[Nfbf-l] Fw: [Nfbnet-members-list] Fwd: National Federation of theBlind Urges Boycott of Goodwill Industries

[Sherri]

There is legislation we are working on, which is an amendment to the fair 
labor standards act.

Sherri
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tara Prakash" <taraprakash at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2012 10:44 AM
Subject: [Nfbf-l] Fw: [Nfbnet-members-list] Fwd: National Federation of 
theBlind Urges Boycott of Goodwill Industries


> Not sure it has been posted here.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: David Andrews
> To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
> Sent: Friday, June 08, 2012 12:37 AM
> Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Urges 
> Boycott of Goodwill Industries
>
>
>
>  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
>
>
>
>
>  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): 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 
> over forty-five other organizations support legislation, the 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 special certificate holders to pay subminimum 
> wages to workers with disabilities.
>
>
>
>  Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the 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 
> www.nfb.org/fairwages.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  ###
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  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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