The 2023 Legislative Session is wrapped up and the deadline for the Governor to veto has passed. Here is our final update on the 2023 Legislative Session.
Raises
Back in early January, the Governor’s bargaining team came to us with an offer for a 4% COLA next year. Thanks to the hard work of the Political Action Committee and to all our members who participated in our letter writing campaigns, we fought for an extra 2% and there is now a 6% COLA for all State employees included in the FY2024 budget.
Classification and Compensation Study
Also included in next year’s budget is $1.2 million for a State Employee Evaluation Task Force (the revised name for what we originally called the Classification and Compensation Study). We started meeting with legislators last summer to talk about the need for a robust third-party study about how State Employees are compensated. Thanks to those meetings, it was included in the original budget recommendation for FY2024 and made it through the session without being cut. We will be keeping on top of this in the coming months to make sure the Task Force is appointed and the study gets underway.
Telework
Disappointingly, our Telework Bill was tabled in the first committee meeting. We won’t stop fighting for Telework, we know hybrid workplaces are the way of the future. We are regrouping now that the session is over and we will be exploring new ways to move the State of New Mexico forward on this issue.
Shorter Probationary Period
Our bill for a shorter probationary period for State Employees was put on hold after speaking with the State Personnel Office (SPO) and AFSCME, the other Union that represents State Employees, to give us time to meet and find a compromise that works for everyone. We have been led to believe that SPO is in favor of a shorter probationary period, with some caveats, so we will also be working on that between sessions.
Higher Minimum Wage
Unfortunately, all the bills that addressed a higher minimum wage did not make it out of the Legislature this year. We will continue to fight for a Living Wage for all our members, so this will certainly be a priority next year.
Thanks again to everyone who participated in the session this year! We all came together loudly to make a change and we are starting to make a difference. Working with legislature on these issues is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s easy to feel discouraged, but your participation really does make a difference.