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HELP SAVE OHIO'S JOB SERVICE!
Tell Senator DeWine we need his help now

June 14, 2003 - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill (H.R. 1261) extending the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). It would end the 70 year old State Employment Service and eliminate specific federal funding for dislocated workers. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold its first hearing on legislation to extend WIA on June 18th. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) expires on September 30.

The state Employment Service cannot be saved unless the Senate rejects the House approach, which combines the state job service with the dislocated worker and adult training programs under WIA into a single job training "block grant".

Ohio Senator Michael DeWine can play a crucial role in the Senate. He was the primary Senate author of the Workforce Investment Act and continues to sit on the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee.

DON'T DELAY
Call Senator DeWine now at 1-877-331-2000.

Tell him to oppose the block grant in H.R. 1261. Tell him:

• This is not the time to dismantle or reorganize state operations that serve unemployment insurance recipients and dislocated workers. The workforce system needs to focus on training and job placement services, not another reorganization.
  
• Ending the state employment service will hurt the unemployment insurance program, and workers and employers affected by mass layoffs, including trade impacted workers and employers.
  
• Ending the State employment service will hurt services to veterans and the disabled and undermine specific federally mandated functions such as foreign labor certification, migrant/seasonal farm workers programs and apprenticeship programs.

PHONE SCRIPT
My name is__________________, and I work for the State of Ohio Job Service. I am calling to ask Senator DeWine to help us keep our Ohio Job Service and to oppose the job training block grant in H.R. 1261. Our workforce system needs to focus on training and job placement services, not another reorganization. H.R. 1261 will hurt our unemployment insurance program and dislocated workers training. Please tell Senator DeWine I called to ask for his help in this matter.