[Nfb-kzoo] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Urges Boycott of Goodwill Industries

[jon searles]

howdy list,

Don't know how many of the local chapter is on the national list
serve.  in case there are those outthere who arn't, i figured I would
forward this message for all to read.  It effects all of us, and
figured it would be benificial to pass along to everyone.

Best,
Jhonathan Searles



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:37:49 -0500
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Fwd: National Federation of the Blind
Urges Boycott of Goodwill Industries
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org


>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
>CONTACT:
>
>Chris Danielsen
>
>Director of Public Relations
>
>National Federation of the Blind
>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>(410) 262-1281(Cell)
><mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>
>
>
>
>National Federation of the Blind Urges Boycott of Goodwill Industries
>
>
>
>
>
>Condemns Practice of Paying Subminimum Wages to Workers with Disabilities
>
>
>
>
>
>Baltimore, Maryland (June 7, 2012): <http://www.nfb.org/>The
>National Federation of the Blind (NFB), one of the oldest and
>largest organizations of Americans with disabilities, today called
>for a boycott of Goodwill Industries International, Inc., the
>nonprofit manufacturer and retailer, for its payment of subminimum
>wages to many of its workers with disabilities.  Freedom of
>information requests filed by the NFB confirmed that Goodwill
>Industries employees have been paid as low as $1.44 an hour.  The
>NFB and
><http://nfb.org/Images/nfb/documents/word/HR_3086_Support_List_2.doc>over
>forty-five other organizations support legislation, the
><http://nfb.org/Images/nfb/SI/Fair%20Wages%20for%20Workers%202012.pdf>Fair
>Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (H.R. 3086), which would
>phase out and then repeal the nearly seventy-five-year-old provision
>of the Fair Labor Standards Act that permits
><http://www.dol.gov/whd/specialemployment/CRPlist.htm>special
>certificate holders to pay subminimum wages to workers with disabilities.
>
>
>
>Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the
><http://www.twitter.com/nfb_voice>National Federation of the Blind,
>said: "Goodwill Industries is one of the most well-known and
>lucrative charitable organizations in the United States, yet it
>chooses to pay its workers with disabilities less than the federal
>minimum wage.  While this practice is currently legal and many
>entities engage in it, many other nonprofit organizations have
>successfully transitioned to paying their employees the minimum wage
>or higher.  That Goodwill Industries exploits many of its workers in
>this way is ironic, because its president and chief executive
>officer is blind.  Goodwill cannot credibly argue that workers with
>disabilities are incapable of doing productive work while paying its
>blind CEO over half a million dollars a year.  Goodwill should be
>ashamed of such blatant hypocrisy.   We are calling upon all
>Americans to refuse to do business with Goodwill Industries, to
>refuse to make donations to the subminimum-wage exploiter, and to
>refuse to shop in its retail stores until it exercises true
>leadership and sound moral judgment by fairly compensating its
>workers with disabilities."
>
>
>
>For more information on this critically important issue, please
>visit <http://www.nfb.org/fairwages>www.nfb.org/fairwages.
>
>
>
>
>
>###
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>
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>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.
>
>
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>



-- 
Best,
Jon Searles
231 - 622 - 9382
Theblindrepublican at gmail.com
yes i'm a republican but a good guy...somewhere very deep down, or so I'm told.