Proposed changes to a law entitled the Workplace Innovations and Opportunities Act would eliminate the ability of Vocational Solutions to pay its clients according to their productivity rate, which is determined by a time study in which the productivity rate of the clients is compared to the productivity rate of an employee in a traditional workplace. This adjusted “piecework” rate allows VS to charge fairly for the work performed for businesses with whom we have industrial contracts as well as to fairly pay the clients. The new law would instead require that Vocational Solutions pay the federal minimum wage to clients regardless of the rate at which they work. If this law was passed, costs for Vocational Solutions would increase dramatically, while the the ability to competitively bid for industrial contracts would decrease. Effectively, the ability of Vocational Solutions to provide its much needed range of services could cease. Clients would lose income as well as the important sense of self-worth gained from being a productive member of society.
Please help by writing letters to our legislators. Below are the names and addresses of our legislators and a sample letter, but please feel free to use your own words. This is even more effective than simply copying the sample. Your help will enable Vocational Solutions to continue to provide the range of services so essential to our clients. To see the sample letter, click on the words “Sample Letter to Members of Congress” below.
Sample Letter to Members of Congress-2
Representative Chuck McGrady
NC House of Representatives
300 N.Salisbury Street, Room 304
Raleigh, NC 27510
Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net
Senator Thom Tillis
185 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
http://www.tillis.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
Senator Richard Burr
217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.burr.senate.gov/contact/email
Congressman Mark Meadows
1024 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
https://meadows.house.gov/contact