What Can We Do To Cause Reform? Mary Bailey Aug. 3, 2004

1) Register To Vote.

2) Find out who your representatives are.

3) Call and make an appointment with your representatives. Let them know the fallacies of the current laws and the lack of enforcement of laws designed to protect workers.

4) Inform family members and friends of the problems. Do everything possible to get them to do the same with their own representatives.

5) Contact your representatives by writing a hand-written letter and/or an email again. This time express your concerns with current laws and the things you see that need changing.

6) Keep in touch with VOICES, Inc. to keep abreast of the issues that will effect our quality of life.

7) Educate others as to what they have to look forward to should they suffer an on the job injury. Urge them to make calls and write their legislators to demand changes.

8) Keep a list of your representatives handy. Keep track of how they voted on issues that concern workers rights, and their responses to your concerns.

9) Use this list to decide how to vote when it's election time.

10) Call and talk to the candidates running for office. Find out where they stand on workers rights. Make it clear that you are voting for him/her and against the opponent because of the unfavorable stance on workers compensation issues of the opponent. Or vice versa.
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11) Make it a point at public meetings and gatherings to confront the Legislator to ask him/her why he/she voted unfavorably regarding injured worker needs. This will make sure the rest of the people know and will increase the chance of media coverage.

12) Use any opportunity to address these issues! Take the step forward and let people at gatherings know the facts concerning workers rights. Explain how things stand now; explain unjust treatment by the carriers; explain the stance that the legislators take on these issues.

Step forward or be stepped on.

Mary Bailey

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