[il-talk] HR831 Fair Wages Week of Action info

[Glenn Moore III]

Hello NFBers of IL,
I bet you have heard by now, but I wanted to be sure to tell you in case you
hadn’t.
Our national
legislative team has chosen this week as our week of action to drum up more
HR-831 (Fair Wages) support in congress.
The strategy is to
make a big push to communicate our support for the bill to get more congressmen
to cosponsor. That’s why it’s important that as many of us as possible (as well
as people we know who feel the same way, so feel free to share this info)
communicate to our congressional reps about the bill. With all of our voices
together, we will be heard much more clearly and prompt action.
 
So, here’s what we
want to do:
 
On “Twitter Tuesday”
use your tweet power to get the word out to your congressman and as many others
as you are able about HR 831. We can use the hashtag #FairWages, and be sure to
tag your congressman by name, so they will get a notification that we tweeted
about them.
 
On Wednesday, let’s
pick up our phones and call our congressmen to ask their support for Fair
Wages.
 
On Thursday, please
email your congressman with your desire for him or her to cosponsor HR831. I
have pasted below a list from Rose Sloan of congressional Twitter handles,
phone numbers and email addresses along with some sample messages in case you’re
a little shy or unsure how to express your message. And please be sure to cc
Rose Sloan at RSloan at nfb.org when you email
your congressman.
 
If you aren’t sure
yet who your congressman is, you can search by your zip code at the House
website:
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
 
or if you don’t
have your full zip code, the nonprofit “Project VoteSmart” can produce a list of
most of your elected leaders at all levels of government at:
https://votesmart.org/  (in the search box “find your elected officials”)
or call their
hotline at 1-888-VOTE-SMART (1-888-868-3762)
 
If your congressman
is already signed on; fantastic, it wouldn’t hurt to thank them for that, and
thank you guys for participating, this is what makes democracy work!
 
-Glenn III
___________________________
 
Here are the
contacts of congressmen not yet signed onto HR831 and sample messages; both courtesy
of Rose Sloan:
 
(listed as:
district, rep, twitter handle, phone, Labor or appropriate Legislative assistant,
that person’s email)
 
IL district 3
Daniel Lipinski
@RepLipinski
(202) 225-5701
Brian Henry
Oszakiewski
brian.oszakiewski at mail.house.gov
 
IL district 4
Luis Gutierrez
@LuisGutierrez
(202) 225-8203
Anthony Espinosa
anthony.espinosa at mail.house.gov
 
IL6
Peter Roskam
@PeterRoskam
202-225-4561
Joe Fawell
joe.fawell at mail.house.gov
 
IL7
Danny Davis
(no twitter handle)
(202) 225-5006
Caleb Gilchrist
caleb.gilchrist at mail.house.gov
 
IL8
Tammy Duckworth
@RepDuckworth
(202) 225-3711
Kalina Bakalov
Kalina.Bakalov at mail.house.gov
 
IL9
Jan Schakowsky
@janschakowsky
(202) 225-2111
Cathy Hurwit
cathy.hurwit at mail.house.gov
 
IL10
Brad Schneider
@RepSchneider
202-225-4835
Cara Toman
cara.toman at mail.house.gov
 
IL11
Bill Foster
@RepBillFoster
202-225-3515
Jim Callaghan
jim.callaghan at mail.house.gov
 
IL13
Rodney Davis
@RodneyDavis
202-225-2371
Frank Santana
frank.santana at mail.house.gov
 
IL14
Randy Hultgren
@rephultgren
202-225-2976
Scott Luginbill
scott.luginbill at mail.house.gov
 
IL15
John Shimkus
@RepShimkus
202-225-5271
Jim Goldenstein
jim.goldenstein at mail.house.gov
 
IL16
Adam Kinzinger
@RepKinzinger
202-225-3635
Michael Essington
michael.essington at mail.house.gov
 
IL17
Cheri Bustos
@cheribustos
(202) 225-5905
Lyron Blum-Evitts
Lyron.Blum-Evitts at mail.house.gov
 
IL18
Aaron Schock
@repaaronschock
202-225-6201
Margie Almanza
margie.almanza at mail.house.gov
 
Sample Tweets for
Twitter Tuesday: your Representative or other Representatives from your state)
 
“Do you support
paying people with disabilities pennies per hour @RepDuckworth?  I think PWD deserve #fairwages. Please
co-sponsor HR 831.”
 
“Help prevent
people with disabilities being paid less than the minimum wage. Support
#fairwages by co-sponsoring HR 831 @RepJohnSarbanes”
 
“It is outrageous
that people with disabilities can be paid 3 cents an hour. If you agree,
support #fairwages by co-sponsoring HR 831 @WhipHoyer”
 
“Help people with
disabilities earn real wages. Co-sponsor HR 831 @ToddRokita and support
#fairwages.”
 
 
@PeterRoskam,
co-sponsor HR 831. Ensure that people with disabilities receive the #fairwages
we deserve.
 
Sample Call Script
for Call Wednesday:
 
Good Morning. My
name is ___________, and I support HR 831: the Fair Wages for Workers with
Disabilities Act.  I urge Representative
_________ to please co-sponsor this bill. 
 
Currently, people
with disabilities are legally being paid less than the minimum wage.  Some are being paid as little as mere pennies
per hour.  I feel that this practice is
wrong.   HR 831 will responsibly phase
out this antiquated, discriminatory and immoral practice over a three year
period. 
 
Can I count on
Representative __________ to support people with disabilities by co-sponsoring
HR 831? 
 
 
…..Sample Email for
Email Thursday:
CC: Rsloan at nfb.org
Subject: Please
Co-Sponsor HR 831
 
Dear [name of Labor
Legislative Aid]
 
I write to express
my support for HR 831: the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act and to
urge Representative [name of Representative] to please co-sponsor this bill. 
 
Currently, people
with disabilities are being paid far below the minimum wage.  This practice is legal under Section 14(c) of
the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.  HR
831 will responsibly phase out this antiquated practice over a three year
period. 
 
If Representative
[name of Representative] is ready to join nearly 80 Members of Congress by
expressing a commitment to creating real employment opportunities for people
with disabilities, please contact Scot Malvaney, Legislative Director for
Congressman Harper at Scot.Malvaney at mail.house.gov, and let him know that
Representative ___________ would like to co-sponsor HR 831.
 
Thank you,
[Your name]