Our Union family is growing! On Friday, March 8, 2024 the first responders at the Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) Department signed their first contract with the City of Albuquerque and officially joined our Local! Here is a little bit of their story, as told by their Agency VP Crystal Little:
The Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) Department is the third branch of first responders in Albuquerque and the first actual government department of its kind in the country. Established in 2021, ACS’s mission focuses on mental and behavioral health, and lower acuity calls received through 911 and the non-emergency system. This change has allowed the Police Department to focus on criminal and dangerous calls and the Fire Department to focus on fire and medical calls.
As the department grew, ACS responders quickly discovered that our mission was not the administration’s primary focus, nor was our well-being, stability, or mental health. While we were helping the community with mental health issues, the department was unconcerned with ours. This was one of the many reasons we decided to form the Community Safety Responders Union and join with CWA.
We wanted to ensure ACS responders gained the ability to fight for our right to voice our needs/ideas and build stability, which in turn allows for better working conditions for us, the responders, as we serve our community. We began the process in March 2022 and after a lot of hard work from responders, and many obstacles from the city, we are signing our first contact in March 2024!
— ACS Agency VP Crystal Little
I want to send a huge welcome to our new ACS Unit and congratulate them on winning their long hard fight for a Union contract. We are stronger together!
Click here if you’d like to send your own message of congratulations and welcome to ACS members!