Goodwill Industries and some other non-profit organizations are being accused of discriminating against people on their payroll who have disabilities. The National Federation of the Blind says paying those individuals sub-minimum wages for un-skilled work provides them little chance of becoming self-sufficient. Sharon Durbin oversees Goodwills in 33 counties in Illinois. She says pay for workers with disabilities who are in the organization's rehab program can start at less than ten cents an hour. Durbin says that's a fair wage, which increases if the person's skills increase.
The Department of Labor oversees how much Goodwill pays its employees. Advocates will form informational pickets outside of Goodwill stores across the country Saturday. They hope to propel changes to federal legislation that will phase in higher wages.
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