of faith and conscience to celebrate the Fall Equinox, watch this award-winning documentary, hear from the filmmakers & protagonists, and unite the faith community and allies in the movement for Indigenous rights and climate justice.
Even if you’ve already seen the film, join us again as we listen to the voices of Lummi Nation and Ponca Nations.
This day before the 50th Anniversary of Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut’s arrival at Miami Seaquarium.  Doug and Jewell James will speak to the heart in a significant way about bringing  Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut (Tokitae) home.  This is not just about returning a whale to the wild.  It’s about recognizing and honoring Lummi “Schlangen” (life ways).  It’s about Truth and Reconciliation.  It’s about restoring and protecting the Salish Sea and all the lives that depend on Her.
 
And then, it’s about our future on this planet.
September 22nd • 6:30 pm
“Four Indigenous leaders embark on an extraordinary trans-continental adventure from the Canadian Boreal forests to deep into the heart of the Amazonian jungle to unite the peoples of North and South America and deepen the meaning of “Climate Justice”. The Condor & The Eagle documentary offers a glimpse into a developing spiritual renaissance as the film four protagonists learn from each other’s long legacy of resistance to colonialism and its extractive economy.”

Decolonizing Environmentalism

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The exclusion of Indigenous people and other non-White communities in environmental and conservation work is, unfortunately, nothing new. For centuries, conservation has been driven by Eurocentric, Judeo-Christian belief structures that emphasize a distinct separation of “Man” and “Nature” — an ideology that does not mesh well with many belief structures, including those belonging to Indigenous communities.

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Today Braun’s life is just one example of the ideological exclusion of non-European thought as it relates to wildlife and the natural world. Nonsubscribers are barred from participation in the protection of the world and nonhuman lives they hold so dear, which inhibits their environmental stewardship. But around the world, and especially in the United States, we are witnessing a historical push toward the dismantling of imperialism, the decentralization of power, and the welcoming of non-White, non-European values into conservation.

Let’s Talk About Fossil Fuel Expansion in Tacoma: 350 Tacoma and Plans for More Crude Oil Tanks

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Did you know that Targa Resources, a fossil fuel pipeline, fuel storage and transportation company, runs crude oil storage and terminaling facilities in Tacoma? Those are the huge tanks you can see along the Hylebos Waterway near the Port (2628 Marine View Drive). A few years ago, Targa (now under the name SeaPort Sound) expanded their rail capacity (oil trains) for “increased efficiency.” Now they have requested to increase their crude oil and other fossil fuel storage capacity.

Is there any doubt that means more fossil fuel industry in Tacoma? And more risk for all of us if something goes wrong. And more impacts to the environment and climate change.

Read more here.