As part of the New Deal of the 1930’s, subminimum wage was
allowed for people with disabilities. Employers can apply for waivers under
Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Rates for workers with
disabilities are decided upon by comparing what their productivity level is to
that of an experienced worker without disabilities.
Advocates against subminimum wages believe more money should
be spent on training programs that are more creative and provide more
challenging work than wrapping plastic ware at restaurants or folding boxes,
repetitive task work that is common amongst employed workers with disabilities.
Here are some pros and cons to the consider:
FOR Subminimum
Wage
- work provides
training for better, higher-paying jobs
- jobs give
individuals structure, keep them busy
- working at any job
challenges individuals
- eliminating
subminimum wage would mean employing fewer people within a population that
already has a very high unemployment rate
- a subminimum wage is
better than no job at all
|
AGAINST
Subminimum Wage
- people get stuck in
their job for years and never advance or leave
- low pay is unjust
- people with
disabilities are not fully integrated into the workforce
- allows for abuses
against people with disabilities
- stigmatizes people
with disabilities
|
Here’s a great article on this topic: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/Dec/22/tp-subminimum-wages-for-disabled-scrutinized/2/?#article-copy
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WHERE DO YOU
STAND ON THIS DEBATE?
Well, at least Obama is taking a small step in the right direction and sending a message to the private sector, ie the 14(c)'s like Goodwill Industries
ReplyDeletehttp://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/02/12/obama-disabled-workers-subminimum-wage/5409927/
Yes, I actually updated a follow-up post to this one. Thanks for sharing your information!
Deletehttp://theseed9811.blogspot.com/2014/02/subminimum-wage-debate-rages-on.html