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Harris wants to end subminimum wages for disabled workers—if they're not behind bars
(www.motherjones.com)
this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2024
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Work Reform
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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
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If they are actually exploiting people... I know this sounds like exploitation but this issue is pretty complex and there may actually be no "jobs" for a lot of differently abled people if there isn't a carve out for certain scenarios. I say jobs in quotes because there are some places that are more or less daycares where adults of certain ability levels can go to work and do end up making less than minimum wage. But they are doing so because they are receiving a level of care and supervision at the same time. These are people who you could not just teach a job and leave to their own devices for any amount of time without endangering them. But they are capable enough to complete certain tasks. I have known adult aged people who's elderly parents would not know what to do if they had to care for them every day all day.
That said, why in our society are some people put in this situation where the only thing they can do with their adult child is send them off to a menial job for daycare? It's great that some people get the option to work, but they should also be able to receive care and not have to work menial jobs for sub minimum wages.
Like I said, the whole thing is way more complex than the no nonsense sound bite. If she were to just waive a regulatory hand and eliminate this exemption, without making more comprehensive changes, it might put some families in a very tough position. Having to suddenly pay for daycare for adults who previously were earning some amount of money.
But the places I'm talking about are usually non-profits employing these people to do work for other for profit businesses. It's not the person at your local movie theater or grocery store working mostly independently and getting paid less than everyone else.
I don't buy that excuse, though.
First, we should have support services and healthcare available to people who need it. We should have job training, and occupational therapy, and every employer should be prepared to make accomodations for any qualified employee who may have a disability. We don't have that, but supervised labor camps are not a solution. Employment and care are two separate things.
Second, non-profits operating as a care provider are not subject to employment laws. They do not have to pay patients minimum wage.
Third, the person bagging groceries, tearing ticket stubs, and pushing carts deserves a living wage, and if they were paid properly, they might not need to rely on their parents for care. They might choose to live at home, but they could contribute to their expenses, their healthcare costs, transportation costs, and set aside money for retirement. Parents tend to die before their kids, and then what happens? Paying them peanuts to watch them during the day is not assistance, it's exploitation.
No excuse was given. I don't think you comprehended my comment. I literally said I was not talking about the very people you mentioned. I also said their care should not be contingent on the work and that my concern was making sure of that when changes are made.
Employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for disabilities. Not every position/disability combination necessarily has a reasonable accommodation that can be done (a quadriplegic probably couldn't be a baggage handler, for example) but I think you realize that with your "qualified" employee qualifier
My alma mater does this. They partner with the local school systems and have the local disabled kids enter into a work program. Anything to get them working and have a semblance of self reliance.