CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) — March is recognized as National Disabilities Awareness Month and under a new legislation introduced by Senator Bob Casey and other lawmakers – employers would have to start paying their employees with disabilities a higher wage.
Channel 6 spoke with the co-founder of SEADS Garden Center in Johnstown where we’re told the business was solely created to give adults with disabilities the opportunity to work and all his employees currently make minimum wage.
United States Senator Bob Casey and a handful of other lawmakers introduced The Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act – a new legislation where disabled employees could earn higher wages.
This is something the co-founder of SEADS Garden Center in Johnstown says they have practiced since the day they opened.
“SEADS stands for sustainable employment for adults with disabilities,” says Vincent Lovenduski, the co-founder of SEADS Garden Center.
Lovenduski and his wife cofounded their business four years ago after they watched their own son – who has autism – struggle to find employment opportunities.
“Everybody needs a purpose in life,” said Lovenduski.
Lovenduski says he currently has 15 disabled employees working with him who already make more than sub-minimum wage.
“All of our employees make minimum wage right now which is seven and a quarter,” added Lovenduski. “You need the pride to earn a paycheck, it’s very important, but over and above that they just want to be a part of something.”
‘Eddie’ is one of those employees who has a lot of pride from working at SEADS for the past four years.
“This organization does a lot of good things for people with disabilities,” said Edward Resutek. “I have severe mental health problems and a lot of employers don’t want to employ somebody like that and I didn’t really have a lot of chances so, that’s why Vince is important cause he has me a chance and he’s such a wonderful man.”
Lovenduski says it would be difficult if minimum wage was raised to fifteen dollars an hour for those with disabilities because they don’t want to affect their benefits in any negative fashion.
“If, for example the minimum wage does go up to fifteen and we have to pay our employees that way, probably well have to back off their hours because they would make too much money and they would lose social security benefits,” added Lovenduski.
But at the end of the day – whether this legislation gets passed into law or not – Lovenduski says it’s a pleasure to work with his disabled employees, “It really is, I’m not just saying that.”
The act has since been referred to the House Committee on education and labor.
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