OUR JOBS.
OUR LIVELIHOODS.
BUILD A BETTER WORKPLACE.

Mia, do you remember when you shipped us free copies of your book, Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet? It was inspiring to read that we must, "See the bicycle as a tool for empowerment and social change, not just sport or transportation." We couldn't agree more. However, the title left some of us wondering where we fit into that “healthier planet” as we worked without healthcare, doing dangerous jobs on busy streets and in a filthy warehouse by the Superfund section of Southwest DC. Given our situation, we were surprised to discover that Alta repeatedly signed a Federal contract with DDOT, agreeing to pay specific prevailing wages and health & welfare benefits to all Capital Bikeshare workers in compliance with the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act. These wages and benefits apply to all workers under the contract regardless of full or part-time status (29 C.F.R. § 4.176). We helped build Alta's flagship bikesharing program in DC and we're proud to see Alta landing big contracts all over the USA as a result of our hard work: Citi Bike in New York, Divvy in Chicago, Hubway in Boston; Puget Sound Bikeshare in Seattle; San Francisco, Columbus, Baltimore, Portland... It would be a shame to see bad labor practices pollute the growth of such a socially and environmentally important industry. Mia, it's time for Alta Bicycle Share to play fair and set an example as a leader in good green jobs. Here's how: 1) Honor the Alta-DDOT contracts and immediately pay full back-pay for all unpaid wages and unpaid health & welfare benefits. 2) Comply with the letter and the spirit of the Service Contract Act, from here on out. 3) Commit to paying strong living wages and benefits to Bikeshare workers at every Alta-operated Bikesharing program from New York City to the San Francisco Bay. We trust that you will take prompt action to address these challenges as we all pedal together towards a sustainable future. Capital Bikeshare Workers past & present, Samuel D. Swenson 9/2011-8/2012 Bernard F. Smith 8/2010-9/2012 Omar Estrada 10/2010-10/2012 Spencer Turner 10/2010-10/2012 Anibal Apunte 4/2011-7/2012 Scott Brumbaugh 11/2011-4/2013 Jamal Hicks 2011 Khalil Brown 2011 Jeff Bertolet 2012-present Fhar Miess 7/2011-present Greg Washington 2011-present Zeek Manago 3/2012-present John Farmer 6/2012-present Kermit Demus 8/2012-present Douglas Tyrone Jones 1/2012-present Robert Apunte 2011-present * 2 current long-time workers asked to sign anonymously Kevin Gordon, 4/2013-present Gerald Sinclair, 7/2012-present Veltrick Copeland, present Jason Frantz, Bike Checker, 2012-present Jason Marquard, Bike Checker: 1/2012-present Alejandro Fuentes

This year, the Women’s Gold Medal soccer match for the London Olympics was the NBC Sports Network’s most watched event in history of the network with 4.35 million viewers. More people around the world livestreamed the women's final than any other sporting event during the Olympics. And yet, still, women's professional soccer players struggle to be given the respect they deserve. The latest afront to professional women's soccer players comes with the decision by FIFA to hold the 2015 Women's World Cup Final game on artificial turf. When Abby Wambach -- this year's FIFA Women's World Player of the Year -- heard of this news, she noted, "The men would strike playing on artificial turf." And Wambach, who is known for her physical style of play, should be especially worried. The American Academy of Neurology recently found that concussions are more prevalent when athletes play on artificial turf, and that women athletes are more likely to experience concussions in soccer than in other sports. Artificial turf has been blamed for increased injuries on sporting fields, including more sprained ankles, concussions, turf burns, and an injury known as “turf toe”. Many claim that knee injuries are more common on artificial turf than on natural grass, and players often report greater muscle strain. That's because artificial turf has a higher coefficient of friction, meaning that players are more likely to “stick” to the surface instead of sliding naturally across it. How well a playing field absorbs shock is another factor in sports related injuries. Some believe natural grass turf can absorb shock better than artificial turf. Overheating is also a health concern for athletes playing on an artificial turf since temperatures can be over 15 degrees hotter on fake turf than natural grass. Some of the best soccer players in the world deserve to play the most competitive match of their lives on real grass. FIFA has the power to change the venues for the World Cup games to fields with real grass. Do the right thing, FIFA, and give professional women's soccer players the respect they deserve. ----UPDATE---- As of June 9, 2013, more than 35 national team players from at least 10 different countries have signed this petition to FIFA calling for natural grass in the 2015 Women's World Cup. Below is a list of professional players who've so far signed this petition: Abby Wambach - USA Carli Lloyd - USA Ali Krieger - USA Alex Morgan - USA Whitney Engen - USA 安藤 梢 (Kozue Ando) - JPN 大儀見 優季 (Yūki Ōgimi) - JPN Anja Mittag - GER Annike Krahn - GER Célia Okoyino da Mbabi - GER Kim Kulig - GER Melissa Barbieri - AUS Sam Kerr - AUS Natalia Gaitan - COL Melissa Ortiz - COL Nataly Arias - COL Eugénie Le Sommer - FRA Camille Abily - FRA Wendie Renard - FRA Veronica Boquete - ESP Caroline Seger - SWE Lotta Schelin - SWE Olivia Schough - SWE Sara Thunebro - SWE Malin Levenstad - SWE Sofia Lundgren - SWE Emma Berglund - SWE Charlotte Rohlin - SWE Hedvig Lindahl - SWE Nilla Fischer - SWE Annica Svensson - SWE Therese Sjoran - SWE Caroline Jönsson - SWE Anita Asante - ENG Faye White - ENG Ana-Maria Crnogorčević - SUI Sarah Walsh - AUS (Retired) Michelle Akers - USA (Retired)

My name is Cathy Youngblood and I am a hotel housekeeper employed at the Hyatt Andaz in West Hollywood, California. I, along with thousands of hospitality workers across America, take pride in providing guests with quality service during their hotel visits. But I want to share with you a message today that connects us even though you may work outside the hospitality industry. How many times have you heard someone on your job say, “If I ran this company, things would change. Why doesn’t management listen to us? There’s a better way to get this job done.” My coworkers and I have an idea to make our jobs better. We have been calling on the Hyatt Corporation to add a 13th seat to their present Board of Directors, but reserve that seat for a hotel worker, someone like me. Not one of the present Hyatt board members works in a hotel. In our respective hotels, my co-workers have been asking for safer working conditions, proper equipment, and an end to subcontracting of full time jobs to low wage temps. We still don’t have answers to our requests. But now is the time for Hyatt to change. Our company, Hyatt, has done some pretty unsavory things to its workers. Everything from telling a dishwasher she had to return to work three days after having a C-section or lose her job to turning heat lamps on workers picketing for better conditions during a brutal heat wave to firing 100 career housekeepers in one day in order to replace them with minimum wage temps. It is clear that Hyatt’s Board needs a worker voice. Recently, Penny Pritzker, a Hyatt board member and direct relative of the founders of the Hyatt Hotels, was nominated for Commerce Secretary. Ms. Pritzker’s nomination leaves an opening on the Hyatt Board, and I am calling on Hyatt to fill her seat with a hotel worker. I will be attending the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on June 10th to say that Hyatt workers across the country want representation on the Board and I will deliver this petition to show the public believes that workers should have a voice on corporate boards too. Thank you, Cathy Youngblood