[nabs-l] Good Will Boycott Etc.
Ashley Bramlett
bookwormahb at earthlink.net
Wed Jun 13 00:07:02 UTC 2012
right, I don't like quotas.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sophie Trist
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 10:25 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Good Will Boycott Etc.
The issue of hiring quotas for minority groups has popped up in
the past, and it has caused nothing but controversy. If there is
to be ahiring quota for disabled people, non-disabled people who
were rejected or whose jobs were taken away and given to the
disabled could argue reverse--discrimination. Besides, we want
them to hire us because we're worth something, not just because
they have to fill a certain quota. Evem mentally disabled
individuals can perform simple factory jobs.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wasif, Zunaira" <Zunaira.Wasif at dbs.fldoe.org
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:57:06 -0400
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Good Will Boycott Etc.
What do people think about a hiring quota for disabled people?
This
would render Good Will's argument, that disabled people need to
settle
for subminum wages or no wages, obselete.
-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Kirt Manwaring
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 6:03 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Good Will Boycott Etc.
Ashley,
You said there may not be a set corporate policy, and I suppose
you're
probably right. But there should be, and that's why this boycott
makes
sense to me. If you have some branches paying any employees
below the
minimum wage, you really do need a national policy to set that
straight.
Unfortunate, but true. I really think it is that simple...this
is one
of those few issues where there isn't much of a grey area, in my
humble
opinion.
Take it or leave it,
Kirt
On 6/11/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
Elizabeth,
Perhaps, the figure supports my theory that in fact most
employees are
paid
above minimum wage. As Arielle said, most locations vary in what
they
pay. I
don't think there is a set corporate policy.
Ashley
-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 2:24 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Good Will Boycott Etc.
Hi Greg,
Please forgive me as I did not read through the entire article
you
make reference to in your post. However, now that I have read
it, I am
still wondering how they can come up with an average of $7.47
when
someone is only making $1.44. I am not a math genius by any
means, but
it would seem to me that if someone is only making $1.44, and
the
average is $7.47, then that would mean someone is making a
considerable amount more than what most people are making to
achieve
such an average. Does this make any sense? I am not necessarily
questioning the information you cited from the article, but
rather
questioning the information that was cited in the article
itself.
There is just something about it that does not make sense to me.
I am
sorry that I cannot find a better way to explain it.
Warm regards,
Elizabeth
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Greg Aikens" <gpaikens at gmail.com
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 12:26 PM
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Good Will Boycott Etc.
Hi Elizabeth,
I should have included my sources. The first was the article
recently posted to the list by Anil Lewis:
http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/208068/189/Goodwill-Pays-Disabl
ed-E
mployees-Less-than-Minimum-Wage This article gives the number of
employees impacted and their average wage. The reason that an
average wage of $7.47 could still be below minimum wage is
because
many states have minimum wage laws that are higher
than the federal minimum wage. For a quick list of minimum
wage by
state, go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._minimum_wages
Please check my facts in case I misread.
-Greg
On Jun 11, 2012, at 11:16 AM, Elizabeth wrote:
Hi Gregg,
I have to say that your numbers to not make much sense to me. If
these employees are making $7.47 as mentioned in your post, ,
then
how exactly
does that constitute as a subminimum wage? Is it possible the
calculated
average of these employees also includes the outrageously high
salaries of those who may hold management positions which in
effect
would cancel out the extremely low subminimum wages paid to the
factory worker or the
average employee thus creating an average that appears to be
above
the national minimum wage? I am not sure where you found your
numbers, but if
what you state is true, then I do not see how this would be an
issue
of paying people subminimum wage.
Warm regards,
Elizabeth
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Greg Aikens" <gpaikens at gmail.com
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 10:46 AM
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Good Will Boycott Etc.
Sean's post got me thinking about how many employees are
actually
impacted by this policy and how much it would cost for them to
actually
make these changes. According to the article Anil Lewis posted,
7300 employees are hired on their certificate to pay disabled
workers less than minimum wage, but the average wage paid them
is
$7.47, which is actually higher than the federal minimum wage of
$7.25. I can't say what the average minimum wage for these
workers
would be because each state is different, but I wouldn't imagine
it
could be higher than $8.50. So they would have to on average
pay
workers with disabilities
$1 more per hour, $40 more per week, $2080 per year. Multiply
that
by the 7300 employees on the certificate and you get
$15,184,000.
I was surprised that the number of workers impacted by this
policy
is so
high.
Anyway, I thought these numbers were interesting and thought I
would post in case others are interested too.
-Greg
On Jun 10, 2012, at 6:45 PM, Gmail wrote:
Good afternoon,
One of the primary purposes of the boycott is to garner media
attention
for
the minimum wage issue. The boycott effort and PR/media efforts
are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
We "pick on" Good Will because they are one of, if not the,
largest and
most
visible nonprofits who take advantage of the current law to pay
workers
with
disabilities subminimum wages. When you're the biggest fish in
the
pond you're going to get noticed and your actions will be
scrutinized by people in and out of your field. That's just the
way it goes.
Most of these workshops do the vast majority of their business
with the federal government, providing goods and services
through
non-competitive set-aside contracts. These goods and services
are
frequently provided at costs that exceed their fair market
value.
Obviously Good Will has their hands in other activities as well,
but the point stands. If taxpayers are being asked to subsidize
nonprofits to create employment opportunities
for
blind or otherwise disabled individuals, and we all, in effect,
subsidize the very good, and sometimes exorbitant, salaries of
the
management of
these
non-profits, why is it a bad idea to subsidize the wages of
disabled individuals, even those who may not be able to produce
output justifying the minimum wage in the market?
I think that the number of disabled folks in these workshops who
are incapable of truly earning the minimum wage is much lower
than
most people assume. And, again, if there is somebody whose level
of output truly only justifies $1.50 per hour, I am happy to
subsidize the wage to give them
the
dignity of equal treatment under the law.
I myself worked for a time in a shop and was paid less than $4
per
hour. I'm worth more than that. I saw others in the very same
boat. The law is discriminatory, and the system is corrupt and
fails to achieve its stated goals. Not only should the minimum
wage apply, but organizations wishing to receive preferential
treatment in government contracting should have to
fill
a stated percentage of their managerial positions with folks
with
disabilities and offer true training and upward mobility. As it
stands
now,
there is no real opportunity in the vast majority of these
workshops.
While it is true that, generally speaking, the NFB only speaks
for
the blind, on this issue we have over 40 different disabilities
rights organizations standing shoulder to shoulder with us
saying
that it is reprehensible that we, today in the United States of
America, have a law on the books that codifies the inferiority
and
lesser ability of those with disabilities. We, and they, are
completely correct. The boycott of Good
Will
is but one piece of the larger effort. It is incumbent upon each
of us
to
keep pressure on our Members of Congress to change the law. Will
it cost Good Will and other non-profits more money to pay all
their workers minimum wage? Yes, it will. Is the tiny increase
in
cost realistically going to
lead
to the loss of job opportunities as many of the workshops claim?
I
can't see how it would. In fact, it won't. And the argument is
disingenuous and, frankly, pretty disgusting. Say a shop worker
currently makes $1.50 an
hour.
Say the law is changed and minimum wage now applies. Say the
employee is now paid $7.50 an hour. That's an extra $6 an hour,
an
extra $240 a week, and $12,480 a year. Say Good Will has 100
employees of whom this is the case (in reality there are fewer).
This would represent an annual cost increase
of
$1,248,000 to Good Will. That's a lot of money to you or me, but
a
pittance to this giant non-profit. The same can be said of
smaller
shops, just on a smaller scale. The argument that all the poor
unemployable disabled folks will be sent home jobless if the law
is changed is bogus and cynical.
As I
said before, the majority of these shops get the majority of
their
business through non-competitive contracts with the government,
so
the additional labor cost would be built right into the price
the
government pays.
And, as
I also said, I am happy to have my tax dollars go to affirm the
dignity, value and legal equality of all individuals rather than
to support the
70,
80, 100k salaries of the management types at these shops who
somehow sleep at night under the illusion, or maybe delusion,
that
they are doing something positive for people with disabilities.
It's wrong, it's disgusting, and, yes, it hits a raw nerve with
me
because I've lived it. If there is a minimum wage it should
apply
to everybody in the employment market, full stop.
Sean
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