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

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Very Important Activity Request!!!!

We’re moving forward and the use of employment credit checks has never had more news coverage in a single week than with this week’s hearing by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). For some of the coverage simply click on the links we’ve provided on our group wall, but the following link was the most high profile and the best we’ve seen: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/23/AR2010102300314.html?hpid=topnews

Please send the writer an e-mail at singletarym@washpost.com to thank her for the article and encourage her to provide more reporting on this critical issue. Coverage in the WP is as good as it gets for our cause and we need more of it. You may also want to include some of the information contained in the sample letter below.

Please Mail Five Letters this Week to the EEOC

Ms. Jacqueline Berrien, Chair
Mr. Stuart J. Ishimaru, Commissioner
Ms. Constance S. Barker, Commissioner
Ms. Chai Feldblum, Commissioner
Ms. Victoria A. Lipnic, Commissioner

Mailing Address for All Five Letters:

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
131 M Street, NEWashington, DC 20507

[Sample Letter]
As evidenced by your hearing last week on the use of credit checks within the employment arena, I’m encouraged that you’re finally beginning to address the issue. With that said however, I’m alarmed at two issues: 1) The massive amount of misinformation being pumped into the discussion and 2) The lack of concern and sense of immediate need on the part of the commission. I’ll address the misinformation first:

* This is NOT some small insignificant problem impacting only a few black and Hispanic people.

* Fair, Isaac and Company (FICO) just reported that as of April 2010, 43.4 million of America's 170 million consumers had credit scores below 599. That's more than 25 percent of all consumers in this country, up from the pre-recession tally of 15 percent, or 25.5 million consumers. FICO's benchmark for "bad credit" is anything under 650, and anything under 700 is considered a "moderate credit" number. The number of recession-damaged Americans with credit scores under 700 is now 75 million, or 44.1 percent of consumers.

* Virtually no one within any company or corporate HR department has any training, yardstick or clue as to how and by what measure to evaluate a consumer credit report.

* Virtually no one has or ever will be given any opportunity to “explain their credit report” (nor should they have to with an employer). The employer simply moves on to the next applicant . . . job filled.

* Virtually no company ever follows the current laws in place whereby an applicant is notified they were denied employment due to their credit report. The company just moves on to the next candidate and says they were a “better fit.” The law is not monitored or enforced by the FTC contrary to their testimony.

With just some of the misinformation corrected above, please consider first and foremost that employment credit checks are a gross invasion of an individual’s privacy. Everyone in America should be allowed to work if they are willing and ZERO evidence exists to validate or document that someone with poor credit is more likely to steal or commit fraud within the workplace. The “living beyond one’s means” criteria used in testimony does not hold water, because that describes 85% of the American population. Do you live beyond your means?

In closing, the issue of employment credit checks is the No. 1 issue in America along with jobs and the economy. With damaged credit, in America, you don’t work anywhere that pays a living wage . . . end of story. With 30+ million un or under-employed Americans someone out of the five applicants for every job will still have good credit and they get the job . . . it’s just that simple!

Imagine for a moment, if you can, that you don’t have a big job at the EEOC and you are well qualified to work but have damaged credit. You have two children at home that need to be clothed and fed and everywhere you apply to work you’re turned down because of your credit report. Children are starving and people are committing suicide because of employment credit checks . . . that’s the reality!

So when you conclude that the issue “needs more research and study” ask yourself how many more children will starve and how many more people will die while you are studying the issue? Ask yourself if “more study” would be acceptable if it was your children starving?

Employment credit checks are one thing and one thing ONLY: a money making revenue stream for the big three credit bureaus. They have no validity or relevance in the workplace whatsoever. No research or evidence backs up their use within the employment arena. More than 75 million of your fellow Americans don’t have the time or luxury for “more study.” There is no food on the table, there are rags on the backs of our children, our homes are being taken away and our cars are being repossessed . . . all so the big three credit bureaus can make a buck and for no other reason whatsoever.

I ask you to move and move quickly with any further “study” to end this horrible practice that should have never been allowed to begin in the first place. Now, however, during the Great Recession it is more important than ever before.

[End Sample Letter]

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Actitity Requests: Sunday through Wednesday

You’ve fought beside us this far and with a hearing Thursday we’ve broken through the enemy’s first line of defense. Tired, beleaguered and on empty stomachs we have to finish the fight with a massive media push between now and midnight on Tuesday. We know you want to cringe when you hear the words “media outreach,” but it’s our only weapon we have to tip the scales in our favor by shining light on the hearing and bringing more warriors to our cause. Otherwise Congress will sell us out. While the outreach lists we’re providing are long, it’s just a mindless copy, paste, edit, send numbers game . . . the more we send the better our chances of media coverage and success. Think big, think homeruns and think success. A couple more weeks or so and we’ll either have a law or be able to take a long break. We’re thinking law, we thinking homerun NOW! So let’s get started . . .

PS Don’t forget to watch the hearing on Thursday at 10 via the following link and give us your feedback. We’ll evaluate and react accordingly . . .
http://financialservices.house.gov/Hearings/hearingDetails.aspx?NewsID=1355

[Sample Letter/e-Mail]

Subj. Line: Please Cover the Issue and Hearing on Thursday!

The ONLY issue important to the overwhelming majority of Americans is the “Jobs and Economy” issue. Despite all the banter and political noise, the ONLY quick fix that can be accomplished with the simple stroke of a presidential pen is HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act. It simply allows highly qualified Americans the right to work by banning employment credit checks for most jobs. Without passage, extensions to unemployment insurance just delay an inevitable dead-end when benefits run out and any jobs created are out of reach for almost half of the entire U.S. workforce. The numbers as detailed in the following linked article don’t lie:

Truthout
http://www.truth-out.org/one-less-privacy-intrusion-bill-end-pre-employment-credit-checks63283

Against the overwhelming odds of vote buying via millions in PAC money from the big three credit bureaus, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 19 other business lobbying groups “we the people” with no money have moved the legislation forward to a hearing on Thursday at 10:00.

Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3149, the Equal Employment for All Act
http://financialservices.house.gov/Hearings/hearingDetails.aspx?NewsID=1355

Yes, hearings happen every day and this will not be news unless you make it news. Without YOU covering the hearing and the issue, HR3149 will never make it out of committee . . . it’s just that simple. Millions more of your fellow Americans will lose their homes, cars, dignity and their children will needlessly starve.

Lowly citizens with no money and many with no job have fought to somehow move the issue to a hearing. We’re fighting Goliath with pebbles and slingshots and without YOU we’ll be crushed under the corporate boot that has stolen our American democracy from the people. There is no issue more critical or more important to 75 million of your fellow citizens . . . please see to it that the issue is heard and the legislation is fast-tracked to passage by covering the hearing and the issue. Lives and livelihoods hang in the balance and ONLY YOU can tip the scale of justice to end the needless genocide brought about by this invasion of privacy and workplace discrimination.

[End Sample Letter]

Sunday/Monday Media Outreach
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/09/sundays-media-outreach.html

Monday/Tuesday Media Outreach
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/09/mondays-media-outreach.html

Tuesday/Wednesday Media Outreach
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/09/tuesdays-media-outreach.html

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Activity Requests: URGENT! We Need YOU!!!!!

After months and months of writing and rewriting the following linked article we finally got it published!!! It could not have come at a better time when we needed it more than ever. I cuts through much of the double-speak and delivers our message loud and clear! PLEASE HELP US get the message out to more readers and to members of Congress, etc..

Truthout:
http://www.truth-out.org/one-less-privacy-intrusion-bill-end-pre-employment-credit-checks63283

1) Please add your comments to the linked article above . . . as many as possible and pass the article link to everyone you know.

2) Click on the Newsvine link below and vote on the article as many times as allowed. Just keep voting it up! This will make it rise in readership and get the word out to more people. Make comments as well . . .
http://hr3149.newsvine.com/_news/2010/09/15/5117914-t-r-u-t-h-o-u-t-one-less-privacy-intrusion-bill-to-end-pre-employment-credit-checks

3) E-Mail, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House: use link below, add name, e-mail address, zip, copy a link to the article and paste into form, then add a note for her to simply read the article and move the legislation forward for a hearing now! Flood her and just keep sending it over and over and over!
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

4) Financial Services Committee e-Mail: Copy a link to the article and paste into the form, then add a note for the committee to simply read the article and move the legislation forward for a hearing now! Flood them and just keep sending it over and over and over!
http://financialservices.house.gov/contact/contact.shtml

5) Print the article and FAX it to Barney Frank as many times as possible at
(202) 225-0182 !!!!! Just keep faxing!!!!!
For Barney Frank Constituents (ONLY) use following e-mail link to copy a link to the article and e-mail it to him over and over:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

6) Use the link below to contact the White House . . . copy a link to the article, add your comments and ask him to push for passage of the bill.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact?utm_source=email75&utm_medium=footer&utm_campaign=economy

7) Contact Your Members of Congress

Find Your 9 Digit Zip Code before you begin, you’ll need your full 9 digit zip code. Simply go to the link below and plug in your address and it will provide your full 9 digit zip.
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

7A) Contact YOUR member(s) the House of Representatives
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Simply click on the link above and follow the steps, select your state, enter your full 9 digit zip code, click “contact my representative,” answer the security question, plug in your personal information, paste in a link to the article and ask them to read it a pass the bill then hit “send message.” If you can, please print a copy and FAX it to them as well . . .

7B) Contact YOUR Senator(s)

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Simply click on the link above, choose your state, choose your senator(s), go to their website(s) and navigate their website looking for “contact info.” then follow their steps, paste in a link to the article and ask them to read it a pass the bill and hit “send.” If you can, please print a copy and FAX it to them as well . . .

8) Nominate the Article for a Sidney Award
Please take the time, using the link below, to nominate the article for a Sidney Award which if selected will give the article much, much more exposure to more people.
http://www.hillmanfoundation.org/nominations-1

9) Please shoot a linked copy of the article out to all your FB friends, e-mail friends and paste on your FB wall. Ask them to join the cause, our FB group, etc.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Contact Your Member of the House

1) Contact Your Member of the House

DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL as well as e-mail your member of the House to push for a hearing on HR3149 NOW! These people work for YOU and YOU pay them $170 K per year so make them earn it. Don't just leave a message or speak to some clerk or underling, demand to speak to YOUR representative personally (even if you don't it still makes more of a point).

They’re asking for your vote in a few weeks, so ask them what have they done for you in regard to passing HR3149? Hold them accountable and don’t allow them to say it’s in committee and they have no recourse to help . . . ask them to pick up the phone and contact Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi to demand a hearing NOW!

Find Your 9 Digit Zip Code before you begin, you’ll need your full 9 digit zip code. Simply go to the link below and plug in your address and it will provide your full 9 digit zip.
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

Contact YOUR member the House of Representatives

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Simply click on the link above and follow the steps, select your state, enter your full 9 digit zip code, click “contact my representative,” answer the security question, plug in your personal information, paste in your letter, edit to suit you and hit “send message.”

[Sample e-Mail]

In just a few short weeks I’m going to vote, but since I’ve written and called repeatedly for passage of HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act and have yet to see a mark-up hearing . . . my vote is up in the air. Jobs and the economy, of which HR3149 is a huge part, is the No. 1 issue in America and HR3149 has sat stalled because of PAC money and lobbyists for more than a year. With all due respect that’s NOT democracy by 90 percent of the people who support passage and it’s completely unacceptable! Corporations are NOT citizens . . .

More than 75 million Americans are barred from changing jobs for higher pay or locked out of the workplace entirely because their credit scores are below 700. This is not some minor issue, it’s a national crisis and it demands attention before you break to campaign and ask for my vote. Please pick-up the phone and call Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi and demand a mark-up hearing so America can get back to work. Almost half the entire U.S. workforce is now impacted by credit scores, but with five applicants for every job that exist the discrimination will just continue as long as it is allowed by law. Haven’t enough Americans lost their homes and cars already? Why would you condone throwing even more Americans out into the streets just so the credit bureaus can make a buck off selling credit reports?

You’re my representative in the House so I have no choice but to hold you responsible in November if there is no mark-up hearing before you break to campaign. Please, please, please do the right thing for the American people and contact Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi today to demand a hearing on HR3149. I’ll be voting based upon your ability to get this accomplished and appreciate your efforts. The time has come to do what’s right for the American workforce. Humans can't just sit and wait on food, let’s get this done before more children needlessly go hungry.

[End sample e-Mail]

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

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Very Important Activity Request!!!!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Tuesday/Wednesday Media Outreach

Monday/Tuesday Media Outreach

Sunday/Monday Media Outreach

Actitity Requests: Sunday through Wednesday

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Activity Requests: URGENT! We Need YOU!!!!!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Contact Your Member of the House

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