VOR Letters of Opposition to DOL Proposed Rule to Eliminate Sheltered Workshops
The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor sought comments on a proposed rule to eliminate sheltered workshops and Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
In May of 2023, a consortium of advocates supporting only Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) and opposed to 14(c) programs submitted a letter to Julie Su, the Acting Administrator of the Department of Labor supporting the elimination of sheltered workshops and Section 14(c) programs. Many of the people who submitted the letter work in competitive employment, professional- or university-based advocacy organizations. Several others are senior management at agencies that receive federal funding. None were among the cohort of individuals who work in, and benefit from, the opportunities offered by sheltered workshops.
In response, VOR submitted a letter in support of these programs, asking that the Department of Labor clear up the misrepresentations about them and actively support funding them and increasing the number of 14(c) certificates it issues.