(1) The Commission for the Blind shall establish and maintain a program of industries for persons who are blind. For that purpose, it shall equip and operate one or more training centers, one or more workshops and home industry activities for the employment of suitable persons who are blind, and may devise ways and means for the sale and distribution of the products and services of the Industries for the Blind Program. The commission may conduct such investigation and research as it may deem advisable in selecting new types of industries suitable for workers with visual impairments.
(2) The commission shall pay workers with visual impairments who have completed their training suitable compensation for their work in the Industries for the Blind Program. The services performed by workers within the Industries for the Blind Program shall be considered services for a nonprofit organization.
(3) The commission may employ persons without visual impairments as workers in the Industries for the Blind Program as necessary to operate the program, to the extent that such persons do not constitute more than 25 percent of the total workforce of the program. The services performed by such persons shall be considered services for a nonprofit organization.
(4) Except for those persons employed in a supervisory or administrative capacity:
(a) ORS chapter 240 does not apply to workers in the Industries for the Blind Program. However, the commission may allow vacation and sick leave to the employees of the Industries for the Blind Program consistent with the schedules established under the State Personnel Relations Law.
(b) Notwithstanding ORS 238.015, a worker in the Industries for the Blind Program working on July 21, 1973, shall become a member of the Public Employees Retirement System at the beginning of the first full pay period after the worker has completed 12 months’ service uninterrupted by a total of more than 30 working days during the 12 months’ period. This subsection shall not apply nor extend to workers entering the Industries for the Blind Program after July 21, 1973.
(5) As used in this section, “nonprofit organization” means an organization, or group of organizations, described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that is exempt from income tax under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. [Amended by 1957 c.190 §1; 1967 c.535 §1; 1969 c.240 §2; 1973 c.713 §4; 1979 c.468 §33; 1989 c.224 §61; 2005 c.218 §16; 2007 c.70 §125]
Section: Previous 346.150 346.160 346.165 346.167 346.169 346.170 346.180 346.190 346.200 346.210 346.220 346.230 346.235 346.240 346.250 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008