Goodwill Legally Pays Disabled Workers As Low as 22 Cents an Hour

[adipocere]

Well this is the most disgusting thing I have read in awhile.


Goodwill Industries, a non-profit whose mission is to “ enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families” pays disabled workers as little as 22 cents an hour, NBC reports.
Harry Smith’s report, which aired on Rock Center with Brian Williams, probes a loophole in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that allows employers to pay disabled workers far below the federal minimum wage. Section 14 (c) of FLSA grants certificates to certain employers, permitting them to pay adjusted wages to workers “whose earning or productive capacity is impaired by a physical or mental disability.” Qualified employers create “sheltered workshops,” “where employees typically perform manual tasks like hanging clothes.”
According to Labor Department documents obtained by NBC, Goodwill used this loophole to pay disabled workers in sheltered workshops “as low as 22, 38 and 41 cents per hour in 2011,” presenting a stark contrast to charity executives. Via NBC:
In 2011 the CEO of Goodwill Industries of Southern California took home $1.1 million in salary and deferred compensation. His counterpart in Portland, Oregon, made more than $500,000. Salaries for CEOs of the roughly 150 Goodwill franchises across America total more than $30 million.
The National Federation of the Blind, one of the most ardent critics of Section 14 (c), maintains that the law “is, on its face, discriminatory.” In a report, NFB argues “The law does not authorize below-minimum wages for all less-productive workers—only those who have disabilities.” Under the statute, employers base disabled workers’ wages on “time studies.” In this degrading process, Goodwill and other companies pull out stopwatches to determine how quickly their employees can complete company tasks, and adjust wages accordingly.
Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) introduced a bill in February that would phase out “special wage certificates.” “Meaningful work deserves fair pay,” said Harper in a statement. “This dated provision unjustly prohibits workers with disabilities from reaching their full potential.” The third-term Congressman has a 23-year-old son with an intellectual disability. His bill is currently in the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.
Meanwhile, Goodwill CEO and millionaire Jim Gibbons defended his charity’s practice of underpayment, telling NBC, “It's typically not about their livelihood. It's about their fulfillment. It's about being a part of something. And it's probably a small part of their overall program.”
NBC also spoke with Harold Leigland, a legally blind Goodwill worker with a different view from the company’s CEO. “We are trapped," he said. "Everybody who works at Goodwill is trapped." http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/goodwill-legally-pays-disabled-workers-low-22-cents-hour

- I'm not sure if this should be here or in worker struggles -

[Sky Hedgehogian Maestro]

Now this is just pathetic. And especially the way the guy defends it.

[RadioRaheem84]

It's typically not about their livelihood. It's about their fulfillment. It's about being a part of something. And it's probably a small part of their overall program.”



:laugh:...what??! Their bills don't get paid off fulfillment.

[LifeIs2Short]

:laugh:...what??! Their bills don't get paid off fulfillment.

Well, I assume most of them probably don't live alone and aren't fiscally responsible for themselves. But yeah it's basically slave labour.

Also, I would never have thought that a Republican would be introducing bills to enhance labour legislation. :D

[adipocere]

Also, I would never have thought that a Republican would be introducing bills to enhance labour legislation. :D

His son is a victim. Republicans can be surprisingly human when they are on the receiving end of injustice. :ohmy:

[BIXX]

ANYONE can be humane when they are on the receiving end. The true test of your humanity is when you are no longer oppressed.

Needless to say I will not support the goodwill.

[RadioRaheem84]

His son is a victim. Republicans can be surprisingly human when they are on the receiving end of injustice. :ohmy:

Even the base cannot escape the grip of reality. I know many hardcore conservatives that when faced with realities of economic and social choices, they always bend their own morals to that of a liberal.

This just proves to me that the right wing especially the base, don't have opinions per se, they spout ruling class, religious and business talking points. The right wing establishment knows that we talk about the interests of people as a whole as the prime agenda, but they befuddle this by saying that we are espousing the rhetoric of big labour, or the gay agenda, or special interest groups that cater to minorities. Well what the hell is wrong with all that? What's wrong with being for women, for people of color, for gays, for workers and unions?

I went off on a tangent but yes, the GOP when faced with reality (which has a left bias) tend to stray from their beliefs faster than the length it took to adopt them.

[InvalidPacket]

.

[B5C]

Radio, not all conservatives are like that. I debated with my conservative friend about this goodwill issue. She supports a law like this to pay the disabled like 22 cents an hour. She has a brother who has down syndrome. She explained to me that the reason why he can't find work because he is not worth the $9.19 an hour. (That is mim wage in my state). The poor business people would love to hire her down syndrome brother but paying him a mim wage is a burden of the business. She admitted to me that her brother is only worth .50 cents to 1.50 an hour. That is the wage society should be paying. Also note she told me that my wage is too damn high for a retail worker. I am a taker from the poor teenagers who would love to work at a major retail giant.

[Bardo]

Wow.

At 22 cents per hour, a $5 shirt from goodwill will cost about 23 hours of labor time. :mad:

[adipocere]

Radio, not all conservatives are like that. I debated with my conservative friend about this goodwill issue. She supports a law like this to pay the disabled like 22 cents an hour. She has a brother who has down syndrome. She explained to me that the reason why he can't find work because he is not worth the $9.19 an hour. (That is mim wage in my state). The poor business people would love to hire her down syndrome brother but paying him a mim wage is a burden of the business. She admitted to me that her brother is only worth .50 cents to 1.50 an hour. That is the wage society should be paying. Also note she told me that my wage is too damn high for a retail worker. I am a taker from the poor teenagers who would love to work at a major retail giant.

:cursing: What a horrible thing to say about anyone, let alone your brother. How does a person even become that mean and stupid? I expect people to say dumb shit like that on the internet, but I'm not sure I would know how to react to someone who said that to my face. It would probably feel like a slap. If I had to be around someone like that a lot I would make it my responsibility to make their life as unpleasant as possible - even if it were only little secret victories, like spitting in their food.

[B5C]

This is why I try my best to stay away from her, but she is good friends with my wife. I just have to put up with it.

[RadioRaheem84]

Radio, not all conservatives are like that. I debated with my conservative friend about this goodwill issue. She supports a law like this to pay the disabled like 22 cents an hour. She has a brother who has down syndrome. She explained to me that the reason why he can't find work because he is not worth the $9.19 an hour. (That is mim wage in my state). The poor business people would love to hire her down syndrome brother but paying him a mim wage is a burden of the business. She admitted to me that her brother is only worth .50 cents to 1.50 an hour. That is the wage society should be paying. Also note she told me that my wage is too damn high for a retail worker. I am a taker from the poor teenagers who would love to work at a major retail giant.

I've heard this too from conservatives but they generally tend to be in positions of management or own small businesses.

My own future father in law is small business owner and he tells me all the time his workers aren't worth ten cents. He is exaggerating but basically he is saying that paying them the 8 bucks an hour entry level is too much and that he is just being generous.

[B5C]

I've heard this too from conservatives but they generally tend to be in positions of management or own small businesses.

My own future father in law is small business owner and he tells me all the time his workers aren't worth ten cents. He is exaggerating but basically he is saying that paying them the 8 bucks an hour entry level is too much and that he is just being generous.

So true. My friend is a small business owner. I remember she told me that she had to fire her secretary because the secretary got cancer and missed too many shifts. :mad:

[Fire]

It sounds like supported employment: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supported_employment
or a work center en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheltered_workshop

I used to work with children with cognitive disabilities. Essentially there is a school of thought for people with severe and profound disabilities that their lives will be better if they are able to get out of the home and get out of the community to go to a job like their nondisabled peers. When I say severe and profound, I'm talking about people who are too low functioning to live without some support and supervision. The nature of their job is they have a guy closely coaching them to do some simple motor task that they can do like putting paper in a shredder, stuffing envelopes, or waving at people so that they can feel like they are helping. It also prevents what skills they have from atrophy. Many of these kids and adults with disabilities express the desire to work, any that don't often do have a choice to just stay home. The goal is to maximize choice and independence when they can. It also allows them to make a little extra money to spend on things that they want that is there's and there's alone. Their other needs are supposed to be taken care of in other ways.

Now I do take issue with the idea that people have a need to work but that's the thought behind it. It's not designed to be exploitative as its usually charities you see participating in these supported employment programs since they have to come up for things for them to do. Still not sure how helpful it is but there you go.

[Fire]

I can't post links because I don't have enough posts so you'll have to copy and paste them in your browser.

[Sidagma]

I worked for GoodWill as a teenager. I was forced to by a borderline-exploitative "alternative school" that was, conveniently, located inside a GoodWill building, and required, like, 7 hours of community service or employment a week in order to graduate. I was 15. Most of the other people there either had immediately obvious cognitive disabilities or were being forced to work there as community service.

They don't actually try to hide this at all. The one in my town has all these posters hanging up of smiling "employees" talking about what a great favor GoodWill does for them. That should already send up some red flags.

On the other hand, "refusing to support them" as a means of putting an end to their bullshit is 1) utterly ineffectual and 2) actively detrimental to those very same people, most of whom rely on cheap clothes from goodwill. I buy my clothes from GoodWill because I can't afford anything else.

So like, if you're not going to start up an equivalent place for people to go and get cheap clothes, the only thing you're accomplishing by refusing to donate clothes is fucking poor people over, including the poor people who work at GoodWill.

[adipocere]

It sounds like supported employment: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supported_employment
or a work center en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheltered_workshop

I used to work with children with cognitive disabilities. Essentially there is a school of thought for people with severe and profound disabilities that their lives will be better if they are able to get out of the home and get out of the community to go to a job like their nondisabled peers. When I say severe and profound, I'm talking about people who are too low functioning to live without some support and supervision. The nature of their job is they have a guy closely coaching them to do some simple motor task that they can do like putting paper in a shredder, stuffing envelopes, or waving at people so that they can feel like they are helping. It also prevents what skills they have from atrophy. Many of these kids and adults with disabilities express the desire to work, any that don't often do have a choice to just stay home. The goal is to maximize choice and independence when they can. It also allows them to make a little extra money to spend on things that they want that is there's and there's alone. Their other needs are supposed to be taken care of in other ways.

Now I do take issue with the idea that people have a need to work but that's the thought behind it. It's not designed to be exploitative as its usually charities you see participating in these supported employment programs since they have to come up for things for them to do. Still not sure how helpful it is but there you go.

I agree that it's not designed to be exploitative - it's an obvious outcome of shitty legislation and public apathy - if not hostility - towards disadvantaged people.

Intention and social benefit to the disabled is beside the point. People who work should be paid a regular wage - period. If disabled persons want to work more than a place like goodwill can afford, or if it a matter of staying qualified for disability, then disability needs to be improved (obviously) or said persons should be able to sign informed consent that they are volunteering for the organization.

If somebody is too disabled to give informed consent to work - particularly so disabled that they can barely understand the concept of work and they are indeed working - particularly at a slave wage - then they are being abused.

This type of "employment" is just lazy, privatized welfare with the side benefit of babysitting. The whole thing is atrocious and far better help could be given to disabled persons if we have a decent welfare system.

[Fire]

Not saying its not bad or good idea, just saying its not quite the cartoonish super villainy it might initially sound like. Its definately built on erroneous assumptions about protestant work ethic.