[Nfbnet-members-list] Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Responds to Goodwill Statement on Subminimum Wages

[David Andrews]

>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
>CONTACT:
>
>Chris Danielsen
>
>Director of Public Relations
>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>
>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>
><mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>
>
>
>
>National Federation of the Blind Responds to
>  Goodwill Statement on Subminimum Wages
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>Baltimore, Maryland (June 11, 2012): 
><http://www.nfb.org/>The National Federation of 
>the Blind (NFB) today responded to 
><http://www.goodwill.org/press-releases/goodwill%C2%AE-believes-in-the-power-of-work-for-all-individuals/>a 
>statement issued by Goodwill Industries 
>International, Inc., regarding its payment of 
>subminimum wages to workers with disabilities.
>
>
>
><http://www.nfb.org/marc-maurer-bio>Dr. Marc 
>Maurer, President of the 
><http://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind>National 
>Federation of the Blind, said: “Goodwill frames 
>its opposition to 
><http://www.nfb.org/fair-wages>fair wages for 
>workers with disabilities in terms of 
>choice.  Goodwill wants the public­and in 
>particular its own employees with 
>disabilities­to believe that the only choice 
>that Americans with disabilities have is between 
>receiving subminimum wages or receiving no wages 
>at all.  This is a false choice based on 
>inaccurate and self-serving propaganda put out 
>by Goodwill and 
><http://www.dol.gov/whd/specialemployment/CRPlist.htm>other 
>subminimum-wage exploiters.  The reality is that 
>workers with disabilities are not limited to the 
>false choice presented by the industry that 
>exploits them.  Workers with even the most 
>severe disabilities can and do engage in 
>competitive employment every day.  The way to 
>lower the high unemployment rate among workers 
>with disabilities is to enhance and expand 
>existing programs­and to create new ones­that 
>help them to find and maintain competitive 
>employment, not to exploit them in 
>subminimum-wage sweatshops.  These sweatshops 
>proclaim by their policies and behavior to the 
>public, to other employers, and to the employees 
>themselves that the workers aren’t good enough 
>to be regular employees earning real wages in 
>regular business.  Disabled Americans reject 
>this false and misleading representation.”
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>
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>Goodwill issued its statement in response to an 
>inquiry from WUSA, the CBS television affiliate 
>in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 
>"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" 
>/>Washington, D.C.  WUSA made the inquiry in 
><http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/208068/189/Goodwill-Pays-Disabled-Employees-Less-than-Minimum-Wage>its 
>report on 
><http://www.nfb.org/national-federation-blind-urges-boycott-goodwill-industries>the 
>NFB’s call for a boycott of Goodwill Industries, 
>which was issued last week after repeated 
>attempts to meet with Goodwill officials.  NFB 
>representatives were interviewed on camera and, 
>along with the WUSA reporter, sought to speak 
>with Goodwill’s president and chief executive 
>officer, but Goodwill declined a meeting or to be interviewed on camera.
>
>
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>###
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>About the National Federation of the Blind
>
>
>
>With more than 50,000 members, the National 
>Federation of the Blind is the largest and most 
>influential membership organization of blind 
>people in the United States.   The NFB improves 
>blind people’s lives through advocacy, 
>education, research, technology, and programs 
>encouraging independence and 
>self-confidence.  It is the leading force in the 
>blindness field today and the voice of the 
>nation's blind.  In January 2004 the NFB opened 
>the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan 
>Institute, the first research and training 
>center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.
>
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