#credit union community

[purplespacecats]

my friend put together a group of people interested in forming a housing co-op and we had our first meeting today!! and wow, we definitely have the connections and know-how and expertise in this group to make it happen :D

what this means concretely is that we are going to wrestle with the federal and provincial and municipal governments for the next decade to get funding and permits and such. but like, there's a very solid chance we will get a building to live in by the end :)

[tlccommunitycu]

Auto Loan Adrian

TLC Community Credit Union offers competitive rates for auto loans and an easy application process in Adrian MI, we offer a lot more than affordable auto loans.

[jobkash]

Finance Accountant

Position Title: Finance AccountantDepartment: FinanceSupervisor’s Title: VP of Finance AccountingClassification: Non-ExemptFull Salary Range: $21.37 – $32.05Starting Salary Range: $21.37 – $26.71Summary:Under limited supervision from the VP of Finance Accounting, this position will provide reconcilement and analysis of the following Accounting area functions; ACH, Share Draft, Visa, Income,…

[adeelseo]

San Mateo Credit Union: Trusted financial partner offering personalized banking solutions and community-focused services.

[ereh-emanresu-tresni]

HSBC and Santander are the most common banks to use and neither give financial advisers to poor people. You need 50,000 to 100,000 for financial advice depending on the bank. They’re banks, not a public service, they’re evil, unfortunately.

I mean I don't discount that the UK is just a classist shithole but like I said literally a fast food job here offered a few free financial advisor consultations as an employment benefit

[homesick-changeling]

working with a bunch of people who feel just as distressed as me when the thai place up the road changes their takeout containers is so fun

[barstoolblues]

can you name a single local assistance program in your state? discount internet provider? street kitchen? pro bono legal aid? immigrant rights group? dental school care options for people without insurance? which restaurants have “kids eat free” nights? no-cost financial counseling services? loan mitigation services from credit unions? tenants unions? hell, even a local church with monthly filipino dinners that doesnt ask questions? do you know the locations of your local foodbank(s), cultural centers, CHILDRENS CONSIGNMENT SHOPS????? you can sit on your high horse and shame people who havent seen the interior of a food bank or clothes for kids once or twice, or, if community means more than the tumblr buzzword of the month to you, you can spend like 5 minutes to share local community assistance services flying under the radar because people dont know to seek them out. but thats just my opinionnnn

literally where was all this talk about community and community activism you expect everyone to already be involved in before last night lmaoooo

[leidensygdom]

So, what is the OGL and why are DnD creators thoroughly screwed?

Tumblr has not been doing a great job at talking about this, but:

With OneDnD, Wizards of the Coast has decided to update the Open Game License (OGL). Said license is what allowed people to create homebrew DnD content and sell it, and even larger companies to use certain sorts of content. Pathfinder, for example, is built on said OGL. This also allows streamers and artists to exist and benefit from said content.

With OneDnD (sometimes called “dnd 6e”), WOTC wants to create a much more restrictive OGL, which will, amongst other things:

Make WOTC take a cut for any DnD-related work (according to Kickstarter, a whole 25% of the benefits)

Let WOTC cancel any project related to DnD up to their discretion

Let WOTC take ANY content made based on their system, and re-sell it without crediting you, or giving you a single cent

And most importantly, revoke the old OGL, which will harm any company or game system that used it as a base, such as Pathfinder. And it means they GET ownership over any homebrew content you may have done for 5e in the past!

It’s important to note that OGLs are supposedly irrevocable. They were planning to use it for OneDnD initially, but they want to apply it retroactively to 5e, somehow. Which is illegal, but lawyers have mentioned there’s a chance they may get away with it given the wording.

This means that anything you make based on DnD (A homebrew item? A character drawing? Even music, according to them?), can get taken and used as they deem appropiate.

These news come from a leak of the OGL, which have been confirmed by multiple reputable sources (including Kickstarter, which has confirmed that WOTC already talked with them about this), and was planned to be released next week.

So, what can we do?

Speak against it. Share the word. Reblog this post. Let people know. Tumblr hasn’t been talking much about this matter, but it’s VERY important to let people know about what is WOTC bringing. 

Boycott them. Do not buy their products. Do not buy games with their IP. Do not watch their movie. CANCEL your DnD Beyond subscription. (Btw, they ARE planning to release more subscription services too!). They do not care about the community, but they care about the money. Make sure to speak through it. 

And maybe consider other TTRPG systems for the time being, Pathfinder’s Paizo has been much nicer to the community, their workers are unionized and are far more healthy overall

[heritageposts]

Ask an older generation of white South Africans when they first felt the bite of anti-apartheid sanctions, and some point to the moment in 1968 when their prime minister, BJ Vorster, banned a tour by the England cricket team because it included a mixed-race player, Basil D’Oliveira. After that, South Africa was excluded from international cricket until Nelson Mandela walked free from prison 22 years later. The D’Oliveira affair, as it became known, proved a watershed in drumming up popular support for the sporting boycott that eventually saw the country excluded from most international competition including rugby, the great passion of the white Afrikaners who were the base of the ruling Nationalist party and who bitterly resented being cast out. For others, the moment of reckoning came years later, in 1985 when foreign banks called in South Africa’s loans. It was a clear sign that the country’s economy was going to pay an ever higher price for apartheid. Neither of those events was decisive in bringing down South Africa’s regime. Far more credit lies with the black schoolchildren who took to the streets of Soweto in 1976 and kicked off years of unrest and civil disobedience that made the country increasingly ungovernable until changing global politics, and the collapse of communism, played its part. But the rise of the popular anti-apartheid boycott over nearly 30 years made its mark on South Africans who were increasingly confronted by a repudiation of their system. Ordinary Europeans pressured supermarkets to stop selling South African products. British students forced Barclays Bank to pull out of the apartheid state. The refusal of a Dublin shop worker to ring up a Cape grapefruit led to a strike and then a total ban on South African imports by the Irish government. By the mid-1980s, one in four Britons said they were boycotting South African goods – a testament to the reach of the anti-apartheid campaign. . . . The musicians union blocked South African artists from playing on the BBC, and the cultural boycott saw most performers refusing to play in the apartheid state, although some, including Elton John and Queen, infamously put on concerts at Sun City in the Bophuthatswana homeland. The US didn’t have the same sporting or cultural ties, and imported far fewer South African products, but the mobilisation against apartheid in universities, churches and through local coalitions in the 1980s was instrumental in forcing the hand of American politicians and big business in favour of financial sanctions and divestment. By the time President FW de Klerk was ready to release Mandela and negotiate an end to apartheid, a big selling point for part of the white population was an end to boycotts and isolation. Twenty-seven years after the end of white rule, some see the boycott campaign against South Africa as a guide to mobilising popular support against what is increasingly condemned as Israel’s own brand of apartheid.

. . . continues at the guardian (21 May, 2021)

[community-first-credit-union]

A rewards credit card can earn you cashback, points, and rewards on your everyday purchases. Learn how to choose the right card for your spending habits and how to maximize your rewards.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

The Woodland Park Zoo is my home zoo, and the possibility of a strike has been brewing for a while. The staff at the zoo have been working without a union contract for over 200 days because the zoo is unwilling to pay them a living wage.

Zookeepers around the country are consistently underpaid, and Seattle is an incredibly expensive place to live. The zoo is losing animal care staff rapidly - I've been told they'd lost five keepers and a vet tech to another nearby AZA zoo this year alone - because they can't afford to live here. And I've been told that because there's no contract, the zoo is on a hiring freeze, which means they're perpetually understaffed.

Photo credit: Yulia Issa

There was an informational picket outside of a big event last month, which got a ton of community support. Then the only content the zoo put out for National Zookeepers Week was a single post about how much gratitude the staff are owed, which... hmmmm, came off a little tone-deaf in the current moment.

Now it looks like staff might end up striking to make their point, after almost a year of negotiations.

"Workers at Woodland Park Zoo, who are members of the Joint Crafts Council (JCC) Coalition of Unions, have been making plans to protect the animals if they go on strike. If the group of 200 workers is unable to reach an agreement with their employer over a new contract, they say they will run a skeleton crew that would provide necessary care to the animals but require the Zoo to close its doors to the general public. “We are making contingency plans to ensure the continued well-being of the animals if we are forced to strike,” said Janel Kempf, a learning coordinator who has been with the Zoo for 25 years and is a Shop Steward with Teamsters 117. “A strike is an absolute last resort and one that none of us takes lightly, but the Zoo keeps pushing us in that direction. If the Zoo doesn’t change course soon, we will have no other choice than to withhold our labor.” Negotiations between the Coalition of Unions and the Zoo have been ongoing for the last ten months with workers growing increasingly frustrated at what they say is the Zoo’s failure to value and retain an experienced workforce. “We are hemorrhaging critical animal care experience which directly affects the standard of care we can provide for our animals,” said Allison Cloud, an animal keeper and member of Teamsters 117. “The Zoo is forcing us to choose between our livelihoods and our animals, a heartbreaking decision no zookeeper ever wants to make.” Workers say low wages, the skyrocketing cost of healthcare, low morale, and high turnover have put the Zoo’s AZA accreditation at risk. Loss of accreditation could cripple the Zoo’s resources and lead to the transfer of animals to other accredited facilities. "Woodland Park Zoo cannot maintain AZA accreditation without us,” said Joe Gallenbach, an Exhibit Technician with IATSE Local 15. “The loss of AZA accreditation would demonstrate catastrophic mismanagement on the part of the Woodland Park Zoological Society.” The Coalition of Unions and the Zoo have one more bargaining session on the calendar: Friday, August 9. If the Zoo does not make an acceptable proposal next Friday, workers say they will take their case for fair wages and benefits to the public through direct, concerted action."

Now, when you bring the risk of AZA accreditation loss into the conversation, things get interesting. I've written before about how some zoos are legally or contractually obligated to maintain AZA accreditation and couldn't choose to leave. Woodland Park Zoo is one of those facilities: the agreement with the city that allows the Woodland Park Zoological Society requires them to be AZA accredited. If they lose it, they default on the agreement.

So, would there actually be a chance the facility could lose accreditation if the staff struck? I couldn't find any recent information about staff at other AZA zoos striking and how it related to their accreditation cycle, but I did find this, in an AZA press release about how the Aquarium of the Bay lost accreditation a few months ago.

"Silver Spring, Md. (May 24, 2024) –  The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Accreditation Commission unanimously voted to rescind the accreditation of the Aquarium of the Bay.  The independent Commission notified the institution on May 13, 2024, following its conclusion that the aquarium was not meeting accreditation standards in a number of key areas, including financial stability, staffing capabilities, and employee morale and turnover. Aquarium of the Bay has until June 13 to appeal the Commission’s decision."

So it looks like staffing issues and employee morale can definitely be things taken into consideration. Let's look at the AZA standards for more info. I found a couple standards that appear to be relevant:

7.3 "There must be an adequate number of trained paid and unpaid staff to care for the animals and to manage the institution’s diverse programs." Justification: "Although there is no set formula for prescribing the size of the staff (paid and unpaid), some of the criteria that may be used to define what is considered “adequate” include the number and type of species within the institution, the general condition of the animals and exhibits, and past staffing practices."

7.4 "Compensation for paid staff should be competitive with other similar positions in the local/regional/national market, as appropriate." Justification: "Institutions must be able to recruit and retain qualified paid staff. Competitive compensation is a key component in recruitment and retention of paid staff. Some positions can be successfully recruited for locally, while others are competitive on a more regional or national basis (e.g., animal care specialists)."

Both of those look like they could quite reasonably be an issue for WPZ at this point. They're losing paid staff due to low wages and operating understaffed due to the hiring freeze. Staff obviously aren't getting appropriate compensation if they're looking for jobs at nearby facilities that pay better.

Now, would the zoo actually lose accreditation if a strike came to pass? Honestly, I doubt it, because WPZ is too big a feather in AZA's cap for them to penalize them that harshly. Columbus - an equally prominent institution - got kicked because of a major public animal use scandal, but it was pretty clearly political because of how quickly they were re-accredited. I'd expect AZA might give WPZ a slap on the wrist, some stern public comment, maybe some minor penalties, but I'd be very surprised if they were willing to kick WPZ to the curb over something "just" as minor as a staffing problem.

Regardless, zoo staff deserve to be paid a living wage. I'll be really sad if the zoo is closed to a strike once the snow leopard cubs get old enough to debut - but I'd still rather the staff be paid a living wage than be able to see the fluffballs immediately. I want the people working at the zoos I visit to not be living in poverty. Zoo staff pub in an incredible amount of effort to care for animal collections and to facilitate the guest experience, and they should be able to do that without multiple roommates or three jobs. I know that the practical reality is that not all facilities can afford to pay their staff as highly as is ideal, but I'd expect a big zoo with reliable city funding to be able to do better. Supporting the zookeepers (and other zoo staff) is supporting the zoo.

I'll be keeping an eye on this going forward, both from a personal perspective (I'm a member, and I have a vested interest in what the organization I give money to does) and a professional interest in industry politics (what does AZA choose to do). I'll update if there's anything interesting on either end.

[redgoldsparks]

A collection of endorsements for the 2024 California ballot. Text below the cut.

CALIFORNIA BALLOT MEASURE ENDORSEMENTS COMPILED BY MAIA KOBABE

PROP 2: Should the state authorize $10 billion in bonds to build new & renovate existing public school, charter school and community college facilities?

PROP 2- YES: CA Federation of Labor Unions, CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters, CA Environmental Justice League, Equality CA

PROP 3: Should the California Constitution be amended to define marriage as a fundamental right for all regardless of sex or race (removing language that states that marriage is only between a man & a woman?)

PROP 3- YES: CA Nurses Association, CA Federation of Labor Unions, CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters, CA Environmental Justice League, ACLU, Equality CA

PROP 4: Should the state sell $10 billion in bonds for various projects to reduce climate risks and impacts? Money will be used to protect state water supply, fire prevention, flood management, protect wildlife, lakes and streams, offshore wind, park maintenance, urban greening and increase sustainability of agricultural lands.

PROP 4- YES: CA Federation of Labor Unions, CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters, CA Environmental Justice League, ACLU, Equality CA

PROP 5: Should local bond measures to fund housing bonds for low/middle-income Californians and public infrastructure projects be allowed to pass with 55% voter approval instead of the 66.7% approval currently required?

PROP 5- YES: CA Nurses Association, CA Federation of Labor Unions, CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters, CA Environmental Justice League, ACLU, Equality CA

PROP 6: Should the California Constitution be amended to: (1) remove the provision that allows involuntary servitude to be used as punishment for a crime; (2) prohibit incarcerated people from being punished for refusing a work assignment; and (3) allow incarcerated people to voluntarily accept work assignments in exchange for credit to reduce their sentences?

PROP 6- YES: CA Nurses Association, CA Federation of Labor Unions, CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters, CA Environmental Justice League, ACLU, Equality CA

PROP 32: Should California raise its statewide minimum wage to $18 an hour by January 1, 2026, and then each year after based on inflation?

PROP 32- YES: CA Nurses Association, CA Federation of Labor Unions, CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters, CA Environmental Justice League, ACLU

PROP 33: Should the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995 (a state law) be repealed so local governments can regulate rents? If repealed, cities and counties would be free to pass new rent control laws which are currently denied.

PROP 33- YES: CA Nurses Association, CA Environmental Justice League, ACLU. NEUTRAL: CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters

PROP 34: Should certain healthcare providers be required to spend 98% of revenues from a federal discount prescription drug program on direct patient care and should the state be permanently authorized to negotiate Medi-Cal drug prices? MORE INFO: Opponents of Prop 34 say it’s an attempt by the California Apartment Association to harm one specific healthcare provider, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, because it supports Prop 33 & rent control. The California Apartment Association is the main supporter of Prop 34; if passed, it would strip the AIDS Healthcare Foundation of its nonprofit status. Multiple news sources have called this prop “revenge.”

PROP 34- NO: CA Environmental Justice League. NEUTRAL: CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters

PROP 35: Should California make permanent an existing tax on managed health care plans to provide ongoing funding for Medi-Cal and other health care services? Currently the tax is not permanent and needs to be approved every few years by the California Legislature and the federal government.

PROP 35- YES: Equality CA. NEUTRAL: CA Teachers Association, CA Environmental Justice League. NO: League of Women Voters

PROP 36: Should California allow people to be charged with felonies for possessing certain drugs and for thefts under $950, if the defendant has two prior drug or theft convictions?

PROP 36- NO: CA Nurses Association, CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters, CA Environmental Justice League, ACLU, Equality CA

SOURCES:

CA Nurses Association, CA Federation of Labor Unions, CA Teachers Association, League of Women Voters, CA Environmental Justice League, NorCal ACLU, Equality CA, Cal Matters, KQED: Here Are the State Ballot Measures Californians Will Vote on in November, SF Chronicle: These are the 10 statewide measures that will appear on Californians’ November ballot

[jobkash]

Finance Accountant

Position Title: Finance AccountantDepartment: FinanceSupervisor’s Title: VP of Finance AccountingClassification: Non-ExemptFull Salary Range: $21.37 – $26.71 – $32.05Starting Salary Range: $21.37 – $26.71Summary:Under limited supervision from the VP of Finance Accounting, this position will provide reconcilement and analysis of the following Accounting area functions; ACH, Share Draft, Visa,…

[reasonsforhope]

"Seven federal agencies are partnering to implement President Biden’s American Climate Corps, announcing this week they would work together to recruit 20,000 young Americans and fulfill the administration's vision for the new program. 

The goals spelled out in the memorandum of understanding include comprehensively tackling climate change, creating partnerships throughout various levels of government and the private sector, building a diverse corps and serving all American communities.

The agencies—which included the departments of Commerce, Interior, Agriculture, Labor and Energy, as well the Environmental Protection Agency and AmeriCorps—also vowed to ensure a “range of compensation and benefits” that open the positions up to a wider array of individuals and to create pathways to “high-quality employment.”  

Leaders from each of the seven agencies will form an executive committee for the Climate Corps, which Biden established in September, that will coordinate efforts with an accompanying working group. They will create the standards for ACC programs, set compensation guidelines and minimum terms of service, develop recruitment strategies, launch a centralized website and establish performance goals and objectives. The ACC groups will, beginning in January, hold listening sessions with potential applicants, labor unions, state and local governments, educational institutions and other stakeholders. 

The working group will also review all federal statutes and hiring authorities to remove any barriers to onboarding for the corps and standardize the practices across all participating agencies. Benefits for corps members will include housing, transportation, health care, child care, educational credit, scholarships and student loan forgiveness, stipends and non-financial services.

As part of the goal of the ACC, agencies will develop the corps so they can transition to “high-quality, family-sustaining careers with mobility potential” in the federal or other sectors. AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith said the initiative would prepare young people for “good-paying union jobs.” 

Within three weeks of rolling out the ACC, EPA said more than 40,000 people—mostly in the 18-35 age range—expressed interest in joining the corps. The administration set an ambitious goal for getting the program underway, aiming to establish the corps’ first cohort in the summer of 2024. 

The corps members will work in roles related to ecosystem restoration and conservation, reforestation, waterway protection, recycling, energy conservation, clean energy deployment, disaster preparedness and recovery, fire resilience, resilient recreation infrastructure, research and outreach. The administration will look to ensure 40% of the climate-related investments flow to disadvantaged communities as part of its Justice40 initiative.  

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the MOU would allow the ACC to “work across the federal family” to push public projects focused on environmental justice and clean energy. 

“The Climate Corps represents a significant step forward in engaging and nurturing young leaders who are passionate about climate action, furthering our journey towards a sustainable and equitable future,” Regan said. 

The ACC’s executive committee will hold its first meeting within the next 30 days. It will draw support from a new climate hub within AmeriCorps, as well as any staffing the agency heads designate."

-via Government Executive, December 20, 2023

-

This news comes with your regularly scheduled reminder that WE GOT THE AMERICAN CLIMATE CORPS ESTABLISHED LAST YEAR and basically no one know about/remembers it!!! Also if you want more info about the Climate Corps, inc. how to join, you can sign up to get updates here.