** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **
MEDIA CONTACTS:
John Dyrcz (505) 554-8679
Carter Bundy (505) 463-8499
SANTA FE, NM – Connie Derr, Executive Director of American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 18, Bethany Jarrell, President of National Education Association – New Mexico, Megan Green, President of Communications Workers of America Local 7076, and Whitney Holland, President of American Federation of Teachers New Mexico released the following joint statement:
The surprise late-night disclosure by Senate Finance Committee Chair George Muñoz that budgeted raises for K-12, higher education, and state workers would be fully cut out of the Fiscal Year ‘27 budget as provided by the House of Representatives is a gut punch to the nearly one hundred thousand workers who we collectively represent.
This decision seemed to catch other Committee members unaware and was made with little to no time for other members to question or debate this action before Chair Muñoz adjourned the hearing.
Cutting this raise during this challenging economic environment destroys morale and makes it harder to recruit and retain qualified professionals at a time when stability and experience are urgently needed. Public workers keep our communities functioning, by providing essential services, ensuring public safety, educating our kids, and maintaining critical infrastructure.
We are educators, police officers, firefighters, bus drivers, nurses, corrections officers, scientists, social workers, custodians, librarians, higher education faculty, CYFD employees, and so many more state workers. We recognize the challenges of balancing a state budget, but those challenges should not be resolved on the backs of the workforce that delivers essential services to the public every day.
We call on Senate Finance Committee members, State Senate, and House of Representatives leadership to reject this cut and restore the budgeted raise, collectively reaffirming their commitment to the workers who serve our communities with professionalism and dedication.
Anything less risks long-term damage to the public services New Mexicans rely on.
###