While we didnāt win all our priorities this Session, we are making progress in getting our voices heard at the Roundhouse, and that is thanks to everyone who got involved! We had some big wins for State workers and we still have some ongoing fights, here are the details.
Bills that passed
HB 2: General Appropriations Act of 2025 (aka the Budget Bill)
Just this morning, the Governor signed the budget bill and struck the word āon averageā from the raise language. Right now the bill states that all employees will be getting a 4% raise and that:
āthirty-five million one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred dollars ($35,129,600) for incumbents in positions in the classified service governed by the Personnel Act, for incumbents in the New Mexico state police career pay system and for executive exempt employees, including up to eight million one hundred fifty-nine thousand eight hundred dollars ($8,159,800) for the implementation of longevity payā
While we are excited we were able to get longevity pay included in the bill, we havenāt seen budget language exactly like this before. We believe that we will all be getting 4% plus longevity pay for our more senior members, but we will be having more talks with the Governor to make sure this is implemented in accordance with our bargained agreement!
SB 376: State Employee Health Benefit Contributions
This bill will dissolve the current system of insurance tiers for state employees and educational employees make it so that the state is contributing 80% of the insurance premiums and the employee only contributes 20%. Getting rid of the tier system means that when we get pay raises, we won’t have to deal with increased insurance costs as our pay increases. This bill also includes additional funding to assist employees making less than $50k per year, which means that everyone should see a decrease in their insurance premiums payments and an INCREASE in our paychecks!
Bills that didnāt pass
HB 129: Public Employee Probationary Period
Frustratingly, this bill didn’t get scheduled for its last committee hearing in Senate Finance. We plan to try and get this bill on the Governor’s list for bills to be heard during the 2026 30-day session, and if not, we will bring it back in two years.
This bill would have shortened the probationary period for State Workers in the classified service from one year to six months, allowing employees to access benefits earlier ā like flexible schedules, fitness leave, and Union membership.
HB 264: State Employee Salaries, Leave, and Retention
Even though this bill passed UNANIMOUSLY through the House Labor Committee, even with all of our collective calls, emails, and lobbying efforts, it never got scheduled for its second committee hearing. While we werenāt able to get this bill passed this session, it did open the door for us to have a LOT of conversations with Legislators about our priorities as State Employees. Almost all the Legislators we talked to were supportive of Remote Work, in fact some were shocked to learn that Remote Work was prohibited right now! This is a battle we will keep fighting in the Legislature ā and in contract bargaining ā until we win!
House Bill 264 would have given State Workers higher leave accrual, paid parental leave, automatic cost-of-living increases for our lowest-paid colleagues, and remote work options. It covered improvements to benefits recommended by the 2024 Deloitte study commissioned by the Legislative Finance Committee.
HB 11: Paid Family and Medical Leave Act
This bill walked a rocky road through this Session and ultimately was tabled in Senate Finance after being essentially rewritten in the House. Making sure all New Mexicans are able to care for their loved ones in times of need is important to us, so we have our eyes on the 2026 primary and general elections to make sure we can get Legislators in the Roundhouse who will support our working families.
The PFMLA will be a program administered by the state of New Mexico that provides paid leave for eligible employees to care for a new child, a family member with a serious health concern, or their own medical condition. Taking care of our families in a time of need should be a basic human right, not a privilege only afforded to the wealthy!
HB 438: Employee Payment for Unused Leave
This bill timed out while waiting to get scheduled on the House Floor.
This bill would have required State or County Public Employers to pay out accrued Compensatory time.
HB 246: Increase Minimum Wage
This bill never got scheduled for its second committee hearing.
This bill would have increased the statewide minimum wage to $17 per hour and provided a schedule to increase that minimum wage annually based on the rising cost of living.
HB 72: Safe Staffing
This bill died while waiting to be heard on the House floor.
Safe Staffing legislation would have established nurse- and tech-to-patient ratios for the safety and well-being of both our healthcare workers and for patients.
HB 575: State Employee Benefit Contributions
This bill was never scheduled because it was so similar to SB 376.
We are making progress on our priorities at the Roundhouse, but we still have a lot of work to do! Itās going to take all of us getting involved.
If you aren’t already a member, join us here: CWA7076.org/join
We have some big elections coming up in a year and a half, including the Governor’s race. If you aren’t already contributing to our Political Action Fund, sign up here: CWA7076.org/PAF
When we organize our labor, we organize our resources, and when we organize our resources, we organize our power!
In Solidary,
CWA 7076 Political Action Committee