SourceAmerica Calls on Congress to Immediately Pass Back Pay Legislation

As congressional appropriators finalize their agreement to avoid another partial shutdown of the federal government, SourceAmerica urges them to include a vital provision to provide back pay for federal contract employees. The employees, including thousands of AbilityOne contract employees with disabilities, have experienced severe financial hardship as a result of being furloughed in the most recent government closure.

For many AbilityOne employees, living without a paycheck for over a month created considerable debt as they struggled to makes ends meet. While federal employees received back pay for the time they were unable to work, AbilityOne contract employees, who labor side-by-side with their federal government counterparts, did not. As contract employees, they deserve to be treated with the same consideration as their federal counterparts and receive back pay.

As Congress finalizes its spending package for the remainder of FY 2019, we respectfully ask that they include language to ensure that contract employees, such as AbilityOne employees who are blind or have significant disabilities, are eligible to receive back pay.

About SourceAmerica:
Established in 1974, SourceAmerica creates job opportunities for a skilled and dedicated workforce of people with significant disabilities. SourceAmerica is the vital link between the federal government and private sector organizations that procure the products and services provided by this exceptional workforce via a network of more than 750 community-based nonprofits. Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, SourceAmerica provides its nonprofit agency network with business development, contract management, legislative and regulatory assistance, communications and public relations materials, information technology support, engineering and technical assistance, and extensive professional training needed for successful nonprofit management. Visit SourceAmerica.org to learn more, or follow us on Facebook (@SourceAmerica), Twitter (@SourceAmerica) and LinkedIn (@SourceAmerica).