[nabs-l] [Nfb-announce] Blind Americans to Protest Subminimum Wages

[David Andrews]

You don't, and shouldn't forward these messages 
to this and other lists.  Anything sent to 
nfbnet-members-list or nfbnet-master-list, as 
this one was, has already gone to everybody.

David Andrews, List Owner

At 07:07 PM 7/20/2011, you wrote:


>---- Original Message ------
>From: "Freeh,Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org> (by way 
>of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)
>Subject: [Nfb-announce] Blind Americans to Protest Subminimum Wages
>Date sent: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:32:54 -0500
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
>CONTACT:
>
>Chris Danielsen
>
>Director of Public Relations
>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>
>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>
>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>
>
>Blind Americans to Protest Subminimum Wages
>
>
>
>
>Members of National Federation of the Blind Plan
>  Informational Pickets Across United States
>
>
>
>Baltimore, Maryland (July 20, 2011): The National
>Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest
>nationwide organization of blind people,
>announced today that its members will conduct
>informational protests across the United States
>to raise awareness about the practice of paying
>wages below the federal minimum wage to Americans
>with disabilities.  The protests will take place
>at the primary district office locations of
>United States Senators serving on the Senate
>Committee on Health, Education, Labor and
>Pensions (the HELP Committee).  The HELP
>Committee is currently considering
>legislation­the Workforce Investment Act­which
>would reauthorize the payment of subminimum wages to disabled workers.
>
>
>
>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.”
>
>
>
>On Wednesday, August 3, the HELP Committee is
>scheduled to vote on the Workforce Investment Act
>(WIA), which contains language reauthorizing the
>Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.   The
>Rehabilitation Act is supposed to provide
>services to disabled Americans so that they can
>obtain competitive employment, but Title V,
>Section 511 of the proposed Rehabilitation Act
>language references Section 14(c) of the 1938
>Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which allows
>certain entities holding special wage
>certificates to pay workers with disabilities
>less than the federal minimum wage.
>
>
>
>For more information on the National Federation
>of the Blind and fair wages for workers with
>disabilities, please visit <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org.
>
>
>
>
>
>###
>
>
>
>
>
>About the National Federation of the Blind
>
>
>
>With more than 50,000 members, the National
>Federation of the Blind is the largest and most
>influential membership organization of blind
>people in the United States.  The NFB improves
>blind people’s lives through advocacy, education,
>research, technology, and programs encouraging
>independence and self-confidence.  It is the
>leading force in the blindness field today and
>the voice of the nation's blind.  In January 2004
>the NFB opened the National Federation of the
>Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and
>training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.
>