[Nfbnet-members-list] Fair Wage Call to Action on the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization

[Lewis, Anil]

WE are respectfully asking for your continued support to end the 
payment of subminimum wages to workers with disabilities. Senate Bill 
S. 1356 has been introduced to reauthorize the Workforce Investment 
Act (WIA).  This bill includes a major policy change in the language 
of the Rehabilitation Act that threatens to send us backwards in our 
struggle to repeal Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards 
Act.  This bill has proposed language in Section 511 of the 
Rehabilitation Act that requires vocational rehabilitation agencies 
to include training and employment at wages below the federal minimum 
wage as a VR service.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is 
scheduled to discuss and vote on this bill on Wednesday, July 31, and 
we need to act to ensure that this tremendously flawed proposal is 
removed.  Our initial action is simple, but it will require all of us 
to take action.  We need all of our members, family members, friends, 
colleagues, and acquaintances that reside in states with a Senator 
who serves on the HELP Committee to make calls, send emails, and post 
tweets and Facebook messages to communicate the following 
straightforward request to their Senators:

I am a voting constituent in the state, and I respectfully request 
that the WIA reauthorization be amended to remove Section 511 of the 
Rehabilitation Act.

We are encouraging that only the actual residents make these requests 
of their Senators.  Start recruiting individuals to begin this action 
now and continue it through Tuesday, July 30.  Use the information 
below to communicate with your Senator's office.

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)
@AlFranken
(202) 224-5641
Chief of Staff: Casey Aden-Wansbury casey_aden-wansbury at franken.senate.gov
HELP Contact: Momoko "Peach" Soltis peach_soltis at franken.senate.gov
Additional Contact: Beth Meloy beth_meloy at franken.senate.gov

Please contact me with any questions, and keep me posted on your 
progress.  The only way we will be able to prevent a dismantling of 
the essential training and employment services for all people with 
disabilities is to act now.  Remember, once you have made your calls, 
sent your emails, posted your tweets and Facebook messages, get 
others to do the same.
Sincerely,

Mr. Anil Lewis, M.P.A.
Director of Advocacy and Policy

"Eliminating Subminimum Wages for People with Disabilities"
http://www.nfb.org/fairwages
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland   21230
(410) 659-9314 ext. 2374 (Voice)
(410) 685-5653 (FAX)
Email: alewis at nfb.org
Web: www.nfb.org
twitter: @anillife