In 1938, a law was passed allowing companies to pay disabled employees less than the federal minimum wage. The Department of Labor manages this process and businesses and organizations can request permission to pay their disabled employees less than minimum wage.
As examples: Goodwill pays disabled employees as low as 22 cents per hour while their CEO is paid $750,000 per year. Many ARC (Association for Retarded Citizens) organizations have "workshops" where some disabled employees make less than 20 cents per hour. These workshops are no more than sweat shops and need to be closed.
The state of Oregon started the process of banning sub-minimum wages much to their credit. No one in the US should be paid slave wages like the disabled.
I am asking that legislation be introduced and passed that bans sub-minimum wages for the disabled nationwide. The time to act is now. No more abuse of the disabled.
Why is this important?
I am starting this petition as a proud disabled American who is tired of seeing other disabled folks forced into a lifetime of poverty.
