[nabs-l] Goodwill Boycott

Sun Jun 10 03:16:17 UTC 2012

Progress?  I've still got psychologists and docs telling me I'm 
too messed up to work and too messed up to find work.  They're 
also telling me I'm too messed up for college due to bipolar.  
You wonder how many blind people have been emotionally attacked 
so many times in their lives that they in turn develop mental 
illnesses that require extra days off of work for treatment and 
group therapy.  This is a deterrent for employers because of the 
fact that you're disclosing an inner past you shouldn't have to 
disclose.  I as a blind person feel competent enough to get by, 
but as a mentally ill person, it's a double edged sword.  I am 
told I can't do anything, but if I could, they're telling me it's 
too little.
Those of you who know me that well would know that I have had a 
lot of obstacles to overcome, and my boyfriend also had some.  
The Goodwill boycott will teach employers about blindness only, 
but what about heart defects?  Mental illnesses?  Psychiatric 
disabilities and so forth?  We need to create a work environment 
that doesn't embarrass people like me or Jason and doesn't stress 
either one of us out.  I'm not saying we need to change for two 
people, but there are too many of us walking around on meds for 
depression and mood disorders and insurance companies are too 
money hungry to see that such people can't afford the high 
premiums employers expect from these people.  I don't know if I 
can afford high insurance premiums or denial if I get an employer 
that comes with that such thing.  And I want to be paid THE EXACT 
SAME minimum wage as a sighted teenage white boy who's working at 
Burger King.  Otherwise, forget work!  I will not work unless I'm 
paid like everyone else and counseled to do well at my job.  And 
I want a job I enjoy, and it cajn't just be handed to me.  I want 
to be able to compete for that job.  Equality is key, and 
Goodwill's scrupulous behavior shows that people with 
disabilities are still being taken advantge of because they're 
disabled.
Beth

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sat, 9 Jun 2012 23:00:34 -0400
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Goodwill Boycott

I agree, Humberto, and I hope what you say comes true. However, 
there's a
lot of change we need to make in order for this to happen. Even 
if we
overturn the subminimum wage provision, and I hope and pray that 
we do, we
can't possibly tell employers that they have to hire people with
disabilities. So, we need to change the beliefs and the attidudes 
of
society, including employers, about the competence of blind 
people. I know,
it's a big job, but I think we've made a lot of progress so far.

Just my thoughts,

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Humberto Avila
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 10:10 PM
To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Goodwill Boycott

Hello, I agree with this as well. I hope that by doing the 
boycott to this
company, in the national / universal spectrum, we are able to put 
pressure
on employers, and on other companies and corporations, as well as
organizations who pay subminimum wages. We could eventually end 
up
spreading the word of stopping companies to pay subminimum wages 
and they
could even see that people with disabilities and including blind 
people are
capable of being paid like the sighted population. If potential 
employers
see this change happening, those employers will have a light bulb 
lit up,
and will be able to see that blind people are competent, then 
will hire
them. Then we can make more change. I see this happening, from my 
personal
opinion. Let's hope that the NFB does this.

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Sophie Trist
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 6:57 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Goodwill Boycott

Justin,

I agree with the points you've made. If Goodwill was boycotted 
universally,
it would put more pressure on them to pay their disabled workers 
fair
wages. Plus, if Goodwill developed a centralized wage policy and 
gave their
workers fair wages, other corporations might follow their lead.

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu
To: "nabs-l at nfbnet.org" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org Date sent: Sat, 9 Jun 
2012
23:19:15 +0000
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Goodwill Boycott

One more note: I think that local business decision-makers within 
Goodwill
Industries would be educated/led to philosophical change simply 
by the fact
that the corporate leaders of Goodwill Industries adopted a 
universal fair
wage policy (if they did), so that would help with the education, 
too.

Justin M. Salisbury
Class of 2012
B.A. in Mathematics
East Carolina University
president at alumni.ecu.edu

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.?
—MARGARET MEAD
________________________________________
From: Justin Salisbury
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 7:13 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: Goodwill Boycott

Arielle, Gabe, and all:

I like the point that you've made about the decentralized wage 
policies and
rewarding good locations, but do you think that perhaps a benefit 
to
boycotting universally would be a possibility that Goodwill 
Industries
would create a centralized
(universal) policy that all locations must pay their workers fair 
wages?

I feel like the end result that we want is for Goodwill 
Industries to adopt
a universal standard of paying all workers fair wages, and the 
approach
that you all have mentioned seems to me to address the decisions 
in
individual locations.  I do understand the point of leading local 
business
leaders to undergo philosophical change and choose to pay their 
workers
fair wages, but which item is the top priority: education of 
individuals or
achievement of fair wages?   That's not a rhetorical question; I
want to hear opinions on it.

Justin

Justin M. Salisbury
Class of 2012
B.A. in Mathematics
East Carolina University
president at alumni.ecu.edu

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.?
—MARGARET MEAD

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
for nabs-
l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sweetpeareade
r%40gmail.com

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: attachment
Type: application/octet-stream
Size: 305 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/attachments/20120609/66f31472/attachment.obj>