Push to eliminate subminimum wage for disabled workers gets momentum in Capitol
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — After months of negotiations, lawmakers are moving forward with a plan to eliminate the sub minimum wage for disabled workers.
“Years of education, years of advocacy, years of research, years of planning, I think has culminated into this moment,” said Kimberly Mercer-Schleider, Director of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities.
The bill is heading to the House Floor. It would get rid of the special designation that lets businesses and organizations pay these workers less, but the change wouldn’t happen for five years if the latest amendment passes. That’s to give organizations enough time to adjust, and for the state to help make sure people continue working.
“I think that we can have an Illinois that provides opportunities for people with disabilities that doesn’t also maintain a discriminatory practice that is way past its expiration date,” Mercer-Schleider said.
Workers with disabilities came to the capitol to advocate for the bill. Tyson Bedford said he found it demeaning when he found out how and why he was being paid less.
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“I used to I used to work in a workplace that was under a 14c contract,” Bedford said. “Safe to say it was not it was not fun.”
Since then, he has spent years advocating for other workers in similar positions.
“I think the people with disabilities will will look back at this day as a very great moment when they finally find that happiness and in their lives,” Bedford said.
One of the loudest opponents of the earlier forms of this bill was Representative Charlie Meier.
He didn’t oppose the concept of higher wages, but he argued earlier versions of the bill would result in the loss of jobs for people with disabilities.
“If it were to pass last year, we’d be looking at these facilities closing down in a year’s time from now. So we’ve bought time,” Meier said.
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Meier led the charge against the original iterations of the bill. He said he was a part of negotiations to get it where it is now. It’s far from perfect in his eyes, but it’s worth considering at least before the House finally votes on it.
“I sure would like to see some more changes before it happens,” Meier said. “But here in Springfield, it’s kind of hard to be at the table. And we’ve been at the table and we’ve got some major changes in there.”
The bill will need to move quickly to make it to the governor’s desk before adjournment. The legislature is currently scheduled to adjourn on Friday, but if a budget is not passed until then, they could stay until the end of May. After that, the vote threshold to pass legislation increases.
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