Momentum Growing To End Subminimum Wage
July 8, 2019
By: Courtney Perkes
Source: Disability Scoop
With federal lawmakers slow to act, cities and states are increasingly moving to bar employers from paying workers with disabilities less than minimum wage.
In the last few years, a handful of states and cities have banned or restricted the practice, and advocates say momentum is growing across the country. At least five states have pending legislation that would abolish the so-called subminimum wage, according to the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services or NASDDDS.
“I have seen the issue raised more than once to eliminate subminimum wage, but it’s never gotten to this level of action,” said Rie Kennedy-Lizotte, director of employment policy for NASDDDS.
Opponents of subminimum wage, which dates back to 1938 and allows employers to pay workers with disabilities as little as pennies per hour, say the practice is antiquated and exploitative. They say many people with disabilities are already living in poverty but want the opportunity for competitive, integrated employment.