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Greetings colleagues,<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
The BIWA, a union of Federationists.<br>
· Building the movement<br>
· Respect and dignity for all
workers<br>
· Fair wages<br>
· Better working
conditions<br>
· Equality of opportunity for
career advancement<br>
· 21st century training leading
to fair pay for real work<br>
· Blind working men and women
have a right to fair treatment just like everybody else<br>
· Blind workers speaking for
themselves<br>
<br>
<br>
At your service,<br>
<br>
<img src="cid:7.1.0.9.2.20130624202550.0150f558@visi.com.1" width=215 height=50 alt="cid:image001.jpg@01CDBCF2.C07B8380">
<br>
<br>
Kevan Worley<br>
Executive Director<br>
National Association of Blind Merchants<br>
<a href="mailto:kevanworley@blindmerchants.org">
kevanworley@blindmerchants.org</a> <br>
866-543-6808<br>
<br><br>
<br>
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