[nfbmi-talk] From Kevan Worley: Blind Industry Workers of America (BIWA)

Jacalyn Paulding jacalynpaulding at gmail.com
Thu Jun 27 20:51:31 UTC 2013


Why James are you looking to get in on some settlement money??  

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 27, 2013, at 12:49 PM, James Schmidt <jamesschmidt1946 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> DO YOU HAVE A FEDERAL CASE WHICH TOOK PLACE IN MICHIGAN FOR DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION--THANK YOU---JIM SCHMIDT  LEGALLY BLIND--JUNE27
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Larry Posont <president.nfb.mi at gmail.com>
> To: nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org 
> Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 6:01 PM
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] From Kevan Worley: Blind Industry Workers of America (BIWA)
> 
> 
>> National Federation of the Blind of Michigan
>> 20812 Ann Arbor Trail
>> Dearborn Heights, MI 48127
>> 
>> June 24, 2013
>> 
>> Dear Michigan Federationists:
>> 
>>       If you are attending National Convention, please consider
>> attending the Blind Industrial Workers of America meeting on July 4.
>> Details follow this letter. I look forward to seeing you at
>> Convention.
>> 
>> Sincerely,
>> Larry Posont
>> President
>>   National Federation of the Blind of Michigan
>>   (313) 271-3058
>>   Email: president.nfb.mi at gmail.com
>>   Web page: www.nfbmi.org
>> 
>>   Vehicle Donations Take the Blind Further Donate your car to the
>> National Federation of the Blind today!
>>   For more information, please visit:
>> www.carshelpingtheblind.org
>>   or call 1-855-659-9314
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> NFB National Convention Meeting Announcement
>> Blind Industry Workers of America (BIWA)
>> July 4, 2013
>> Salon 6
>> 5PM - 7PM
>> 
>> 
>> Greetings colleagues,
>> 
>> Dr. Maurer has asked Anil Lewis and me to lead an effort
>> reconstituting the Blind Industrial Workers of America. As our battle
>> for fair wages continues, we must reach more blind workers. It is
>> important to harness their experience and expertise earned in the
>> trenches on the front line for the common effort. National Industries
>> for the Blind (NIB) makes much of the fact that they do not pay blind
>> workers less than the minimum wage on Federal AbilityOne contracts.
>> They often conveniently ignore the million-dollar contracts they
>> perform for state government and private industry. Many NIB shops are
>> less than forthcoming about the thousands of blind men and women who
>> toil day after day, month after month, year after year in so-called
>> work activity centers. NIB says these "work activity centers" are not
>> work, but "training and rehabilitation." These work activity centers
>> fill contract orders for products. They enhance the bottom line of the
>> NIB agency. We know of Federation members with college degrees who
>> have attempted to gain advancement to the front office without equal
>> consideration with their sighted peers. We know of shops in which
>> jokes about the blind are routine among sighted supervisors on the
>> factory floor. It is not uncommon for a workshop to provide "rehab
>> training" under a contract to the state rehabilitation agency. Talk
>> about sitting in the cat bird seat. They get paid to provide
>> "blindness skills training" which allows them to channel some workers
>> into a work activity center from which the shop profits from those
>> same clients doing subminimum wage work on state contracts. The shop
>> then regularly administers demeaning time tests which will then allow
>> the shop in the cat bird seat to channel some clients to positions on
>> the factory floor, which best suits the needs of the sighted
>> highly-paid custodians. We need a strong union of Federationists with
>> the courage to confront the unfair, discriminatory and corrupt regimes
>> prevalent in many shops, whether they are NIB, NISH or any other work
>> environment. When non-profit or for-profit companies treat blind
>> employees with respect, dignity and equality of opportunity, they will
>> welcome the creation of the National Federation of the Blind
>> Industrial Workers of America. When they do not, the BIWA will be on
>> the front line ready to investigate, publicize and act.
>> 
>> The Blind Industrial Workers of America has a proud tradition in the
>> history of the Federation. Please let our colleagues know about our
>> upcoming information organizational meeting. If you know of members
>> working in JWOD programs or other direct labor, or members of your
>> affiliate have an interest in learning about and supporting the effort
>> of the BIWA, please encourage their attendance at our meeting. It will
>> be on July 4th. We expect the meeting to take less than 2 hours. We
>> will meet immediately following the afternoon convention session on
>> Thursday, July 4. We will meet in Salon 6. Please announce on your
>> state listserves, at your convention caucuses and in your delegation.
>> 
>> The BIWA, a union of Federationists.
>> 
>> *        Building the movement
>> 
>> *        Respect and dignity for all workers
>> 
>> *        Fair wages
>> 
>> *        Better working conditions
>> 
>> *        Equality of opportunity for career advancement
>> 
>> *        21st century training leading to fair pay for real work
>> 
>> *        Blind working men and women have a right to fair treatment
>> just like everybody else
>> 
>> *        Blind workers speaking for themselves
>> 
>> At your service,
>> 
>> [cid:image001.jpg at 01CDBCF2.C07B8380]
>> 
>> Kevan Worley
>> Executive Director
>> National Association of Blind Merchants
>> kevanworley at blindmerchants.org<mailto:kevanworley at blindmerchants.org>
>> 866-543-6808
> 
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