Kay Mason: July 2008 Archives
Between 1992 and 1993, claims of employment discrimination based on religion jumped 82%! To put this in perspective, during the same period, claims involving race dropped by 3.5%.
Many employment discrimination claims based on religion involve instances in which employers refuse to provide an accommodation for an employee's religious practices. Three primary problem areas arise out of conflicts between work requirements and holy day observance, religious garb, and religious grooming requirements. A few claims arise out of conflicts between religious faith and a specific assigned duty. It is not only members of small or poorly understood faiths whoe experience trouble in the workplace. Cases coming before the courts have included Roman Catholics denied time off on Christmas Day; Evangelical Christians denied time off to attend church on Sundays; Sikhs whose employers require them to remove turbans; Jews and Seventh-day Sabbath keepers for refusing to work on Saturdays; Muslim women for wearing head scarves; and attempts to force Rastafarians to cut their dreadlocks.
With special thanks to the board which voted approval of my going to Washington, DC, for the Capitol Hill Summit last month, I want to devote this post to sharing with you what happened, and why I came home so excited to have been able to participate.
We spent Thursday morning in briefings on how to meet and lobby in the Congressional offices. After they divided the group of about 150 into smaller units, we were given our assignments. Our group included folks from Colorado, Oregon, and Missouri. Our group leader was Charles Steinberg, Attorney, who works for the Northwest Religious Liberty Association, which means his boss is the speaker scheduled for October, Greg Hamilton. Our six appointments, covering our three states, kept us running from one office building to another in heat and humidity Coloradoans aren't used to!
One of our team, Shawn D'Abreu, is confined to a wheelchair, and the heat was pretty intense for him as he wheeled himself what seemed like miles to these offices. Shawn is a Public Policy Specialist in St. Louis, MO, and represents those with physical handicaps to obtain fair and reasonable accommodation. He was confident enough to lobby Senator Clair McCaskill's aide, Hannah Mellman.
Lobbyists often meet with Congressional aides, who listen to a condensed version of the bill. They take a copy of the Bill in question, read it and condense it into a brief that the Congressman can read and solidify his position on the issue - pro or con. Most of our meetings, including those with Congressmen Salazar and Allard, were very positive, meaning the aides were able to say the Congressmen were familiar with the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, and generally supportive.
The bill is being held up in committee by Gay and Lesbian groups who are fearful it will be a problem for people with their proclivity because, they suspect, Christians in the workplace will hassle them. Actually, there is nothing in the bill to indicate that would happen, but the WRFA supporters have included wording that specifically prohibits that from happening. It is hoped that this bill will be out of committee and be brought to a vote, finally, after seven years, by the end of the year. The reality is it probably won't happen until after the elections and inauguration.
Visiting these historic office buildings, meeting with these young people who are working tirelessly to aid our Congressmen, was an awe-inspiring honor. To be part of the process in a way that matters as much or more than a vote on election day, was an experience none of us will soon forget.
Thursday evening, the banquet at the Capitol Hilton was a posh affair, but very meaningful. Four Religious Liberty Advocates were given plaques of appreciation, including Carl Wilkens, who spoke at our church RL rally about three years ago. He was the only American to stay in Rwanda during the genocide.
Friday was American history day, and arrangements were made for the participants to visit the White House and the Holocaust Museum. Because of security issues, the White House was very limited. The Holocaust Museum was very depressing; four floors of memorablilia of the Holocaust, including video presentations. It was up to us to visit the Smithsonian as our interests dictated, and that filled up the day! We had to be at the Takoma Park Church for vespers by 7, and listened to Ed Reid both Friday evening and Sabbath morning. We do have the DVDs of his presentation if you are interested, please ask me about borrowing them.
