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Very rarely do we get an opportunity to make the world a better place without spending a dime. This Wednesday, April 3, there will be a hearing in an Illinois Senate committee on SB 3764, which calls for an increase in the adult services DSP wage rate by $3.00/hour effective January 1, 2025. To support this bill, we are asking that you consider filling out what is called a “witness slip,” which shows that you are in favor of this increase. We need as many people as possible to complete this form to show a massive wave of support for the fair wages our DSP’s deserve! A witness slip only takes a couple of minutes to complete. If you have never filled out a witness slip before, here are simple instructions: 1. Click on the following link to access the site to submit witness slips: https://lnkd.in/grpwazz8 2. Click on the “Create Witness Slip” button 3. Fill out all applicable fields for “I. Identification”. 4. Fill out “II. Representation” Please complete this as follows: “DSP with Little City Foundation” (or another title if applicable) 5. Fill out “III. Position” Where it says “Subject Matter” there is a drop-down menu – be sure to select “SB 3764” 6. Next to that drop down, select “Proponent” 7. Under “IV. Testimony,”, select “Record of Appearance Only” 8. Agree to the “Terms of Agreement” Click on the “Create (Slip)” button to submit. Please complete before Wednesday so your voice is heard! Thank you for your support and feel free to re-post to your followers.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) in February added the names of 19 new businesses to its Workplace Accountability in Labor List (The WALL), bringing to 120 the number of employers that have failed to address their outstanding liabilities for violations of wage, benefit or tax laws.    The 19 new businesses owe a total of $931,997.12 in penalties for failing to keep workers safe by providing adequate workers’ compensation coverage. The 120 businesses posted to The WALL collectively owe $13.5 million – either directly to their workers or for unpaid taxes or contributions. All are barred from public contracting with state, county, or local governments until they pay their liabilities in full, and all have had multiple opportunities to pay or appeal their assessment.    Read more: https://ow.ly/4chR50QznTL 

Both the NYS Senate and Assembly included an additional 1.7% increase to the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) in their respective one-house budgets. Along with the governor’s proposed 1.5% COLA, this 3.2% increase signifies that the Senate and Assembly have listened to us about the need for investment in supports and services for people I/DD. Unfortunately, the language in both one-house bills stating how the COLA could be allocated was too narrow in scope and does not take into consideration that the continuum of supports and services involves more that direct-care staff. Limiting the COLA ignores the other critical facets of our system, including transportation, technology, facilities maintenance, and even food for the people we support, just to name a few. Additionally, while the Senate included the Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE), it was omitted in the Assembly’s one-house bill and the Executive Budget. We need both the COLA and the DSWE if we are going to address the crisis to our support infrastructure. Now we must tell our legislators, the governor, and leaders of the Senate and Assembly to come to the negotiating table and include in the Enacted Budget: - A 3.2% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) with language which does not overly restrict how funds must be allocated - A Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE) based on (S4127-A/A5268-A) Click here: https://p2a.co/Gh4lfZh You can directly send your Senators, Assemblymembers, Governor Hochul, Assembly Speaker Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins a message with this online form!

A step forward, but not far enough! Concerned citizens of New York state, use this link https://p2a.co/Gh4lfZh to let NYS government officials know what is needed in the Enacted Budget: - A 3.2% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) with language which does not overly restrict how funds must be allocated - A Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE) based on (S4127-A/A5268-A) These are required to ensure the agencies of The Arc New York which do so much for those in the state with intellectual #disabilities and #autism, have the funding and flexibility needed to continue to provide these vital services. Make your voice heard, speaking out for those so need our help.

In the News: Colorado Chamber Press Roundup: Fox 31: Polis’ wage theft veto garners industry support, workers’ dismay Earlier in May, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a measure billed as a way to prevent wage theft in the construction industry, and groups associated with construction work have applauded the move. Read More… Gazette: An eighth-grader gives us a glimpse of a brighter politics ahead I saw the best speech of the 2024 election season so far last week, and it was given by a pint-sized eighth-grader from a tiny school in Buena Vista. Read More… Axios: Colorado progressive lawmakers targeted by party, big money Two progressive state lawmakers from Denver with pro-Palestinian stances are being targeted for defeat by Democratic Party leaders and big-moneyed interests. Read More… Colorado Biz: 3 Strategies for Colorado Business Owners to Retain Talent Cost-Effectively Colorado’s small business landscape is competitive. According to the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, there are over 691,000 businesses in the state. Read More… Colorado Politics: Competitive primary races in Colorado House and Senate races see hot fundraising The latest campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State show hot fundraising for several primary races for the state House and Senate. Read More… http://dlvr.it/T7x7ct #Timnath #Colorado #TimnathChamber

⚠ ADVOCACY ANNOUNCEMENT⚠ This past week, the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly Majority adopted their one-house budget resolutions in response to the 2024-2025 Executive Budget. Unfortunately, the language in both one-house bills LIMITS ALLOCATION for direct care and clinical staff wages. Our investment in a skilled workforce of Direct Support Professionals is absolutely essential. Limiting COLA exclusively to workforce ignores the other critical facets of our service system, including transportation, technology, facilities maintenance, and even food for the people we support. ==================================== WE NEED YOUR VOICE: Tell Legislators and Governor Kathy Hochul to Negotiate for 3.2% COLA and DSWE in Enacted Budget We must tell our legislators, the Governor, and leaders of the Senate and Assembly to come to the negotiating table and include our full bull budget request in the Enacted Budget: ▶ A 3.2% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) with language that does not overly restrict how funds must be allocated ▶ A Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE) (S4127-A/A5268-A) Make your voice heard by participating in our ONE-CLICK Letter Campaign, which can be found here ➡ https://p2a.co/Gh4lfZh ======================================== Please send a message BEFORE APRIL 1 and let them know how vital this budget is to the quality of our services!

THIS IS A MUST READ IF YOU OWN A BUSINESS IN MICHIGAN! Butzel is here if you need guidance or have questions about the ruling. #EmploymentLaw #MichiganLaw #MinimumWage #SickLeave #WorkforceDevelopment #LaborLaw #HRCompliance #LegalUpdate #EmployeeRights #BusinessCompliance #MichiganSupremeCourt #WorkplacePolicy #EmployerGuidance

Unveiling the numbers 💰✨ Explore the annual salaries of state legislators in our latest blog post. Why does it matter? Find out as we delve into the dynamics of legislative compensation: https://hubs.li/Q02f1L630

UCP Seguin needs YOU! Ask your state legislators today to support a wage increase for the dedicated professionals who support people with disabilities every day! #TheyDeserveMore #TakeActionTuesday 📢 ACTION ALERT! Our Springfield team is currently working with Illinois legislators asking them to sign a letter of support to increase Direct Support Professional (DSP) wages in this year’s state budget. 🔴 And, we need your help! 🔴 We are collecting as many signatures as possible by the end of the day on Wednesday, May 8 (TOMORROW) and plan to share the letter with the full Illinois General Assembly at this important moment when budget negotiations are beginning in earnest. For many legislators, hearing from you – their constituents – can be the deciding factor for whether they sign on or not. Ask your legislators to sign the letter supporting a $3 per hour wage increase for DSPs. Just click the link below and then enter your name and address to send them a message: https://lnkd.in/gG_V63bk