[Ohio-talk] Please act immediately

Wed Apr 16 01:47:41 UTC 2014

As many of you may recall, there is a lot of legislative action going on in the state of California around the issue of Fair Wages. Here is a summary:

AJR 36 encourages California Members of the United States House of Representatives to support the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (H.R. 831).

S.B. 1109 says that no entity that pays people with disabilities subminimum wages can receive a contract from the state of California.

This resolution and bill directly support our goal of fair wages for people with disabilities. In order to get the resolution and bill passed, we need to show our support. Although letters from Californians are preferred, we need to show as much support for these issues as possible. Please write letters of support for AJR 36 and S.B. 1109 to the following addresses by Monday, April 21, 2014. Thank you for your time and effort. Together, we will ensure that people with disabilities are paid the fair wages they deserve.

Letters in support of S.B. 1109 should be sent to:
The Honorable Ben Hueso
State Capitol, Room 2054
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 651-4940
E-mail: David.Sforza at sen.ca.gov.

Letters in support of AJR 36 should be sent to:
The Honorable Roger Hernandez
Chair, Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment
1020 N Street, Room 155
Sacramento, CA 95814
Roger.Hernandez at asm.ca.gov.

Here are sample letters that you should feel free to use for the bill and the resolution.

The Honorable Ben Hueso
State Capitol, Room 2054
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Senator Hueso:

Thank you for introducing S.B. 1109 State contracts: integrated employment: persons with disabilities.

As a person with a disability, I support this bill because I feel that paying people with disabilities subminimum wages is immoral, discriminatory and unfair. I know that if state contracts are only awarded to entities that pay all workers at least the minimum wage, then businesses that utilize 14(c) certificates will likely change their business models so that they can obtain state contracts. Just as President Obama’s recent Executive Order will ensure that people with disabilities employed under federal government contracts that provide services and concessions will be paid $10.10 an hour, it is encouraging that state contracts in California will also ensure people with disabilities the pay equality we deserve.

The biggest obstacle facing people with disabilities is that we are often held to lower expectations than our non-disabled peers. Legally allowing entities to pay us subminimum wages just reinforces this fallible belief. Passage of this bill will be a great step forward in ensuring that people with disabilities are paid fair wages. 

Thank you for fighting for equality for people with disabilities.

Sincerely,

The Honorable Roger Hernandez
Chair, Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment
1020 N Street, Room 155
Sacramento, CA 95814,

Dear Chairman Hernandez:

I write to express my support for AJR 36. I sincerely hope that this resolution is adopted because it will alert the Members of Congress from California about the importance of H.R. 831: the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. If passed, H.R. 831 will end the unfair, immoral and discriminatory practice of paying people with disabilities subminimum wages. If the entire California delegation in the House of Representatives became cosponsors of H.R. 831, the bill would have a much better chance of becoming law. 

Over 400,000 people with disabilities are being paid subminimum wages. This immoral practice is legal under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Although likely passed with good intentions, Section 14(c) is a detriment to people with disabilities. Our biggest obstacle to overcome is the low expectations set for us by people without disabilities. We, people with disabilities, know that we are capable of being productive, valuable members of society when the proper training and supports are provided. Section 14(c) reinforces the misconception that people with disabilities are not as productive as individuals without disabilities; the passage of H.R. 831 will be a great step towards erasing this misconception.

Adopting AJR 36 will help gain support for H.R. 831 and will help accomplish the long term goal of ensuring that people with disabilities are not exempt from the minimum wage. No one can live on subminimum wages, especially people with disabilities.

I hope that you will support AJR 36.

Thank you,

When you send your messages, please cc the NFB of California affiliate President Mary Willows (mwillows at sbcglobal.net) and Mike Hingson, the Legislative Director of California (Mike at michaelhingson.com). Thank you all for your support.

Best,

Rose

Rose Sloan
Government Affairs Specialist

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
200 East Wells Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Phone: (410)-659-9314 ext. 2441
E-mail: rsloan at nfb.org
Twitter: @RoseSloan8

“Eliminating Subminimum Wages for People with Disabilities”
http://www.nfb.org/fair-wages

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

To make a donation to the National Federation of the Blind Imagination Fund campaign, please visit www.nfb.org/ImaginingOurFuture.

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