A solution to move forward

After many months of struggle and tireless work by countless people, it appears that at long last there is a resolution to the issues brought on by Proposition 202, the Arizona Minimum Wage Act.

As those of you who have been following this issue know, Gompers Center and other agencies worked in conjunction to have a legislative amendment passed that would have exempted our vocational trainees from the effects of Proposition 202. There certainly was a great deal of consternation when the Attorney General ruled that any amendment singling out individuals with disabilities would be unconstitutional. While we disagreed, the Attorney General did leave some "wiggle" room when he stated that the law applied if an individual was an "employee."

Fortunately the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) stepped up to the plate and worked long hours, and with a great deal of empathy toward the effects Prop 202 could have on the individuals we work with. Gompers Center and other agencies spoke and met frequently with the ICA as they attempted to determine how our vocational trainees were affected by Prop 202, as well the Attorney General's ruling. Finally on March 29, 2007 the ICA released a Substantive Policy Statement which clarified who is an "employee" under Prop 202. The policy stated that individuals who receive vocational training under the auspices of an Individual Support Plan (ISP) are not covered under Prop 202 and thus are not subject to the new minimum wage.

Following the release of the ICA's Statement, Gompers Center's Board of Director's adopted a recommendation to allow our vocational center to continue operating under a "business as usual" work mode.

Gompers Center's mission has always been to empower our clients to gain the skills which will allow them to gain competitive employment - where they can make minimum wage or much more! The ICA's Statement, as well as the thoughtful actions of Gompers Center's Board of Director's will allow us to move forward with that mission.

Gompers Center would be remiss if we did not send out a tremendous THANK YOU to all of the other agencies who toiled so long at this - but most importantly a THANK YOU to the clients, parents, guardians and various community partners that we work with who were so diligent in sending out e-mails, writing letters, making calls and visiting their legislators. This was an issue that truly resonated beyond the vocational center as parents in our DTA and School programs became active as well. Their efforts educated so many people and in doing so raised the level of discourse on what we have known all along - that the potential of individuals with disabilities is limitless!

Thanks to everyone in the community who stood by us and supported us. If you have any questions on this issue or would like to discuss how you can become more involved with Gompers Center, please feel free to call Thea Smith, Community Development Coordinator at 602-336-0061 ext.162.