Democracy for New Mexico

Domenici to Join Filibuster Against Important Labor Bill Introduced by Dem Senators

Score one for the Dems. See below for a release from the Democratic Party of New Mexico discussing the critically important Employee Free Choice Act introduced this week by Democrats in the U.S. Senate. The measure was passed by the House in March by a healthy margin of 241-185, with Rep. Tom Udall (D, NM-03) cosponsoring and voting for the bill. Both of our Repub Reps., Heather Wilson (NM-01) and Steve Pearce (NM-02), voted against the bill and working families. And surprise, Bush is already threatening to veto the measure should it gain passage.

Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, our increasingly grouchy and out of touch Senator Pete Domenici is strongly opposed to the bill. In fact, he plans not only to vote against it, but to join in a Republican filibuster to stop it. Senator Bingaman, on the other hand, is one of the bill's sponsors on the Senate side, and every single Democratic Senator, plus Repub Sen. Arlen Specter, has indicated they will support the Employee Free Choice Act with an aye vote.

We Democrats can often be very tough on Democrats in government, but I think we need to balance that with praise where praise is due. This is one of those times:

NEW MEXICO WORKERS WOULD BENEFIT FROM EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT: Democrats Move to Pass Workers’ Rights Legislation

Democrats in the Senate stood up this week for New Mexico’s working families by introducing the Employee Free Choice Act. Thousands of union members, joined by labor leaders and Congressional Democrats, came together to support this legislation.

The Employee Free Choice Act is designed to protect workers against employer interference and intimidation when forming unions. Right here in New Mexico, somewhere between 30,000 and 75,000 people will benefit from the Employee Free Choice Act by receiving pension and health care benefits from union participation.

President Bush continues to threaten to veto this important legislation. The Republican Congress and the Bush Administration have steadily eroded workers’ freedom to form unions through lax enforcement of labor laws, cuts to organizing protections, and the Administration’s interference in collective bargaining.

“At a time when health care costs are skyrocketing and people are unsure about their retirement security, it is more important than ever for workers to have the right to engage in collective bargaining and to be able form unions without employer intimidation,” said Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Brian Colón. “Union workers in New Mexico are more likely to have health insurance and additional benefits for long term security than non-union workers.”

Colón continued: “Senator Pete Domenici should stand with New Mexico’s working families and support this legislation to improve working conditions, strengthen America's families, and rebuild America's middle class.”

Participate in Take Back America and AFSCME Events Via Web

Two big political events are taking place in DC over the next few days. The Take Back America conference put on by the Campaign for America's Future is providing a lot of interactive web features that involve Dem prez candidates, bloggers and more. Meanwhile, the AFSCME Leadership Forum includes a presidential candidate forum and more. MyDD, among others, is blogging both conferences.

Press Conference Today: Health Insurance, Pension Benefits and the Employee Free Choice Act

From :

• Americans United for Change to release new report showing how many more thousands of New Mexicans would receive health insurance and pension benefits under the Employee Free Choice Act
• Senator Domenici called on to vote for publicly supported legislation that would level the playing field for middle class workers by fixing a broken system for forming unions and bargaining for better pay, improved benefits and retirement security

WHO: Americans United for Change: Christine Trujillo, AFL-CIO, Carter Bundy, AFSCME, Local Healthcare Advocates

WHAT: Press conference to release new report showing how many more thousands of New Mexicans would receive health insurance and pension benefits under the Employee Free Choice Act.  Following the press conference participants will deliver the report to Senator Domenici's office.

WHEN: Monday April 16th at 10:00 AM
WHERE: Albuquerque Plaza, Near Corner of 3rd & Copper

As more and more middle class American workers become disenfranchised in a broken system for forming unions and bargaining with employers for fair, treatment, better pay and improved benefits, and local labor leaders and healthcare advocates will release a timely new report prepared by the Institute for America's Future showing how many more New Mexicans would likely receive health insurance and pension benefits if the Employee Free Choice Act were to become law.

The Employee Free Choice Act passed with bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 1 and will come to the floor of the U.S. Senate this month.  The Employee Free Choice Act is overwhelmingly supported by 69 percent of American public, according to a recent poll from the AFL-CIO, and more than half of U.S. workers -- nearly 60 million -- say they would join a union right now if they could.  Senator Domenici will be called on to stand with middle class New Mexican workers and vote for the publicly supported legislation to restore their freedom to choose a union voice. 

Dem State Party Chair Candidate Brian Colón Hits the Labor Trifecta

I'm pleased to see that three of the biggest unions in New Mexico have decided to endorse Brian Colón for Dem State Chair. They're certainly on the right track in my book. Brian has been running a spirited campaign for the Party's top elected office based on the goals of making the Party more active, transparent and inclusive. He's been criss-crossing the state, reaching out to Dems in rural and urban counties alike, generating lots of positive buzz along the way.

Mr. Colón spoke at our March DFA-DFNM Meetup, and has managed to build quite a head of steam for his campaign among the grassroots community and, from what I'm hearing, Dems of all stripes all over New Mexico. He comes across as honest, innovative, energetic, likeable, approachable and hardworking -- just the qualities we need in a Party leader at a time when it's so important to unite and build a modern Party infrastructure that will work effectively for the 2008 election and over the long haul. I get the clear sense that everyone will have a seat at the table if Brian Colón is leading the Dem Party. And we'll all have plenty of work to do!

Here's the press release from the unions on the strong support for Colón in the labor community:

In an unusual move, three of the largest unions in New Mexico have endorsed Brian Colón to be the Chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico.  The unions are the American Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, and the Communication Workers of America.

While all three unions are non-partisan and do support some Republicans around the state, historically the Democratic Party is where working men and women have found their strongest allies.  As a result, all three unions believe it is important to be involved in helping to select the leader of the Democratic Party.  All three unions have numerous members and allies expected to attend the State Central Committee meeting in Las Cruces on Saturday, April 28, where the new DPNM Chair will be elected.

Colón represents a new generation of progressive, pro-worker, pro-economic growth Democrats who are commited to issues like increasing the minimum wage, expanding health coverage to all New Mexicans, reigning in abuses by payday lenders, guaranteeing the opportunity for a good education to all, fighting off privatization and corruption of government services, and ensuring equal opportunity for all.

The following are contacts for each union:

AFT:  Christine Trujillo, 239-0871
AFSCME:  Carter Bundy, 463-8499
CWA:  Robin Gould, 690-9584

Editor's Notes: See our previous post on the race for DPNM Chair. If you're interested in learning more or getting involved in Brian Colón's campaign, you can contact him here: (505) 270-2154 or bsc4dpnm@yahoo.com. Click to download a campaign flyer.

Democratic Party State Central Committee (SCC) members are elected at the County Party level. The Democratic Party of Bernalillo County will hold its elections this coming Saturday, at 10 AM, at Manzano High School in Albuquerque. The election for State Party Chair will occur at the the Democratic Party of New Mexico's SCC Meeting to be held in Las Cruces on April 28th.

Rep. Lujan's Version of Minimum Wage Bill Passes House Labor Committee

House Bill 759, Rep. Ben Lujan's version of the minimum wage bill, passed the NM House Labor Committee yesterday on a 4-2 vote along Party lines. This is the bill being backed by progressives and labor and poverty activists. The Committee also passed Sen. Ben Altamirano's wage bill, Senate Bill 324, which was previously passed by the full Senate, after amending it to match Rep. Lujan's. Gov. Bill Richardson prefers the Senate version. I was going to discuss the bills here but discovered that Las Cruces blogger Heath Haussamen has a terrific rundown on what happened and why. Click to check it out.

The bills go next to the House Business and Industry Committee. Click for contact info on the members and encourage them to support HB 759.

UPDATED: NM House Committee to Vote on Wage Bills Today

UPDATE 11:41 AM: Both Speaker Lujan's and Sen. Altamirano's competing minimum wage bills will be debated in the House Labor Committee today.

From NM ACORN:
The NM House Labor Committee will hold the first hearing on Speaker Ben Lujan's minimum wage bill, HB 759, on Tuesday, February 13 at 1:30 PM in the House Chambers. Please join us to support this legislation, which would not only give us a higher wage than what Congress proposes for a new minimum. It would also provide an annual cost-of-living increase and remove all exemptions from New Mexico law so that all workers are covered. For more information, contact Matthew Henderson at nmacorn@acorn.org. If you can't be at the hearing, please contact members of the House Labor Committee and urge them to vote yes on this bill.

Editor's Note: There's another minimum wage bill that originated in the NM Senate as SB 324, sponsored by Sen. Ben Altamirano. It gained passage in the Senate and is now in the House Labor Committee awaiting a hearing. However, Rep. Lujan's House bill is better, especially in terms of its application to ALL workers and the provision of yearly cost of living increases.

NM Sen. Altamirano Introduces Minimum Wage Bill

As reported in the the Santa Fe New Mexican:

Minimum wage: A bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $7.50 over two years was introduced this week by Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City. The bill (SB 324) would increase the state's minimum wage of $5.15 an hour -- which is the same as the federal pay floor -- to $6.50 next year and to $7.50 in 2009.

Under the bill, local governments would be prohibited from raising their minimum wages higher than the state's until Jan. 1, 2013. However, that provision would not apply to local governments that already have set their minimum wages higher than the state's, such as Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

House Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, is expected to introduce a competing proposal to increase New Mexico's minimum wage to $7.50 an hour. Gov. Bill Richardson backs Altamirano's bill but also is willing to work with other lawmakers on legislation to boost the state's minimum wage, said Eric Witt, Richardson's director of legislative affairs.

You can see a copy of Sen. Altamirano's bill, SB 324, here, as well as track its progress. It will go first to the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee (SCORC). Click for membership. If it passes there, it will go next to the Senate Finance Committee (SFC).

Something to keep in mind is there is no guarantee that the minimum wage will be raised at the federal level this year. Although a minimum wage bill passed in the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate's bill to raise the minimum wage nationally is essentially being filibustered by Republicans because they want a tax cut for small businesses added. Senate supporters of the bill don't have the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to a vote without amendments. Read more.

Here's the vote tally. NM Sen. Pete Domenici voted against cloture (for the filibuster). No Democrats voted against cloture, and they were joined by 5 Republicans: Senators Coleman, Collins, Warner, Snowe and Specter who were against the filibuster.

Gallup Minimum Wage Heads to Voters

From NM ACORN:
Over 100 people packed the Gallup City Council Chambers Tuesday night, most of them supporting a proposal to give Gallup the strongest minimum wage ordinance in New Mexico outside of Santa Fe.

Supporters petitioned to bring the referendum before the city government, but the council chose, instead, to put it on the March 6 municipal ballot for voters to decide. The measure would raise the minimum wage to $6.75 within 60 days, then to $7.50 by January 1, 2008. The wage would rise with the cost of living annually. Small businesses with fewer than 15 employees are exempted, but teenagers are covered.

Unfortunately, the council also chose to put a weak alternative on the ballot, as well. If both measures are approved, the one with the most votes becomes law. The alternative raises the minimum wage to $6.50 July 1, $7.00 January 1, 2008, and $7.50 July 1, 2008, but it does not have cost-of-living increases and it does not cover teenagers. It does not, however, exempt small businesses.

Minimum Wage Lobby Day
The Gallup Minimum Wage Initiative underscores the importance of our Minimum Wage Lobby Day next Thursday, January 18, at 10:30 AM, at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Proposals to ban local ordinances as part of any state minimum wage bill have serious traction. Supporters of local measures in Gallup, Taos, or other cities that have not yet considered moving stronger legislation than what Congress or the State Legislature is entertaining should join us to speak up for Local Control.

For more information, please contact Matthew Henderson at nmacorn@acorn.org.

Join ACORN at Minimum Wage Lobby Day

From NM ACORN:
Join us for the 2007 New Mexicans for Fair Wage Lobby Day, Thursday, January 18. We expect Minimum Wage legislation to move quickly this year, so we are storming the Roundhouse early to make sure we get a bill that's better than what Congress is considering.  We want:

• $7.50 by 2009
• Cost of Living Increases annually
• Local Control: no preemption of cities or counties that want to pass higher wage laws
• Universal coverage: A minimum wage for ALL workers without exemption or exception

Meet us at 10:30 AM on the 18th at the East entrance to the Roundhouse for a brief rally before breaking into delegations to talk to legislators. We will then rally with our Sponsor and Supporters at 12:00 Noon on the West Steps of the Roundhouse.

To get on ACORN's buses from Albuquerque or Las Cruces, email Matthew Henderson at nmacorn@acorn.org.

Gallup Fights for a Fair Wage--and a Fair Fight

From NM ACORN:
After collecting hundreds of signatures from Gallup, NM voters to place a minimum wage proposal before the voters, wage activists in Gallup will be fighting for a fair vote on Tuesday. The Gallup City Council will vote Tuesday, January 9, at 7:00 PM on whether or not to place one proposal before the voters or the fair wage proposal and a bogus alternative.

The fair wage proposal would raise the minimum wage 60 days after passage to $6.75 and then to $7.50 by 2008. The wage will rise annually with the cost of living. The City Council may confuse the issue by including a watered-down version, backed by the Chamber of Commerce, on the same ballot. (The Chamber did not collect signatures to put their proposal before the public.) If both proposals are approved by the voters, the one with the most votes would become law.

Come to the Gallup City Council Hearing on Tuesday and demand a fair up or down vote on the fair wage proposal!

Call your Gallup City Councilor, and tell them not to support the Chamber's dirty tricks by including a wage proposal backed by minimum wage opponents.

Mr. William Nechero, (505) 863-1220, council1@ci.gallup.nm.us

Mrs. Mary Ann Armijo, (505) 863-1220, council2@ci.gallup.nm.us

Mr. Patrick Butler, (505) 863-1220, council3@ci.gallup.nm.us

Mr. Frank Gonzales, (505) 863-1220, council4@ci.gallup.nm.us

The hearing will be held at City Hall, 110 West Aztec Avenue.

For more information contact Matthew Henderson at nmacorn@acorn.org or Dale Potter at Pot5D@aol.com