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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake Metropolis resident Deborah Bowman says her daughter Heather is “a little bit fighter.”

Heather practically drowned when she was slightly below 2 years previous, Bowman mentioned, and docs initially thought she would not make it by means of the evening. The accident left her cortically blind and with no reflexes.

By means of plenty of remedy, dwelling care and “a billion miracles,” Heather finally regained her imaginative and prescient and a few of her motion, Bowman mentioned. She’s now 40 years previous and although a lot of her giant motor abilities have by no means returned, she’s been in a position to maintain a number of jobs.

As an example, Bowman mentioned Heather labored a number of hours per week for 4 or 5 years by means of the South Valley Coaching Firm, a service supplier for adults with disabilities, the place she did duties like sorting gadgets and placing collectively coloured pencil packets.

However as a result of she labored below a 14(c) contract, Heather solely made about $2 an hour, Bowman mentioned.

In response to the U.S. Division of Labor, 14(c) contracts “authorize employers to pay subminimum wages to employees with disabilities that impair their productiveness for the work they carry out.”

“14(c)” refers to part 214, subsection C, of the Truthful Labor Requirements Act of 1938, which lays out below what circumstances “handicapped employees” might be paid lower than minimal wage.

In response to a 2020 transient created by the Heart for Individuals with Disabilities at Utah State College, the coverage is just meant to be utilized when an individual’s incapacity impairs their work, akin to blindness, developmental disabilities and even psychological sickness and habit.

However there are examples of the coverage being abused, akin to Rock River Valley Self Assist Enterprises in Illinois, which misplaced its 14(c) certification in April 2018 after the U.S. Division of Labor discovered the corporate had been exploiting practically 250 employees with disabilities by paying them with present playing cards as a substitute of wages.

In one other case from February 2016, an administrative choose from the U.S. Division of Labor discovered that Seneca Re-Advert in Ohio was responsible of wrongfully underpaying 14(c) contracted staff, in addition to denying these staff affordable lodging.

Nate Crippes, an lawyer with the Incapacity Legislation Heart of Utah, mentioned he isn’t conscious of any Utah companies which have misplaced their 14(c) certifications for exploiting employees.

The U.S. Division of Labor maintains an inventory of all organizations within the nation licensed or in search of certification to make use of 14(c) contracts. The listing, final up to date on Oct. 1, contains 12 Utah firms.

Presently licensed Utah firms:

• Transitional Coaching Heart in Taylorsville — licensed till Dec. 31; 15 staff paid under minimal wage
• Valley Personnel Service, Inc. in Orem — licensed till Feb. 29, 2024; 36 staff paid under minimal wage

Utah firms with certifications that expired this yr:

• Inside Options in Salt Lake Metropolis — certification expired Nov. 30; one worker paid under minimal wage
• Columbus Basis, Inc. in Salt Lake Metropolis — certification expired Oct. 30; 9 staff paid under minimal wage

Utah firms ready for certification as of Oct. 1:

• The Work Exercise Heart, Inc. in West Valley Metropolis
• South Valley Coaching Firm, Inc. in Sandy
• Stringham Lumber in Salt Lake Metropolis
• DDMS Day Program in Salt Lake Metropolis
• Central Utah Enterprises in Provo
• Life Abilities Vocational Heart in Midvale
• Cache Employment and Coaching Heart in Logan
• Utah State Developmental Heart in American Fork

Bowman mentioned she has blended emotions about 14(c) contracts. On one hand, she mentioned she thinks individuals working below 14(c) contracts usually profit significantly from the social interplay and steady routines offered by their jobs; then again, “I want they might receives a commission higher.”

Bowman is not the one one with considerations about 14(c) contracts. The Transformation to Aggressive Employment Act was launched to Congress in January 2019 and seeks to assist employers utilizing 14(c) contracts to “rework their enterprise and program fashions, to help people with disabilities to transition to aggressive built-in employment, to part out using such particular certificates, and for different functions.”

Nevertheless, no motion has been taken on the invoice because it was referred to the Home Committee on Schooling and Labor following its introduction.

The dignity of labor?

Crippes mentioned 14(c) contracts stemmed out of initiatives from the Nineteen Thirties meant to get individuals with disabilities into workplaces and develop ability units.

“I feel the preliminary objective of it was most likely not horrible,” he mentioned. “However that was additionally virtually 100 years in the past now. And the place we are actually, I feel, could be very totally different with how we … view individuals with disabilities.”

Crippes mentioned that below a 14(c) contract an worker’s wage is decided by a productiveness examine that compares how effectively an able-bodied particular person can do the job’s duties to how effectively an individual with a incapacity can do the job’s duties.

That wage might be something from $5 an hour to pennies on the greenback, he mentioned.

“The issue with this can be a lot of those jobs you may discover in what we’d name sheltered workshops, sort of segregated settings the place individuals with disabilities solely work,” he mentioned. “The wrestle is these aren’t even actual jobs. … Actually, (the wage) all the time feels very made as much as me.”

Nevertheless, he famous that for some individuals with disabilities, incomes over a specific sum of money could make them ineligible for wanted advantages.

Crippes mentioned many of the locations in Utah utilizing 14(c) contracts are companies that present companies for individuals with disabilities; however as far ashe’s conscious, any enterprise can, in concept, have a 14(c) contract.

He mentioned 14(c) contracts would possibly give some individuals the dignity of working, however they do not give individuals the dignity of equal pay.

“That does not really feel like dignity to me,” he mentioned.

‘They do precise work’

However some members of the family of individuals with disabilities really feel that 14(c) contracts are constructive and essential components of their family members’ lives.

Sandy resident Anita Bennet mentioned her daughter, Emily, has Down syndrome, autism and is nonverbal. She additionally has sensory neglect, wears orthotics resulting from weak knees and, due to a stroke, cannot understand something coming towards her on her proper facet.

Bennet mentioned Emily works on the South Valley Coaching Firm two days per week for a complete of about eight hours, finishing duties like packaging merchandise and placing collectively blood luggage for ARUP Laboratories.

“They do precise work that must be executed. Any person’s received to do that,” Bennet mentioned.

She mentioned Emily’s wages rely on how a lot work she will full. A few of Emily’s friends are “considerably impaired,” Bennet mentioned, and all of their skills differ.

Bennet mentioned 14(c) contract jobs aren’t nearly cost, however about habilitation: a course of geared toward serving to individuals with disabilities attain or enhance every day residing abilities.

She additionally mentioned that, if somebody feels they don’t seem to be being compensated pretty below their 14(c) contract, there is a system of recourse to deal with their considerations.

These jobs present occupations for individuals who would possibly in any other case not have work in any respect, Bennet mentioned.

“(Individuals with disabilities) do need to make as a lot (cash as able-bodied individuals) if it is smart to do it,” she mentioned. “Companies do have a backside line. My daughter might by no means produce to the extent that it could make sense to rent her (at full wages), however there are lots of individuals that may.”

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