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THREAD:
1) Glenn Grothman’s latest constituent email is a doozy. In it, he defends joining with Reps. B. Steil (WI-01), D. Harshbarger (TN-01), & M. Cawthorn (NC-11), in writing a letter to Pres. Biden re: removing § 14(c) of the FLSA.
1) Glenn Grothman’s latest constituent email is a doozy. In it, he defends joining with Reps. B. Steil (WI-01), D. Harshbarger (TN-01), & M. Cawthorn (NC-11), in writing a letter to Pres. Biden re: removing § 14(c) of the FLSA.
2) If you’re unfamiliar, § 14(c) allows certain employers (CRPs) to pay disabled employees less than minimum wage. Grothman claims that he’s visited all eight CRPs in Wisconsin's Sixth District, and the disabled “workers who work there tell me that...
3) they enjoy their work not because of the paycheck, but because of the dignity that comes from completing an honest day's work... their job is a way to be productive with their friends instead of a way to make ends meet.”
4) Grothman says that he’s “been told separately and on more than one occasion by different CRPs in Wisconsin's Sixth District that if government regulations require CRPs to pay $15/hour, they would likely be forced to lay-off all employees and close their doors permanently.”
5) Goodwill Industries is a CRP; it's been accused of exploiting disabled persons in its employ. It says that it’s unfair to use “isolated incidences” of low pay & imply that they’re typical, & that the ave wage/hr for Goodwill’s §14(c) employees is $7.47. https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/07/30/does-goodwill-industries-exploit-disabled-workers/?sh=4ce4b5c36a56
6) However, that makes no sense; fed min wage is $7.25. If allowed to pay workers less, why would you actually pay them more? In fact, a 2001 report by the US GAO showed that more than ½ of § 14(c) disabled workers made less than $2.50/hr. https://www.fairwarning.org/2019/09/hundreds-of-thousands-of-disabled-workers-still-make-less-than-minimum-wage/
7) The Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) has called for phasing out all § 14(c) programs by no later than 2022. https://apse.org/eliminating-14c-subminimum-wage/
8) The Dept of Labor did its own 2001 study in which various subcommittees examined different §14(c) programs. Each recommended the program be shut down, some immediately, some with lead time, again to allow workers to get alternate jobs. . https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/odep/pdf/chaptertwo14cprogram.pdf
9) In Sept 2020, the US Commission on Human Rights reported on its own study, and recommended repeal of § 14(c) with a planned phase out period, again to allow time for alternate employment to be obtained. https://www.usccr.gov/files/2020-09-17-Subminimum-Wages-Report.pdf
10) Grothman’s on the wrong side of history yet again. Please, help me to flip WI-06 to blue! IF you can afford it, please donate at the link below. Thank you! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/washburnforwis6th
