SourceAmerica Pressing Congress To Pass Back Pay For AbilityOne Contract Employees

Congress Should Give AbilityOne Program Employees A Chance to Recoup Financial Losses Through Back Pay

VIENNA, VA (February 15, 2019) – Today President Trump signed legislation to fund the government through September 30 and avert another shutdown. The previous shutdown, which ended on January 25, had a devastating financial impact on thousands of AbilityOne® Program contract employees with disabilities. We are deeply disappointed that the funding bill did not include a provision to authorize back pay for federal contractors, particularly since that money had already been budgeted.

Many AbilityOne employees went without a paycheck for over a month during the partial government shutdown. This loss of income created considerable hardship for many AbilityOne employees, and in some cases, just like federal employees, they had to choose between paying for their medicines, rent or for food. These contract employees work side by side with their federal government counterparts, yet unlike federal employees, they did not receive back pay for wages lost during the shutdown. This is not an equitable or just outcome.

SourceAmerica® commends the House and Senate sponsors of back pay legislation for their leadership on this issue. We will continue to work with them and with other members of Congress toward passage of legislation that provides equitable treatment for the federal contract workers who were furloughed and denied earnings during the longest shutdown in U.S. history, including AbilityOne contract employees.

About SourceAmerica
Established in 1974, SourceAmerica creates employment opportunities for a skilled and dedicated workforce of people with 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).