Goodwill Industries criticized for workshop wages

Monday, August 27, 2012

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The National Federation of the Blind is criticizing Goodwill Industries for wages paid at its sheltered workshops around the country.

The federation is calling for a boycott until the workers’ wages are increased and the salary of Goodwill’s national president is reduced. About 10 people protested outside a Goodwill retail store on Saturday.

The workshops hire people with severe disabilities. Critics say the employees often make far less than a dollar an hour.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/U5GDlc) the workshops are exempt from federal minimum wage laws and usually pay employees based on productivity.

Goodwill officials say if the organization is forced to pay the minimum wage, the sheltered workshops likely would close. The said that would cause employees to lose their income and medical service from the government.

———

Information from: Columbia Daily Tribune, http://www.columbiatribune.com

More like this story

JCLifer 8 months, 3 weeks ago

Workshops = meaninglessly cruel slave labor.

Don't ask how much money Cole County's Sheltered Workshop pays its director or how much money they have in the bank. You don't want to know.

Local employers should hire persons with disabilities. Don't put these people away in a workshop.

TickledPink 8 months, 3 weeks ago

Lifer, this is something you and I completely agree on. They want to threaten to eliminate the program if they have to pay better wages, but no mention of how much their profits are. Less than $1/hour. How is this not criminal? At the very least, it's immoral.

spelchek 8 months, 3 weeks ago

FYI "The [sic] said that would cause employees to lose their income and medical service from the government."

eileen10 8 months, 3 weeks ago

That puts a whole new spin on things. Their actually helping them. They work, get some extra spending money and don,t lose their gov't assistance.

eileen10 8 months, 3 weeks ago

Is thar correct or did I not understand that correctly.in g

JMO 8 months, 3 weeks ago

It's always been my understanding that those "employed" by sheltered workshops are people who are largely unemployable elsewhere. They get a sense of pride and self-reliance, while still keeping their income low enough to qualify for government benefits. However, I think that if they are paid $1 per hour or less, that's a bit too low. They could certainly be paid more and still fall under most of the disability guideline amounts.

eileen10 8 months, 3 weeks ago

I agree their pay is low and any little bit they could earn would be a blessing for them. I'd like to see a break down of incoming and out going expenses on the various workshops. Having higher earning potential for disability pay would be nice but probably not forth coming. Can't squeeze blood out of a turnip.

JCLifer 8 months, 3 weeks ago

Ask to see the financial statements of the workshop. Pay and benefits for the director. How much do they have in reserves in the bank? Lots of money for a non profit benevolent agency that pays the workers peanuts and no benefits.

Please review our Policies and Procedures before registering or commenting

Or login with:

OpenID

News Tribune