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Abstract
When they get referrals from state agencies that assist people with disabilities, [Anna Marie Porriello] and her staff of two start looking for possibilities in companies large and small. Though run by a union, IAM CARES does not serve only union workers or unionized employers.
Mertie Terry, a senior personnel representative with Northeast Utilities, is the chairman of the agency's business advisory council. The 25member group -- a mix of people with disabilities and representatives from business, labor, rehabilitation agencies -- amounts to an informal network to help Porriello keep up with job possibilities.
Terry said Porriello has had to break some ground in getting employers -- including nonunion employers -- to work with a unionsponsored group. That cooperative approach, however, is all the more important now that the federal Americans with Disabilities Act has gone into effect.