This week, you can help build support in the House for H.R. 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act in three easy steps:
- Tweet
- Call
We’ve created a worksheet with all of the Representatives who have not signed on to H.R. 831, along with their twitter handles, D.C. office phone numbers, and the email addresses of their legislative aides who handle labor issues. Open the worksheet in PDF or plain text.
Tweet: raise awareness about H.R. 831 to your Representatives, as well as Twitter followers. When tweeting, don’t forget to tag your Representatives and use the hashtag #fairwages. Creating your own tweets is encouraged, but here are a few samples:
- Help prevent people with disabilities being paid less than the minimum wage. Support #fairwages by cosponsoring H.R. 831 @SpeakerBoehner.
- It is outrageous that people with disabilities can be paid 3 cents an hour. If you agree, support #fairwages by cosponsoring H.R. 831 @repjohnkline
- @gopleader, cosponsor H.R. 831. Ensure that people with disabilities receive the #fairwages we deserve.
Call: call your Representatives to put H.R. 831 on their radars. Sample call script:
Good Morning. My name is [Your Name], and I support H.R. 831: the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. I urge Representative [Name of Representative] to please cosponsor this bill. Currently, people with disabilities are legally being paid less than the minimum wage. Some are being paid as little as mere pennies per hour. I feel that this practice is wrong. H.R. 831 will responsibly phase out this antiquated, discriminatory and immoral practice over a three year period. Can I count on Representative [Name of Representative] to support people with disabilities by cosponsoring H.R. 831?
Email: seal the deal by making the formal written request to the labor staffers. Sample email:
Subject: Please Co-sponsor H.R. 831
Dear [Name of Labor Legislative Aid]:
I write to express my support for H.R. 831: the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act and to urge Representative [Name of Representative] to please cosponsor this bill.
Currently, people with disabilities are being paid far below the minimum wage. This practice is legal under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. H.R. 831 will responsibly phase out this antiquated practice over a three year period.
If Representative [Name of Representative] is ready to join nearly eighty Members of Congress by expressing a commitment to creating real employment opportunities for people with disabilities, please contact Scot Malvaney, Legislative Director for Congressman Harper at [email protected], and let him know that Representative [Name of Representative] would like to cosponsor H.R. 831.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
