Public Sector CWAers Win Back Raises

Earlier this month, CWA members working for the state of New Mexico learned that the state Senate stripped away their one percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) after it had already passed the House. The Senate Finance Committee cited shrinking revenue projections, but the move prompted swift condemnation from non-union workers, community allies, and labor unions, including CWA and AFSCME.

Members and retirees of CWA Local 7076 joined K-12 educators and higher education faculty and staff against the austerity measures, which, if passed, would make 2026 the first year without a pay increase for state public workers since 2018. House Democrats heard their demands and worked quickly to secure a workaround that would add the one percent raise into the tax bill, rather than back into the budget. Tax and Revenue Committee Chairman Derrick Lente added an amendment to the tax package, which passed the committee, the House, and the Senate with all Democrats in support and all Republicans voting in opposition.

“This is a huge win for public sector workers in New Mexico that represents more than the monetary value of a one percent raise,” wrote CWA Local 7076 President Megan Green in an update to members and retirees. “It is proof that when we stand together, shoulder to shoulder, workers can win.”

The legislation will now go to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for her signature or veto.

 
Members and retirees of CWA Local 7076 showed their opposition to a State Senate-proposed cut of their one percent COLA in New Mexico’s state budget. Signs with a Valentine’s Day theme carried messages including “0% Love” and “Hard No.” The cuts were reinstated via an amendment to the budget bill.

---

This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.