Fair Wage Call to Action on the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization

WE are respectfully asking for your continued support to end the
payment of subminimum wages to workers with disabilities. Senate Bill
S. 1356 has been introduced to reauthorize the Workforce Investment
Act (WIA).  This bill includes a major policy change in the language
of the Rehabilitation Act that threatens to send us backwards in our
struggle to repeal Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards
Act.  This bill has proposed language in Section 511 of the
Rehabilitation Act that requires vocational rehabilitation agencies
to include training and employment at wages below the federal minimum
wage as a VR service.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is
scheduled to discuss and vote on this bill on Wednesday, July 31, and
we need to act to ensure that this tremendously flawed proposal is
removed.  Our initial action is simple, but it will require all of us
to take action.  We need all of our members, family members, friends,
colleagues, and acquaintances that reside in states with a Senator
who serves on the HELP Committee to make calls, send emails, and post
tweets and Facebook messages to communicate the following
straightforward request to their Senators:

I am a voting constituent in the state, and I respectfully request
that the WIA reauthorization be amended to remove Section 511 of the
Rehabilitation Act.

We are encouraging that only the actual residents make these requests
of their Senators.  Start recruiting individuals to begin this action
now and continue it through Tuesday, July 30.  Use the information
below to communicate with your Senator's office.

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)
@AlFranken
(202) 224-5641
Chief of Staff: Casey Aden-Wansbury casey_aden-wansbury@franken.senate.gov
HELP Contact: Momoko "Peach" Soltis peach_soltis@franken.senate.gov
Additional Contact: Beth Meloy beth_meloy@franken.senate.gov

Please contact me with any questions, and keep me posted on your
progress.  The only way we will be able to prevent a dismantling of
the essential training and employment services for all people with
disabilities is to act now.  Remember, once you have made your calls,
sent your emails, posted your tweets and Facebook messages, get
others to do the same.
Sincerely,

Mr. Anil Lewis, M.P.A.
Director of Advocacy and Policy

"Eliminating Subminimum Wages for People with Disabilities"
http://www.nfb.org/fairwages