In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) was passed. Sections in FSLA allowed companies to pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage. This wage is called the Subminimum Wage, and it is an ableist policy meant to exploit disabled workers. 

Fast forward to today The FSLA is more than 80 years old, and it is still allowing companies to minimize their workers. Multiple states including but not limited to California, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire have outlawed subminimum wages in statewide policy but the national government has yet to discuss this issue.

The payment of Subminimum wages to disabled workers is unconstitutional and should have been deemed so long ago. Without a National hearing, companies will continue to exploit and dehumanize disabled workers.

Why should people's quality of life be determined by whether or not workers are able-bodied?

We urge representatives in the National Congress to introduce legislation that ensures fair pay for all workers by eliminating subminimum wages on a National scale.

Please sign this petition if you believe in fair wages for all Americans, regardless of ability status.

Sources

Heigl, Lillie. “If Money Talks, What Does the Subminimum Wage Say?” New America, 20 Oct. 2023, www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/if-money-talks-what-does-the-subminimum-wage-say/#:~:text=A%20provision%20of%20the%20Fair Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Manansala, Maria. “Disabled Workers Can Be Paid Less than $7.25 an Hour. It’s Time to Change That.” National Partnership for Women & Families, 7 Aug. 2023, nationalpartnership.org/disabled-workers-paid-less-than-725-time-to-change-that/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.

NCSL of the United States, and APSE. “State Legislation Watch (2021).” Association of People Supporting Employment First, 1 May 2023, apse.org/state-legislation/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Pu, Christy, and Huei-Fen Syu. “Effects of Disability on Income and Income Composition.” PLOS One, edited by Simona Lorena Comi, vol. 18, no. 5, Public Library of Science, May 2023, pp. e0286462–62, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286462 National Library of Medicine. Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.

Tofig, Dana. “Those with Disabilities Earn 37% Less on Average; Gap Is Even Wider in Some States.” American Institutes for Research, AIR, 14 Dec. 2014, www.air.org/news/press-release/those-disabilities-earn-37-less-average-gap-even-wider-some-states Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.

Willison, Karin. “How Goodwill and Other Subminimum Wage Employers Exploit Workers with Disabilities.” The Mighty, 12 Mar. 2023, themighty.com/topic/disability/goodwill-exploits-workers-disabilities/. Accessed 12 Mar. 2024.