"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers once too."
-- Leviticus 19:33-34
Dear Team:
On Tuesday morning, President Trump ordered the end of DACA - the program that protected nearly 800,000 Dreamers (
people brought to the United States as children) from deportation.
Targeting children -and the vulnerable -- is not how a country shows strength. The average age of a Dreamer, when brought to the United States, was six years old. These children have since built a life here. They have gone to school, acquired jobs, started families, registered with the government, undergone frequent background checks, and paid taxes. Now, unless Congress moves to protect the Dreamers, these young adults will have no legal way to make a living -- and are at high risk of deportation.
But we can stop this needless, cruel action with the passage of The Dream Act,
a bipartisan-supported bill that would provide a path to citizenship for DACA recipients
- and allow them to continue their lives in the United States. For this week's national action, we are asking you to urge your senators to support the Dream Act and protect the lives of millions of Dreamers across the country.
Our state action is also about equality. In Ohio - as elsewhere around the country - women are still
systematically undervalued and underpaid for their work; with women of color experiencing the widest gaps. That's why we're asking you to encourage your representatives to support the
Ohio Equal Pay Act.
Among other things, the bill would:
- Require businesses who contract with the state of Ohio to obtain an Equal Pay Certificate, which would certify that the employer offers the same opportunities to its employees, regardless of gender
and
- Prohibit gag orders on employees that keep them from discussing their salaries with each other. (This is one of the biggest reasons that pay discrimination continues).
We are not asking for any sort of special recompense here. We simply believe in equal pay for equal work.
Ready? Let's go!
Wednesday's National Action: Protect the Dreamers
Call: Senator Brown at 202-224-2315 and
Senator Portman at 202-224-3353
Your Script:
Hi, my name is NAME and I am a constituent from [CITY, ZIP.] I am urging you to support the Dream Act to
protect the nearly 800,000 young people brought to the US as children. These young people already undergo frequent background checks. They have been here for most of their lives and are worthy of safety, opportunity and compassion. Thank you for your time.
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]
Wednesday's State Action: Support equal pay for equal work
Your script:
Hi, my name is NAME and I am a constituent from [CITY, ZIP.] I'm calling to ask you to support the Ohio Equal Pay Act. In Ohio, the average working woman is paid only
seventy five percent
of what her male counterpart gets paid. The Ohio Equal Pay Act does not require any sort of special recompense. It only ensures that equal pay is given for equal work. Thank you for your time and consideration.
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]
