[Nfbk] FW: National Federation of the Blind Urges Boycott of Goodwill Industries

[Cathy]

Important Press release!
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Subject: National Federation of the Blind Urges Boycott of Goodwill
Industries






From: Freeh, Jessica [mailto:JFreeh at nfb.org]
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 9:15 AM
Subject: 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.





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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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