Every American worker who expects to live to be 50 years of age and older has a vested interest in bringing age discrimination and ageism issues to the forefront of national awareness.
Gray Matters Coalition is committed to introducing an employment reform bill that more fully protects the rights of workers age 50 and older, eliminates ageism/age discrimination, and provides a fairer and more level playing field for seasoned workers.
If you, a family member, or someone you know has been affected by these issues, we compel you to take action by writing or calling your congressman, friends, and media representatives for support.
Taking action on all serious issue with a unified voice will demonstrate to Congress the passion Americans have to shape laws and policies that will affect age discrimination, jobs , financial security ,health care, medicare and social security for all American families.
Sign up to Save Social Security !!
- Website for links to Representatives, Senators, and other elected officials: www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
- Capitol Switchboard: call (202) 224-3121 and ask for Representative’s or Senator’s office
Sample Letter
Regarding: Age discrimination and ageism in the work place
[Act S.1756 and H.R. 3721]
Date
The Honorable Congressman/Congresswoman name
Street address
City, State. Zip
Congressman/Congresswoman:
I am writing to bring your attention to a serious matter that affects all working Americans. This critical issue is age discrimination and ageism that prevail in the workplace.
Today, hard working Americans face discrimination as early as age 50. These are individuals with valuable experience and vast institutional knowledge. They are ethical, dedicated, and productive people who also have the ability to mentor younger workers who will greatly benefit from their depth of experience.
The practice of suppressing/discarding this tremendous asset of older Americans is throwing away a large part of our economic resources. We cannot afford to be this irresponsible.
I urge you to support these bills [Act S.1756 and H.R. 3721] and all forthcoming bills related to employment reform and the protection of older workers from age discrimination in the workplace.
Thank you for your support in considering these important life changing issues.
Respectfully,
(Your name, email address, and phone number are recommended)
Date
Dear Mr. (Writers name removed to provide autonomy)
Thank you for contacting me about the U.S. Supreme Court case Gross v. FBL Financial Services. I truly appreciate hearing from you, and I am working hard to stand up for New Hampshire’s interests in Congress.
I share your concern about age discrimination. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects certain applicants and employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment. The ADEA is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
In the recent decision made by the Supreme Court in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, an individual filing suit against an employer for age discrimination must provide the proof of age discrimination. Previously, it was up to the employer to prove that there were factors other than age that led to the employee’s demotion or dismissal.
I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3721, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. This legislation would reverse the Gross decision, and would make clear that when a victim shows discrimination was a “motivating factor” behind a decision, the burden is properly on the employer to show it complied with the law.
This legislation has been referred to the House Committees on Education and Labor, and the Judiciary. Although I am not a member of these committees, please know that I will keep your views in mind if this legislation comes before the House of Representatives for a vote.
I encourage you to continue to contact me about the issues that are important to you. Please feel free to visit my website at http://www.hodes.house.gov where you can share your ideas with me, learn about the services I can provide to you, and sign up for my periodic e-mail updates on what I am doing to help New Hampshire.
Sincerely,
Paul Hodes
Member of Congress
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
OWL Action Alert!
Contact Members of Congress about Social Security this week!
According to the Social Security Administration, raising the retirement age for future retirees would reduce benefits by 6 percent to 7 percent for each year that the Normal Retirement Age is raised under Social Security.
For the next four weeks, OWL will be sending out action alerts each week in support of Social Security. Our nation, and specifically OWL members and friends need you now.
What’s on the table
On December 1, 2010, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform will vote on the approval of a final report proposing a number of new policies to reduce the nation’s deficit. Ideas specifically related to Social Security include an:
Increase in retirement age (each year the age is increased it’s a 6-7 percent benefit cut, as noted above); Other general reductions in benefits; and Increase in revenue by lifting the portion of wages subject to the payroll tax, etc.
Take action this week!
In order to preserve Social Security, we need to work together and do so before the Commission votes on the final report on December 1, 2010. There are a variety of things you can do this month, but we ask that you and your local chapters focus on the following top two actions over the next week.
Contact your U.S. Representative to:
Co-sponsor House Resolution 1670 opposing an increase in the retirement age. We currently have 57 members who have co-sponsored it.
Co-sign a letter to Obama. We currently have 136 members of the House who have co-signed the letter. Our goal is 160 — that’s 24 more that we need!
How to contact your U.S. Representative
Direct links:
House Resolution http://tiny.cc/524po
Letter to Obama http://tiny.cc/edz6u
b-DNZhp-baRSPmJu_p4yeXcsw68zRaf_OU-5klEpzIJ_jA==” target=_blank shape=rect track=”on” linktype=”link”>Co-sponsor Senate Resolution 664 opposing a Social Security retirement age increase. We currently have 12 co-sponsors. Our goal is 20 – that’s 8 more needed!
How to contact your Senators
Direct link:
Senate Resolution http://tiny.cc/3gk6t
Tools, Templates, and Language to use
Just last month, we spoke at the Annual OWL National Conference in Sacramento, and handed out “Make it Your Own” advocacy toolkits that the OWL national staff and its partners created for you, local OWL chapters and members, and for Hill staffers and the public alike.
In this toolkit, you will find 10 Things You Should Know (about Social Security), a Sample Letter to Congress, and a Sample Letter to the Editor, etc. It provides you with virtually everything you need to contact Members of Congress and to bring together like-minded people to coordinate efforts.
What’s next
The national Social Security coalition is planning a call-in day for November. We hope that you will participate in this as well. More details to come.
Learn more about the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
Learn more about Social Security Matters, A program of OWL – The Voice of Midlife and Older Women.
With warm regards and focused determination,
The National OWL and Social Security Matters Team
My company discharged 800 people…Then wasted over hundreds of million buying new companies. Then laid off people at those firms. The problems in the usa have nothing to do with our president . The inconvenience is the private sector. – it’s a buyers market, they only care about their benefits.I think it will get worse
NH VOTER writes
Open Letter to Honorable Congressman Paul Hodes
Regarding: Age discrimination and ageism in the work place
[Act S.1756 and H.R. 3721]
The Honorable Congressman Paul Hodes
1317 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congressman Hodes,
I am writing to bring your attention to a serious matter that affects all working Americans.
This critical issue is age discrimination and ageism that prevail in the workplace.
I worked at GN Netcom here in Nashua for over 10 year when I was released in February 2009 during reorganization with no just cause.
In both 2005 and 2006 I was awarded the companies highest honor of President’s Club.
In addition, I have over 30 recommendations from former managers, directors and customers.
At the same time all females over 45 were released from the department.
If that’s not discrimination I don’t know what is!
I contacted the EEOC and they told me it would be impossible to prove because they would need to look at the entire company and not just the department.
I remained unemployed for 13 months and during that period was constantly told by HR departments or hiring managers that I was either over qualified or didn’t have the exact experience.
Today, hard working Americans face discrimination as early as age 50. These are individuals with valuable experience and vast institutional knowledge. They are ethical, dedicated, and productive people who also have the ability to mentor younger workers who will greatly benefit from their depth of experience.
The practice of suppressing/discarding this tremendous asset of older Americans is throwing away a large part of our economic resources. We cannot afford to be this irresponsible.
I urge you to support these bills [Act S.1756 and H.R. 3721] and all forthcoming bills related to employment reform and the protection of older workers from age discrimination in the workplace.
Thank you for your support in considering these important life changing issues.
Respectfully,
Voter
Nashua, NH 03063
Hi!
Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be okay. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
Hi Iona!
Yes we do use Twitter ( http://twitter.com/GrayMattersCo )
Appreciate your interest!
It`s good finding an article about this, been looking this up for an internet paper I`m doing.
Will bookmark this web site, seems like there are lots of blog posts that will assist me.
I Like the website. I am happy I found your site by accident, I posted the link on Facebook.
Donald
I came across your blog on yahoo and read a few of your other articles. I just added you to my Rss feeds. Keep up the nice job. Look forward to reading more from you next week. Keep posting.
Open Letter to Honorable Congressman Paul Hodes
Regarding: Age discrimination and ageism in the work place
[Act S.1756 and H.R. 3721]
The Honorable Congressman Paul Hodes
1317 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congressman Hodes,
I am writing to bring your attention to a serious matter that affects all working Americans.
This critical issue is age discrimination and ageism that prevail in the workplace.
I worked at GN Netcom here in Nashua for over 10 year when I was released in February 2009 during reorganization with no just cause.
In both 2005 and 2006 I was awarded the companies highest honor of President’s Club.
In addition, I have over 30 recommendations from former managers, directors and customers.
At the same time all females over 45 were released from the department.
If that’s not discrimination I don’t know what is!
I contacted the EEOC and they told me it would be impossible to prove because they would need to look at the entire company and not just the department.
I remained unemployed for 13 months and during that period was constantly told by HR departments or hiring managers that I was either over qualified or didn’t have the exact experience.
Today, hard working Americans face discrimination as early as age 50. These are individuals with valuable experience and vast institutional knowledge. They are ethical, dedicated, and productive people who also have the ability to mentor younger workers who will greatly benefit from their depth of experience.
The practice of suppressing/discarding this tremendous asset of older Americans is throwing away a large part of our economic resources. We cannot afford to be this irresponsible.
I urge you to support these bills [Act S.1756 and H.R. 3721] and all forthcoming bills related to employment reform and the protection of older workers from age discrimination in the workplace.
Thank you for your support in considering these important life changing issues.
Respectfully,
Anonymous Voter
Nashua, NH
I assume the main cause for the apparent growing sense of anger, hopelessness and despair among people who are dealing with this issue is that the long term unemployed don’t seem to be a unified voting force. As a matter of fact, We are comprised of a complete mixture of the complete -over all working class. This recession didn’t simply impact blue collar or white collar workers. Both Republicans and Democrats have been hit hard. This is a job problem that pretty much equally effected us all.
MAIN STREET AMERICANS are in imminent danger!
Republicans are purging their chosen targets, group after group.
Paul Ryan bill ends Medicare, Social Security to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class, poor, seniors, disabled!
Read here which government representatives are NOT LOOKING OUT for YOUR BEST INTERESTS!
(http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll277.xml )
I am 52 years old and got laid off after 30.5 years with FMC, and they replaced me with 2 younger black men into two jobs I was more than qualified for, but then I fail to tell you the 2 HR Managers are black too. If that’s not Age and Race Discrimination I just don’t know what is. Then I went to the EEOC and the slim older man said I did not have a case, so since the EEOC would not back a lawyer wouldn’t take the so we signed our paper, but it turns out we did have a suit, but because of the info. we got from EEOC I guess I will sue the state of North Carolina for giving false information. I think someone
from the state Reprentative’s or Senator’s office should be talking to me or Lawyer, or judge to side with me to let FMC pay me a settlement. I’m 52 and I could have worked 15 more years, MY annual pay 60 to 70k and since I’m 52 t
Great Blog!
I found this on Google and I have to admit there’s a lot of people out there that need this kind of real, useful and insightful information.
Thank you for sharing -I’m passing this along & I’ll be back. CFG
NH VOTER says:
Open Letter to Honorable Congressman Paul Hodes
Regarding: Age discrimination and ageism in the work place
[Act S.1756 and H.R. 3721]
The Honorable Congressman Paul Hodes
1317 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congressman Hodes,
I am writing to bring your attention to a serious matter that affects all working Americans.
This critical issue is age discrimination and ageism that prevail in the workplace.
I worked at GN Netcom here in Nashua for over 10 year when I was released in February 2009 during reorganization with no just cause.
In both 2005 and 2006 I was awarded the companies highest honor of President’s Club.
In addition, I have over 30 recommendations from former managers, directors and customers.
At the same time all females over 45 were released from the department.
If that’s not discrimination I don’t know what is!
I contacted the EEOC and they told me it would be impossible to prove because they would need to look at the entire company and not just the department.
I remained unemployed for 13 months and during that period was constantly told by HR departments or hiring managers that I was either over qualified or didn’t have the exact experience.
Today, hard working Americans face discrimination as early as age 50. These are individuals with valuable experience and vast institutional knowledge. They are ethical, dedicated, and productive people who also have the ability to mentor younger workers who will greatly benefit from their depth of experience.
The practice of suppressing/discarding this tremendous asset of older Americans is throwing away a large part of our economic resources. We cannot afford to be this irresponsible.
I urge you to support these bills [Act S.1756 and H.R. 3721] and all forthcoming bills related to employment reform and the protection of older workers from age discrimination in the workplace.
Thank you for your support in considering these important life changing issues.
Respectfully,
Voter
Nashua, NH 03063
Great articles and nice a website design too
What a great post!
Thank U for addressing this issue !
Good job!
Paul Hodes Member of Congress
Your VOTES COUNT. Write or call your represenative now regarding age discrimination issues in the work place.
Everyone complains about the Government doing nothing, but in reality it’s us doing nothing. If the Americans of this homeland would make a stand and make a demand for what is right then things would finally change. It’s tiring hearing about what’s incorrect with our land without action. Stand up for what you believe in. Get out and do something!! Every one has power-it’s in their vote!
Hi there!
Someone in my Facebook group shared this website with us so I
came to look it over. Definitely good information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting it to my followers!
Excellent blog and would like to believe we can end age discrimination before I’m in my 50’s. I have watched several guys in my department get puched out after 20 years. I don’t get how companies get away with this.
Fritz
what a great post!
My wife & I really enjoy your site ! Nice article. Thanks for sharing
Please keep them coming. Riley
Thanks for sharing ! I like your point of view. Keep going !
Hello there! I’m sharing your blog with my facebook group. There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your topics and affected by age discrimination at work. Keep up the good work.Thank you
Have you ever considered publishing an e-book or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog based upon on the same information you discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information. I know my audience would appreciate your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an email.