Monday we celebrate the victory of labor unions and strikes, peaceful protests and equal work.
Yet the Fair Labor Standards Act, Section 14c, still allows paying workers with disabilities less than minimum wage, sometimes cents on the dollar. Through a lack of awareness, this practice continues.
This was established in 1938 as a presumed “practice ground” for those with disabilities before transitioning into the workplace. Though hardly ever being used to transition, jobs include shredding newspapers, making “widgets” and counting rocks in segregated settings.
These settings also tend to double as spaces of neglect and abuse. However, places of the past that became famous for acts of abuse are still not things of the past.
Salt Lake City is not apart from these workshops. Several businesses within the city hold 14c certificates. While some states have progressed to outlaw this practice, Utah remains one stuck in the past, with an outdated model that allows for a discriminatory treatment of workers with disabilities.
In contrast, some employers such as Sephora and WinCo have been forward thinking in disability equality and fair pay. Customized employment and other rehabilitation programs continue to pursue equal employment and disability integration.
Anna Caroline Peterson, North Salt Lake
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