[NFBMT] AbilityOne Commission letter calling for SourceAmerica to end the use of subminimum wages

Tue May 7 18:56:12 UTC 2019

Your NFB influence at work.  Joy 

From: Eacobacci, Kimie 

Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2019 12:13 PM
Subject: AbilityOne Commission letter calling for SourceAmerica to end the use of subminimum wages

Good Afternoon Fellow Federationists:

I wanted to pass along important updates that demonstrate the great strides we are making to end the use of subminimum wages for people with disabilities. Attached and pasted below, you will find a letter from the AbilityOne Commission directed to SourceAmerica demanding the following information to demonstrate its efforts to move away from the use of subminimum wages for people with disabilities:

- By the end of March 2019, provide SourceAmerica’s intent for achieving the goal of all SourceAmerica associated nonprofit agencies paying at least the federal minimum wage, or state minimum wage if higher, on AbilityOne contracts.

- By the end of April 2019, provide a strategic plan on what SourceAmerica is going to do, and when, to achieve this goal – e.g., implementation actions and milestones.

- Specifically, this strategic plan should address the steps to assist and facilitate your associated nonprofit agencies to pay all employees who have significant disabilities working on AbilityOne contracts (1) at least the federal minimum wage, or state minimum wage if higher, within three years, and (2) no less than the full prevailing wage or better within six years.

- By the end of October 2019, provide a progress report on the implementation of the strategic

plan.

- Beginning in January 2020, provide quarterly progress reports.

Because of your continued efforts, we are one step closer to ending this archaic practice. 

Have a wonderful day!

Kimie Eacobacci

Government Affairs Specialist

200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230

(410) 659-9314, extension 2441 |  <mailto:keacobacci at nfb.org> keacobacci at nfb.org

 <https://nfb.org/> The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. 

SENT VIA E-MAIL

Mr. Norman Lorentz

Chairman of the Board

SourceAmerica

8401 Old Courthouse Road

Vienna, VA 22182

Dear Mr. Lorentz:

The imperative to end the payment of subminimum wages in the AbilityOne Program is growing in strength and momentum with every passing year. It is time to pay at least the federal minimum wage, or state minimum wage if higher, to all employees who are blind or have significant disabilities working on AbilityOne contracts.

This important topic was addressed by the Commission in its “Declaration in Support of Minimum Wage for All People Who Are Blind or Have Significant Disabilities,” issued on March 18, 2016.

Since then, the issue of 14(c) has gained a greater sense of urgency both within and outside the AbilityOne Program. The Commission, Central Nonprofit Agencies, and Nonprofit Agencies should be vigorous role models for employing people who are blind or have other significant disabilities.

To do this, we must act. We call on SourceAmerica to provide the following to the Commission:

- By the end of March 2019, provide SourceAmerica’s intent for achieving the goal of all SourceAmerica associated nonprofit agencies paying at least the federal minimum wage, or state minimum wage if higher, on AbilityOne contracts.

- By the end of April 2019, provide a strategic plan on what SourceAmerica is going to do, and when, to achieve this goal – e.g., implementation actions and milestones.

- Specifically, this strategic plan should address the steps to assist and facilitate your associated nonprofit agencies to pay all employees who have significant disabilities working on AbilityOne contracts (1) at least the federal minimum wage, or state minimum wage if higher, within three years, and (2) no less than the full prevailing wage or better within six years.

- By the end of October 2019, provide a progress report on the implementation of the strategic

plan.

- Beginning in January 2020, provide quarterly progress reports.

We recognize that some nonprofits have voluntarily moved away from the 14(c) certificates. It is also

important to recognize that pursuant to the wage determination rates set in accordance with the

Service Contract Act, more than half of the nonprofit agencies are paying a minimum hourly wage no

less than $10.60 plus fringe benefits. Others in the program exceed that wage, since SourceAmerica’s

average hourly wage is $13.98 on service contracts.

These facts are evidence that you are positioned and capable of implementing this guidance.

Let us know how we can work with you to advance this positive and critical action. We look forward

to your response.

Sincerely,

/ s /

Thomas D. Robinson

Chairperson and Presidential Appointee

cc: Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee

House Committee on Oversight and Reform

Mr. Steve Krotonsky, Acting President and CEO

Mr. Robert Kelly, Commission Vice Chair and Presidential Appointee

Mr. James Kesteloot, Immediate Past Commission Chair and Presidential Appointee

Ms. Tina Ballard, Executive Director, Commission

Joy Breslauer, First Vice President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Web Site:  <http://www.nfbofmt.org/> http://www.nfbofmt.org

Live the life you want

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. 

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 534 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbmt_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190507/6c0975a4/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Commission Ltr to SourceAmerica - Subminimum Wage - 20190219.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 184631 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbmt_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190507/6c0975a4/attachment.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed...
Name: Untitled attachment 01385.txt
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbmt_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190507/6c0975a4/attachment.txt>