[Nfbmt] A ridiculous Question

[sheila]

thank you for sending that post. Precisely what I want to know.
On 1/2/2014 2:28 PM, James Aldrich wrote:
> From:Lewis, AnilTo:Affiliate Presidents 
> (state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org)nfb-legislative-directors at nfbnet.orgCc:NABS 
> List (nabs-l at nfbnet.org)NFB Chapter Presidents discussion list \ 
> (chapter-presidents at nfbnet.org)")Subject:[State-affiliate-leadership-list] 
> A Ridiculous Question
>
>
> A Ridiculous Question
>
> Submitted by alewis on Thu, 01/02/2014 - 11:32
>
> Blog Date:
>
> Thursday, January 2, 2014
>
> By Anil Lewis
>
> https://nfb.org/blog/vonb-blog/ridiculous-question
>
>
>
>
>
> So you go to work tomorrow, and it is pay day. You receive a paycheck 
> for $15.00 for two weeks of work. You speak to your supervisor, and 
> you are informed that the company has switched to a new payroll model 
> based on a new law, Section D (9) (u), that calculates wages based on 
> a new commensurate wage formula. This new formula is only used to 
> calculate the wages paid to you and others like you. Although you are 
> as productive as the other employees, no one else but you and others 
> like you are subjected to this new wage formula, especially not 
> management or the company executives. In fact, the executives are now 
> receiving six-figure salaries as a result of the cost savings created 
> by the new wage structure for workers like you. You complain, to no 
> avail. Managers attempt to convince you that this new structure still 
> offers you the ability to receive the tangible and intangible benefits 
> of work. After all, it is not about the money, it is about fulfillment.
>
> This is not acceptable to you, so you seek vocational training that 
> allows you to be a more productive employee. You go to a section 
> D(9)(u) vocational training program that claims to be the best 
> training program for people like you. This community training program 
> is operated in a sheltered, segregated environment comprised of other 
> people like you. The program assists you in developing the work and 
> interpersonal skills necessary to be a competitive employee. They 
> focus on teaching you real-world job skills like how to fold letters, 
> stuff envelopes, sort hangers, hang clothes, and screw caps on pens. 
> Although none of these tasks match your unique skills, talents, 
> abilities or interests, it is what the training program has to offer. 
> If there are no letters to be folded, envelopes to be stuffed, hangers 
> to be sorted, or pens to be capped, the program offers you the 
> opportunity to play video games, play cards, read books, or sleep.
>
> The section D(9)(u) program costs more than other conventional 
> training programs, but it is subsidized with public funds and operates 
> as a charitable 501(c)(3) organization. The program has a competitive 
> employment placement rate of less than 5 percent and therefore, most 
> of the workers spend their entire vocational existence in this 
> “training” program. Even though the program has no measureable 
> positive impact on improving the employment of people like you, the 
> marketing team is successful in their efforts of convincing public 
> policy makers and philanthropic funding sources to feel that this is 
> the best employment strategy for people like you.
>
> It is obvious that this new policy is denying you the opportunity to 
> reach your full vocational potential, while endorsing incompetent 
> training programs and substandard employers. You want this policy 
> repealed and you want the same workplace and wage protections as every 
> other employee.
>
> Okay, there is no Section D(9)(u) that exempts you from receiving 
> equal wage protections, but there is a Section 14(c ) of the Fair 
> Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that exempts people like me from being 
> guaranteed the federal minimum wage. So my question is, “Why is this 
> type of discriminatory policy not so ridiculous when it applies to 
> people like me?”
>
> For more information, visit http://www.nfb.org/fair-wages.
>
>
>
>
>
> Mr. Anil Lewis, M.P.A.
>
> Director of Advocacy and Policy
>
>
>
> “Eliminating Subminimum Wages for People with Disabilities”
>
> http://www.nfb.org/fairwages
>
> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>
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>
> Baltimore, Maryland   21230
>
> (410) 659-9314 ext. 2374 (Voice)
>
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>
> Email: alewis at nfb.org
>
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>
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>
>
>
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