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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>FYI</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=rsloan@nfb.org href="mailto:rsloan@nfb.org">Sloan, Rose</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=Nfb-legislative-directors@nfbnet.org
href="mailto:Nfb-legislative-directors@nfbnet.org">Nfb-legislative-directors@nfbnet.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 31, 2013 2:39 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [Nfb-legislative-directors] Disability Groups Deliver
Petitions toGoodwill (article)</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=WordSection1>
<P class=MsoNormal>Hi All:<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Good work! Here is an article about our delivery to
Goodwill! <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Here is a link for your convenience. <A
href="http://calwatchdog.com/2013/10/31/disability-groups-deliver-petitions-to-goodwill/">http://calwatchdog.com/2013/10/31/disability-groups-deliver-petitions-to-goodwill/</A>
Please feel free to spread via email and social media!<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Rose<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<TABLE class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellPadding=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; WIDTH: 483.75pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 22.5pt; PADDING-TOP: 9pt"
vAlign=top width=645>
<P style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; BACKGROUND: #365c9e; LETTER-SPACING: 1.5pt; COLOR: #002c5f; FONT-SIZE: 17.5pt">NEW:
Disability groups deliver petitions to Goodwill</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><B>October
31, 2013<BR>By John Hrabe</B><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">- See
more at:
http://calwatchdog.com/2013/10/31/disability-groups-deliver-petitions-to-goodwill/#sthash.Td1YKCip.dpuf<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Disability
advocacy groups throughout the country are planning a sizeable delivery to
Goodwill Industries today. But, instead of secondhand clothing or gently-used
goods, the disability rights groups will be dropping off thousands of signed
petitions from citizens who are demanding that the nonprofit clean up its labor
practices.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">More
than 100 Goodwill entities nationwide employ workers through the Special Wage
Certificate program, a Depression-era loophole in federal labor law that allows
organizations to pay subminimum wages to people with disabilities. In May,
a<SPAN class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
href="http://watchdog.org/83209/policies-tax-dollars-enrich-goodwill-execs/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #5e5b5e">Watchdog.org investigation</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN>revealed that these same Goodwill
entities that use the special wage program simultaneously spent $53.7 million in
total executive compensation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">In an
effort to increase public awareness of Goodwill’s labor practices, the National
Federation of the Blind and Autistic Self Advocacy Network sponsored a<SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
href="https://www.change.org/petitions/goodwill-industries-international-pay-disabled-workers-a-real-wage"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #5e5b5e">Change.org petition</SPAN></A>, which has gathered more
than 170,000 signatures. The organizations will be delivering petitions to
Goodwill headquarters and stores in Sacramento, CA; Providence, RI; New York,
NY; Corpus Christi, TX; Rockville, MD; and Seattle, WA.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H3
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 15.6pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.5pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #da7a23; FONT-SIZE: 15.5pt">Fight<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H3>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">“Over
170,000 Americans have joined us in our fight to ensure that workers with
disabilities are paid a fair wage,” Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National
Federation of the Blind, told CalWatchdog.com. “We thank all those who signed
the petition for standing up to Goodwill and urging the retailer to end its
unfair and immoral payment of subminimum wages to disabled
workers.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Under<SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-hrabe/the-worst-corporation-in-_b_1876905.html"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #5e5b5e">Section 14 (c)</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN>of the Fair Labor Standards Act of
1938, employers can apply for a special wage certificate that allows them to
hire people with disabilities at a subminimum wage. Nationally, more than
300,000 workers are subject to the law. Goodwill uses the special minimum wage
exemption to take advantage of 7,300 of its 105,000
employees.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">In<SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
href="http://calwatchdog.com/2012/10/03/five-calif-goodwill-charities-pay-employees-less-than-minimum-wage/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #5e5b5e">California, five organizations use the special wage
certificate:</SPAN></A><SPAN class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN>Goodwill
Industries of Sacramento Valley & Northern Nevada, Goodwill of Silicon
Valley, Goodwill Industries of Orange County, Goodwill Industries of San Diego
County and Goodwill Southern California.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Goodwill
says that the subminimum wage program is a tool for helping the
disabled.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">“With
80 percent of working age adults with disabilities in our country not
participating in the workforce currently, we believe that it’s important to
explore more types of opportunities,”<SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-hrabe/goodwill-minimum-wage_b_3246824.html"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #5e5b5e">Brad Turner-Little</SPAN></A>, the director of mission
strategy at Goodwill International Inc., has repeatedly said in public
statements on the issue. “The special minimum wage certificate is a tool to
create employment for people with disabilities. It’s not the only
tool.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">However,
that argument doesn’t sit well with petitioners. “This is disgusting info!”
wrote Jeanne Green of Riverside, who signed the petition and added her own
comments. “It is 2013, for Heaven’s sake!! WHY hasn’t this OLD-OUTDATED pay
scale been challenged before now?”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">For
some signers, it’s more personal. “I have signed the petition as the proud
mother of a son with autism,” said Amy Mais, a neighborhood activist, who has
battled<SPAN class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
href="http://calwatchdog.com/2012/09/10/ab-1978-would-boost-goodwills-bin-bullying/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #5e5b5e">Goodwill’s bin bullying tactics</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN>in Phoenix.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The
organizations hope that the public awareness campaign will increase support for
federal legislation to end the controversial policy. Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss.,
has introduced the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013, to
close the subminimum wage loophole.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">“The
170,000 people who have put their name to this petition show the broad scope of
the outrage against Goodwill’s unfair and unethical practice of paying thousands
of disabled workers less than minimum wage,” said Ari Ne’eman, president of the
Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a co-sponsor of the petition drive. “We urge
Goodwill to hear these voices and reconsider this discriminatory
practice.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H3
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 15.6pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.5pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #da7a23; FONT-SIZE: 15.5pt">Compensation<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H3>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">According
to the May 2013 Watchdog.org investigation, Goodwill of Southern California paid
more than $1.1 million in total compensation to its then-CEO, making him the
highest paid Goodwill executive in the country. The following month, an<SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
href="http://johnhrabe.com/rock-center-rocked-by-ethics-scandal-nbc-news-rips-off-goodwill-story-from-blogger/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #5e5b5e">NBC investigation of Goodwill</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN>repeated the
findings.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Last
year, CalWatchdog.com first reported that<SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
href="http://calwatchdog.com/2012/10/03/five-calif-goodwill-charities-pay-employees-less-than-minimum-wage/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #5e5b5e">five California-based Goodwill charities</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=apple-converted-space> </SPAN>pay hundreds of employees less than
minimum wage, while providing lucrative compensation packages to top executives.
While the organization cries poor when it comes to workers’ wages, it has no
problem spending money on online advertisements defending its labor
practices.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 16.5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; WORD-SPACING: 0px; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Earlier
this year, Google searches for “Goodwill worker wages,” “Goodwill wages,”
“Goodwill pay,” and “<A
href="http://johnhrabe.com/goodwill-buys-online-ads-defending-low-pay-for-workers/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #5e5b5e">Goodwill disabled</SPAN></A>,” all produced a sponsored
ad, paid for by Goodwill, in the top search result.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">- See
more at:
http://calwatchdog.com/2013/10/31/disability-groups-deliver-petitions-to-goodwill/#sthash.Td1YKCip.dpuf</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Rose
Sloan<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Government Affairs Specialist<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>“Eliminating Subminimum Wages for People with Disabilities”
<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><A href="http://www.nfb.org/fairwages"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">http://www.nfb.org/fairwages</SPAN></A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>200 East Wells St. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Baltimore, MD 21230<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>rsloan@nfb.org<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>(410)-659-9314 ext 2441<B><o:p></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
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