Congressional Democrats recently introduced the Raise the Wage Act, which would increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour by 2024. It would also stop the Department of Labor (DOL) from allowing certain employers to pay workers with significant disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. These are allowed under Section 14(c) sub minimum wage certificate program.
Rep. Bryan Steil voted against the Raise Wage Act.
There are about 153,030 workers with disabilities in the US who can be paid less than minimum wage under federal law, according to data from the Department of Labor. Some workers earn as little as 4 cents an hour.
In May 2015, New Hampshire became the first state to ban paying sub-minimum wages to workers with disabilities. Maryland (in 2016) and Alaska (in 2018) have since done the same.
Section 14(c) sub minimum wage certificate program has become a way to exploit people with disabilities paying workers $1 an hour or $2 an hour.
Rep. Bryan Steil is hiding behind the disabled in his vote against raising the min. wage to $15 per hour for all workers.
