University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, July 19. 1989
11
Packer Plastics employs mentally disabled people
by Angela Howell
Kansan staff writer
steeve Johnson, 37, works on an assembly line, putting together plastic parts. The area is not air conditioned and although fans are blowing, stains of hair soaked in water or dust drain down from her cotton hatmeet.
She is a client of Cottonwood, Inc., 2801 W. 31st St., which is a sheltered workshop that provides training, job placement, employment and a home for mentally impaired people in the Lawrence area
Through Cottonwood, she is employed by Packer Plastics, 2330 Packer Rd. Johnson said she liked working for Packer.
"It gives you something to do." Johnson said. "But some people can't take the heat."
Louella Youngbauer, a Cottonwood vocational coordinator who works at Packer, said workers were taken home early if the temperature was more than 90 degrees. She said Packer was trying to relocate the workers into air-conditioned areas.
Since December 1985, Cottonwood clients have worked at Packer Plastics. Originally, eight people were hired at Packer New York to Cottonwood plastic products department, assembling and packaging plastic utensils.
Packer is the only Lawrence factory where mentally disabled people work on site. Quaker Oats Co. 727 N. Iowa, has contracted Cottonwood workers on a temporary basis in the past.
Cottontown workers are driven to Packer every morning by a supervisor. They usually work in the kitchen or in Cindra, vocational director at Cottontown.
"They like the fact they're working in a factory." Conra said. "Gong out and working in a normal environment with a lot to learn."
Michelle Biggs, collating man
ager at Packer agreed.
"They love Packer," Biggs said.
"They will come to work if they're sick and try to make it through the day."
Martha Matthews, 42, said she was proud that she was a fast worker.
"I work fast and I don't do any talking, I concentrate on how many I can get done." Matthews said.
Cottonwood workers are paid according to their productivity. Conda said. If they work at the same rate of productivity as a person who is not particularly productive, are paid $370 an hour. They are paid more if they work more than a person who is not mentally retarded.
Biggs said the average Cottonwood employee earned $2 an hour. Youngbauer said Packer had a permit from the Department of Labor to pay below minimum wage for Cottonwood employees
Jennifer Oeffner, Salina junior and former Packer employee, said she worked on the collating department evening shift for two weeks in June. The evening shift coordinator would tell her crew the number of boxes she had completed, she employed completed, she and she did not remember her shift ever doing as much as the Cottonwood workers.
"We used to talk about it," Heffernan said. "We couldn't figure out how they do so many."
Conda said most Cottonwood workers did not produce more than non-disabled Packer employees.
Peggy Reekie, evening shift collating coordinator, said that at times, the productivity of the Cottonwood workers was as high as their neighbors. Disaffected workers became proficient, they were more productive.
Condra said some money was taken from the Cottonwood workers' paychecks to help pay for overhaul and the salaries of staff
"This is a tedious, boring job to do day after day," Biggs said. "But for handicapped workers, it's a challenge."
Biggs said the Cottonwood employees made a contribution to Packer.
supervisors.
Conda said some advantages of hiring mentally disabled people were longevity of employment, the ability to teach and the pride they take in their work.
"The handicapped work force is more steady." Condra said. "The job means a lot to them. It's not just hard work; it's their own. For them, this is it."
Conda said the main competition for mentally disabled people in the job market was from students. Conda said employers might prefer mentally disabled people because they usually stay longer.
Companies also have the assurance that Cottonwood trains the employees, and a worker is sick. The employer replaces a replacement, Condra said.
Bob Williams, 34, works with wife, Karen, 40, at Packer. They have been married 12 years. They met at Cottonwood. Since they never had a honeymoon, they are lucky enough for money for a trip to Disney World.
Disney world.
"I like it because it keeps me busy." Williams said. "It's an opportunity to show your talent."
"You never know what you're doing one day to the other." Williams said. "One day it might be cups, one day it might be picnic settings, one day it might be pans."
Conrada said the Cottonwood people have been accepted at Packer. He said he had not seen the workers treated with prejudice.
Angela Trybom works at Packer Plastics Inc
Working at Packer is a step between working at the workshop at Cottonwood and working in the community, Conrad said.
Tomas Stargardter/KANSAN
He said about 38 Lawrence businesses sub-contract the Cottonwood workers in the workshop. There are 23 mentally disabled people from Cottonwood working in the community.
Biggs said the Cottonwood clients were great workers. She
said the only problem was that some of the disabled workers have limited counting abilities. She said this was solved by placing the better counters on the difficult jobs.
"I've held several different posi-
uons, but this is the position I like the best," this. Bbigs said of her job supervising Cottonwood workers. "Everyone is so happy to see you. They like you for what you are, not what you can do."
Retarded Citizens, almost 90 percent of the 6 million mentally retarded people in the United States are clueless and capable of learning to hold responsible, productive jobs.
but you can tell. According to the Association for
Martha Mathews is momentarily distracted from her work
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