Activity Requests: Wednesday

[Note: As always any sample messages, letters, etc. that we provide are just that, “samples.” The samples are just what we’re sending out from this end and you are strongly encouraged to use your own judgment, voice and perspectives. Our prose, tone and approach can always be improved upon and quite frankly a good mix of perspectives is better than blindly following our samples verbatim (we’re just expressing one opinion among well over a 1500 different member opinions). We don’t do messaging for the group (nor do we aspire to) or ever speak for the group, but instead merely facilitate our members’ ability to speak at once for more power and volume. If you’re a “professional communicator” or would like to help with recruiting, research, administration, etc. shoot us a note and we’ll be happy to get you involved. There is no lack of work to be done.]

Outreach to Workers’/Privacy/Misc. Rights Groups and Organizations

ACLU

http://www.aclu.org/general-feedback

Call them as well at: 212-549-2500

National Employment Law Center

nelp@nelp.org

MoveOn.org

http://pol.moveon.org/feedback/fb/form.html?tp=suggest

Democracy Now

http://www.democracynow.org/about/contact

PDA

tim@pdamerica.org

[Sample Letter to Workers’/Privacy/Misc. Rights Groups and Organizations]

SUBJECT: H.R.3149: The Equal Employment for All Act

While I may have missed something, your organization does not seem to be fully and publicly supporting passage of HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act now sitting stalled in the House of Representatives. In short, the legislation would make it illegal for employers to access and use personal credit reports as criteria for hiring and firing. Most Americans don’t even know HR3149 even exists. What’s more, they don’t know about the corruption and backroom deal making taking place to keep the legislation stalled in the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. Isn’t it your job and role within a democracy to support the people, expose corruption and see to it that Congress answers to the will of the American people?

Follow the money and expose the truth:

Equifax:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00143867&cycle=2010

Trans Union:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00313700&cycle=2010

Experian:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00379768&cycle=2010

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00379768&cycle=2010

I believe this employer discrimination practice and gross invasion of privacy - that cuts across the entire white and blue collar employment segments - constitutes the single most important workplace issue in America today. This is most especially true during this, the worst economy since the Great Depression! When you deny a well qualified human being the right to work in America – you violate the core principals of justice set down by our founding fathers and prevent millions and millions of Americans from affording food and shelter . . . the basic requirements to sustain life.

Without passage of H.R3149 there is simply no way out of the horrible cycle of no job = bad credit and bad credit = no job. Employers today are forcing almost half of “blue collar” job applicants and more than 80 percent of “white collar” job applicants to turn over their personal credit report. The credit reports are being used as the first cut in the screening and hiring process and believe it or not - the percentage of employers using this discriminatory practice is rising rapidly. This practice constitutes a modern day debtor’s prison where millions of Americans are relegated to a lifetime of under-employment at best with no hope whatsoever of ever working their way out debt or improving their credit report.

It’s un-American to brand someone for life and lock out a highly qualified worker from the workplace. Nonetheless, it’s happening right here in America and without your help, we cannot generate the number of citizen voices necessary to force passage of the legislation. The right to work is the most basic of all rights in America and without passage of HR3149 millions of your fellow Americans are simply locked out of the workplace or barred from ever changing jobs. It’s just WRONG and we need your help to bring the practice to an end.

Please support our democracy, the overwhelming will of the people and the rights of highly qualified American workers to compete on a level playing field during this horrible economic disaster.

Basics of the Legislation:
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/11/basics-of-bill-now-pending-in-house.html

Platform for Passage:
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2009/11/basis-of-platform-for-passage.html

[End Sample Letter]