Fw: Alert: Congress to vote on subminimum wage for workers with disabilities

[Guest guest]

fyi, for those of you interested in the subminimum wage issue, here’s some new

information. It says here that Congress is going to be voting on August 3rd

whether to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, with changes. Hard to

imagine anything else is going on in Washington right now, with all the Debt

Ceiling stuff!

Laurie

From: Berg

Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 9:49 AM

'Jerue Family' ; 'Manning, Marita'

Subject: FW: Alert: Congress to vote on subminimum wage for workers with

disabilities

FYI

From: ACT@... [mailto:act@...]

Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 9:28 AM

pberg@...

Subject: Alert: Congress to vote on subminimum wage for workers with

disabilities

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An informational alert prepared by Fifth Freedom

Information courtesy of Dee Ann Hart, National Federation of

the Blind, The National Council on Independent Living

Congressional committee voting on subminimum wage for workers

with disabilities on August 3

In the United States, most employees cannot be paid less than

the federal minimum wage, $7.25 per hour. There are a few exceptions, such as

student-learners, tipped employees, and in some cases, workers with

disabilities. In some cases, employers can apply for special permission from the

Secretary of Labor to pay workers with significant physical or intellectual

disabilities at subminimum wage.

On Wednesday, August 3, the Senate HELP (Healthcare,

Education, Labor, and Pensions) Committee will vote on reauthorizing the

Workforce Investment Act. If Congress reauthorizes this bill as written, it

would also reauthorize Section 14© of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Under certain special circumstances, it allows some employers to pay workers

with disabilities a subminimum wage.

Speaking about the bill, Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the

National Federation of the Blind, said: " Unequal pay for equal work on the basis

of disability is unfair, discriminatory, and immoral. The senators who serve on

the HELP Committee must decide whether they stand for the outrageous

exploitation of disabled workers, or for true equality for Americans with

disabilities. "

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) also feels

that the subminimum wage is wrong, but believes the bill is a step in the right

direction, as it would reduce the number of people employed at subminimum wage.

In a recent statement, NCIL listed some of the bill's new restrictions on

subminimum wage. The bill would require...

....Youth to receive pre-employment transition services, and

understand the conditions under which subminimum wage may be paid.

...Youth to be offered " employment-related services and

supports designed to enable the individual to explore, discover, experience, and

attain competitive integrated employment. "

... That an individual must have been working toward an

employment outcome specified in their individualized plan for employment for a

reasonable period of time without success before they could enter sheltered

employment.

... People considering or currently in sheltered employment

receive training in self-advocacy, career counseling, and self-determination

from an independent entity with no financial interest in the outcome.

... People currently in sheltered employment set goals for

career advancement.

Also, individuals would have to apply for vocational

rehabilitation services before they are eligible to enter sheltered employment.

If this issue is important to you, you may wish to contact

your representatives with your opinion. Contact information for the HELP

Committee is here: http://help.senate.gov/about/contact/ . The August 3 hearing

is on " the Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization of 2011 " . Subminimum wage is

discussed in section 511.

More information:

The Department of Labor on subminimum wage:

http://fifthfreedom.org/u/b1

Draft of Section 511:

http://www.ncil.org/resources/511temp.doc

Doug Schmidt

Act Team Coordinator

The Fifth Freedom Network

4606-C E. State Blvd., Suite 102

Fort Wayne, IN 46815

act@...

www.fifthfreedom.org

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