Ohioans push to end sub-minimum wage for some workers

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — Ohio employers can pay employees with developmental disabilities less than minimum wage.

On Monday, Ohioans gathered at the Ohio Statehouse to urge for that program’s elimination.

“People with disabilities deserve to get paid as much as anyone else in this country,” Pepper Stetler, the parent of a 12-year-old with Down syndrome, said.

Watch: Ohio pushing to end sub-minimum wage

Sub-minimum wage has been in effect for several decades in Ohio, allowing employers who apply and receive a Special Wage Certificate to pay employees with developmental disabilities around $4 an hour, sometimes less.

“It’s a legacy program, it’s been around since the late 1930s,” President and CEO of The Arc of Ohio Gary Tonks said. “And Ohio’s just having a challenge moving on beyond that.”

Now,  there is a bi-partisan effort to eliminate sub-minimum wage called House Bill 427 sponsored by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Scott Lipps (R-Franklin).

Advocates like Tonks said the passage should be a no-brainer.

“It will treat people with disabilities like you and I are treated,” he said. “It’s a fairness piece of legislation.”

“I don’t want my kids to ever be in a room where someone’s valuing them as less than what other citizens of the United States make,” Jen Powers Alge, parent of a 12-year-old with Down syndrome, said. “It’s, just, it’s un-American to me to pay anybody less than minimum wage.”

This is not the first time a bill to eliminate sub-minimum wage has been introduced. It was first a Democratic-led effort in the last General Assembly. Two years ago, the bill aimed to eliminate the program immediately; the proposed five-year runway is one of the main differences in this new version.

So, why hasn’t it passed yet, despite bi-partisan support and more than two years of work? There are concerns, even from Lipps, who is now a sponsor of the bill, about how this will impact employment opportunities for Ohioans with developmental disabilities.

Advocates for its passage said it might have the opposite impact of what some are thinking.

“I think it’s going to create more competition within the field simply because of the increased incentives,” project manager for Mid-East Ohio Regional Council David Mitchell said. “I hope it impacts where folks will work together to get more people connected with the community, get more jobs, and hopefully that those incentives will come to help make that a reality.”

Tonks said Ohio can learn how to implement the elimination from the 20 other states that have, saying he has not lost hope that this legislation will pass eventually.

“It will happen,” he said. “I’m positive it will happen. I’ve been around for 50 years. I can see the signs.”

“We want Ohio to expect more from our kids,” Stetler said. “We want to support, we want the state to support our kids in their ability to do work in the community.”

Since being introduced back in February, House Bill 427 has only had one committee hearing. It is unlikely that it will pass before the end of the year, meaning it will have to be reintroduced next year.

Jarrells said the plan is to reintroduce it with bi-partisan support, but said he is not sure who the Republican sponsor will be yet.

Parents said fair wages is not where the battle for fairness ends. For example, they also want policy to ensure public schools have the proper resources for students with disabilities and programs to ensure affordable housing for their kids someday as well.

“Which is an issue across Ohio and across our nation for everybody. But it is particularly an issue with people with disabilities,” Powers Alge said.

The Ohio Legislature will reconvene for session in mid-November to move legislation forward.

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