[Ohio-talk] FW: A Labor Concern

[richard]

I just sent my copy of the letter. Thanks

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio-talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Barbara
Pierce
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2014 4:27 PM
To: 'NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List'
Subject: [Ohio-talk] FW: A Labor Concern

Here is the text of a letter that I just sent to Senator Brown's office. We
are trying to get lots of contacts to Senate offices today. Eric     is
sending a version of this to Portman's office. In the absence of a labor
aide, I am sending this message to Wintta Woldemariam, whom we saw last
week. Please send some version of this message to Wintta and Eric's contact
in Portman's office. If you don't get to it today, tomorrow is not too late.
Just to be clear, the address is wintta_Woldemariam at brown.senate.gov.
 
Thanks,
Barbara

  _____  

          From: Barbara Pierce [mailto:bpierce at oberlin.net]
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2014 4:18 PM
To: 'WINTTA_WOLDEMARIAM at BROWN.SENATE.GOV'
Subject: A Labor Concern


Dear Wintta,
 
I remember that Nora Todd will not be on board to deal with labor issues
until next week, so I hope that you can pass the following letter on to
someone who will take note of the concerns of the blind of Ohio.
 
Thanks,
Barbara Pierce
 
February 5, 2014
 
Dear Senator Brown,
 
I am writing to express my strong opposition to Section 511 of Title 5 of
the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (S. 1356).  My main
concern is that Section 511 introduces subminimum wage employment into the
Rehabilitation Act for the first time ever.  Even more important, the title
of this Section is not reflected in the text of Section 511.  While the
title claims to put limitations on employment of individuals with
disabilities at subminimum wage, Subsection a (4) of the bill text allows
anyone to enter subminimum wage sheltered employment. 
 
Senator, I have done my homework with respect to the impact of
subminimum-wage sheltered employment on people with disabilities.  Studies
show that people with disabilities who enter sheltered workshops rarely
transition into competitive, community-integrated employment.  Even though
the stated goal of WIA is to ensure community-integrated employment,
subminimum wage employment is not a viable path to that goal.  Fewer than
five percent of people with disabilities in subminimum wage sheltered
employment ever receive a job in community-integrated employment.  Please
strike Section 511 from WIA. 
 
Additionally, I am concerned about the proposed transfer of the
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) from the Department of
Education to the Department of Labor.  Just as sheltered workshops focus on
what people with disabilities cannot do, the Department of Labor looks at
what a person can currently do without taking into consideration his or her
potential to build further skills.  The role of the Department of Education
is to educate or teach people new skills.  I fear that, if RSA is moved to
Labor, people with disabilities will not be able to reach their full
potential.  Furthermore, no research shows that moving RSA to the Department
of Labor will be more efficient for people with disabilities.  Why not save
the money that would be spent to make the move, and put it towards improving
the services that RSA provides? 
 
I hope that I can count on your support.  I sincerely feel that, if you took
the time to review Section 511 for yourself, you would realize that people
with disabilities will be hindered by the current language in WIA.  Please
offer an amendment that will strike Section 511 and will remove the language
that moves RSA from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor. 
 
I look forward to hearing from you.  I fear that WIA may be coming to the
floor soon.  Please contact me at bpierce at oberlin.net.
 
Thank you,
 
Barbara Pierce, President Emerita,
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
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