There are a series of bills in the legislature that would require the state to raise the wage levels for staff for people with disabilities covered through state funds to a percentage above minimum wage. The action alert below describes those bills. Please read through this material and contact your delegates and state senators if you would like to support them.
Thank you,
Jo Anne
-------- Original Message --------
| Subject: | FW: ALERT -ACTION NEEDED - Re-Sending For Those Who Had Trouble Viewing |
|---|---|
| Date: | Wed, 12 Mar 2014 19:26:40 +0000 |
| From: | Dwayne Ross <dross@springdellcenter.org> |
| To: | CombsA@djs.state.md.us <CombsA@djs.state.md.us>, cricchise@md.metrocast.net <cricchise@md.metrocast.net>, slade326@gmail.com <slade326@gmail.com>, jeradadams2@comcast.net <jeradadams2@comcast.net> |
WE NEED YOU TO TAKE ACTION ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO SUPPORT Individuals with Disabilities!
Dear MACS Members,
Please see below for a TWO-PART Action Alert regarding minimum wage and DD direct support staff. One part of the Action Alert is targeting Governor Martin O’Malley and Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. The other part of the Action Alert is targeting members of the House Health & Government Operations and House Appropriations Committees. With only 4 weeks left of the Legislative Session, we must fight NOW to increase funding so that direct support staff do not become minimum wage workers. The House of Delegates passed the Governor’s minimum wage bill, which will increase the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2017, last week. The Senate has yet to take action.
Please make every effort to ensure that EVERYONE - you, your staff, families and individuals receiving supports, Board members, and other stakeholders - respond to this Action Alert immediately. We cannot stress how critically important both parts of this Action Alert are. We need everyone to respond to both parts of this Action Alert immediately.
WE ASK THAT YOU PERSONALIZE YOUR MESSAGE TO ELECTED LEADERS, using the message points below. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thanks!
ACTION ALERT:
Minimum Wage Funding for DDA Community Direct Support Staff
URGENT- YOUR EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS ARE NEEDED IMMEDIATELY
PART ONE
Contact:
GOVERNOR Martin O’Malley &
LT. GOVERNOR Anthony Brown
EMAIL AND CALL
Governor Martin O’Malley &
Lt. Governor Anthony Brown NOW!
Governor Martin O’Malley:
Email:
http://www.governor.maryland.gov/mail/
Call: (410)-974-3901
Lt. Governor Anthony Brown:
Email: http://www.governor.maryland.gov/mail/ltdefault.asp
Call: (410)-974-2804
MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR O’MALLEY AND
LT. GOVERNOR BROWN:
· SUPPORT SB 890/HB 1266 and provide increased funding for DDA Community Direct Support Staff!
· DDA Community Direct Support staff should not be minimum wage jobs!
Background Information:
· The Maryland General Assembly is considering increasing the minimum wage in Maryland. The House of Delegates passed the Governor’s bill to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2017. The Senate has not yet taken action.
· Raising the minimum wage would help increase wages for Direct Support Professionals who provide critical supports for Marylanders with developmental disabilities, if the State provides the funding needed to do so. DDA-licensed community agencies rely on state and federal funding to provide quality supports to Marylanders with developmental disabilities.
· The state currently factors approximately $9.82 per hour in the rate paid to providers for Direct Support wages, which must cover the range of wages from entry level to those with the most seniority.
· The last time the minimum wage was increased, DDA funding for direct support wages lost significant ground. In FY 2006, the DDA hourly wage factor was 69% higher than the minimum wage. In FY 2014, the wage factor is only 35% higher than the minimum wage. Increasing the minimum wage further without additional wage funding will make many direct support positions minimum wage jobs. It will also make it more difficult to recruit and retain quality direct support professionals.
· Senator Mac Middleton and Delegate Guy Guzzone have introduced SB 890/HB 1266, which would require the State to ensure that the DDA direct support wage factor paid to community providers is at least 50% above the minimum wage. SB 890/HB 1266 would address our concerns by ensuring that direct support positions do not become minimum wage jobs.
· Increasing the minimum wage without an increase in the DDA rate for direct support wages, or without passing SB 890/HB 1266, would have a negative impact on Marylanders with developmental disabilities. Direct support positions should not be minimum wage jobs.
ACTION ALERT PART TWO
Contact Members of the House Health & Government Operations and House Appropriations Committees NOW:
MESSAGE TO THE HOUSE HEALTH & GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES:
· VOTE FOR SB 890/HB 1266 and provide increased funding for DDA Community Direct Support Staff!
· DDA Community Direct Support positions should not be minimum wage jobs!
House Health & Government Operations Committee:
| Delegate | Phone Number | Email Address |
| Peter Hammen, Chair | 410-841-3772 | |
| Shane Pendergrass, Vice Chair | 410-841-3139 | |
| Eric Bromwell | 410-841-3766 | |
| Bob Costa | 410-841-3551 | |
| Bonnie Cullison | 301-858-3883 | |
| John Donoghue | 301-858-3125 | |
| Donald Elliott | 410-841-3118 | |
| William Frank | 410-841-3793 | |
| James Hubbard | 301-858-3103 | |
| Wade Kach | 410-841-3359 | |
| Ariana Kelly | 301-858-3642 | |
| Nicholaus Kipke | 410-841-3421 | |
| Susan Krebs | 410-841-3200 | |
| Patrick McDonough | 410-841-3334 | |
| Dan Morhaim | 410-841-3054 | |
| Peter Murphy | 301-858-3247 | |
| Shirley Nathan-Pulliam | 410-841-3358 | |
| Nathaniel Oaks | 410-841-3283 | |
| Joseline Pena-Melnyk | 301-858-3502 | |
| Justin Ready | 301-858-3070 | |
| Kirill Reznik | 301-858-3039 | |
| Shawn Tarrant | 410-841-3545 | |
| Veronica Turner | 301-858-3212 |
House Appropriations Committee:
| Delegate | Phone Number | Email Address |
| Norman Conway, Chair | 410-841-3407 | |
| James E. Proctor, Jr., Vice Chair | 301-858-3083 | |
| Steven Arentz | 410-841-3543 | |
| Gail Bates | 301-858-3556 | |
| Wendell Beitzel | 301-858-3435 | |
| John Bohanan, Jr. | 301-858-3227 | |
| Steven J. DeBoy, Sr. | 410-841-3328 | |
| Adelaide Eckardt | 410-841-3343 | |
| Tawanna Gaines | 301-858-3058 | |
| Melony Griffith | 301-858-3557 | |
| Ana Sol Gutierrez | 301-858-3181 | |
| Keith Haynes | 410-841-3801 | |
| Mary-Dulany James | 410-841-3331 | |
| Adrienne Jones | 410-841-3391 | |
| Tony McConkey | 410-841-3406 | |
| Heather Mizeur | 301-858-3493 | |
| Barbara Robinson | 410-841-3520 | |
| Theodore Sophocleus | 410-841-3372 | |
| Nancy Stocksdale | 410-841-3077 | |
| Kathy Szeliga | 410-841-3698 | |
| Mary Washington | 410-841-3476 | |
| John Wood, Jr. | 410-841-3170 | |
| Craig Zucker | 301-858-3380 |
Laura Howell
Executive Director
Maryland Association of Community Services
8835 Columbia 100 Parkway, Suite P
Columbia, MD 21045
410-740-5125 x1
-- Jo Anne Schneider Associate Research Professor Anthropology Department George Washington University jschneid@gwu.edu home.gwu.edu/~jschneid www.faithandorganizations.umd.edu
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