AFL-CIO Monthly Newsletter

New Mexico Federation of Labor Monthly Newsletter

April 2015: Fast Track, Bus Tour, Food Bank, Workers Memorial Day, Labor Film Festival, NNM CLC Nominations, Rank and File Awards Dinner, NMFL Biannual Convention, Labor Unity Table Education, Legislative Recap, Moral Mondays Recap, Future of Moral Mondays, Los Alamos Police Unionizing, $70K for All

Fast Track Event, April 18

What: Event to fight Fast TrackWhen: Saturday, April 18, 1 to 3 pmWhere: Tractor Brewing, 1800 4th St. NW, AlbuquerqueRSVP: NMFL 505-262-2629For more info: call 505-262-2629 or go to www.aflcio.orgFast Track trade promotion authority will hurt America. It is a license to continue the same failed trade and economic policies that leave working people behind. Our unions and allies are fighting Fast Track. Help us stop these bad trade policies.

There will be free food and music!

All-Labor "Thank You" Bus Tour, April 22-25

Even though we were under constant attack in the legislative session, our good allies—and even some unexpected friends—really stood strong for us. They deserve our thanks, and we're doing just that with an all-labor "thank you" bus tour, starting Wednesday, April 22nd, and ending at the Democratic Party of New Mexico State Central Committee meeting. Here are the tour stops. If you can be there, please do so to let our allies know they're appreciated. Plus, we'll have great food at each stop!

Wednesday, April 22

Grants: Noon-1:30 pm, at Smith's, 700 Roosevelt Ave.

Gallup: 3 pm, at Safeway, 980 North Highway 666

Thursday, April 23

Silver City: 8 to 10 am, at Western New Mexico University, 1000 W. College Ave. (exact location TBD)

Deming: 11:30 am to 1 pm, at site TBD (possibly near DOT yard)

Las Cruces: 5 to 7 pm, at site TBD

Friday, April 24

Los Lunas: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, at Smith's, 2580 Main St. NE

Saturday, April 25

Albuquerque: 7 am to 1 pm, at Valley High School, 1505 Candelaria NW

Monthly Food Bank, April 24

What: Labor Mobile Food PantryWhen: Friday, April 24, from 11 am to 1 pm (volunteers, please come at 10 am)Where: parking lot of IBEW 611 Union Hall, 4921 Alexander NEWho: Sponsored by NMFL and Central New Mexico Labor CouncilFor more info: Contact Mike Swisher at mike.swisher@uwcnm.org

Workers Memorial Day Event, April 28

What: Workers Memorial Day CeremonyWhen: Tuesday, April 28, 5:30 to 6:30 pmWhere: Workers’ Memorial Park, NE Corner of San Mateo and Aspen, AlbuquerqueSponsored by: Central New Mexico Labor CouncilJoin us in commemorating lives lost to workplace injury or illness and to create awareness for the importance of workplace safety.

Refreshments will be provided.

Click HERE to download Workers Memorial Day material from the AFL-CIO.

First Annual Santa Fe Labor Film Festival, May 1-3

What: Santa Fe Labor Film FestivalWhen: May 1-3, with a gala event Friday, May 1, at 5 pmWhere: Center for Progress & Justice, 1420 Cerrillos RoadFor more info and schedule: email sflaborfilmfestival@gmail.com or click HERE

From China to Russia to Europe and Central America, International Workers Day is one of the biggest—if not the biggest—holiday of the year. The AFL-CIO is trying to make it big in the United States as well. We’re stepping up with our first annual Santa Fe Labor Film Festival, which is being helmed by NaNi Rivera.

SFLFF is a part of the Global Labor Film Festival and is dedicated to providing the community with films, panels, and events that inform, educate, motivate, and celebrate labor through the moving image arts and cinematic world.

Northern New Mexico CLC Officer Nominations Due May 6

What: Nominations for NNM CLC officer electionsWhen: Nominations are due by Wednesday, May 6, the day of the NNM CLC monthly meeting. Elections will be held at the June 3 meeting.For more information or to sumit a nomination: Contact NNM CLC Interim President Tirzio Lopez, at 575-756-4993 or tirziolopez@gmail.com.

NOTE: Only unions who are up to date in their per capita dues will be eligible to vote in the election. To check your status or pay your dues, contact Cathy Townes at town16me@msn.com.

Central New Mexico Labor Council Rank and File Awards Dinner, May 23

What: Central New Mexico Labor Council 13th Annual Rank and File Awards DinnerWhen: Saturday, May 23; social hour 5:45 to 6:30 pm, dinner 6:30 to 8:30 pmWhere: United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local Union No. 412, 510 San Pedro Dr. SE, AlbuquerqueTheme: "Together We Are Stronger"Price: Table of eight $240, individual seats $35. Send your check to Central New Mexico Labor Council (payable to same), P.O. Box 30631, Albuquerque, NM 87190

Keynote speaker: former Land Commissioner Ray Powell

Please send nominations for Rank and File Heroes to Robin Gibson at larobinabq@gmail.com by May 12. Part of the program will be a tribute to the brothers and sisters we lost, both locally and nationally, this past year. Send the names of anyone we should recognize posthumously to Robin by May 1.

NMFL 2015 Biannual Convention, June 12-13

What: NMFL 2015 ConventionWhen: Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13Where: UA 412 Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall, 510 San Pedro SE, AlbuquerqueFor more information: Contact Maxine Velasquez at maxvel3010@aol.com.

Labor Unity Table Rep Will Educate Your Members on "Right to Work"

Labor Unity Table is an initiative to keep ALL unions strong, not just AFL-CIO affiliates. Labor Unity Table rep Doug Gibson is available to give educational presentation to any of New Mexico's unions, making sure that members understand the ins and outs of issues like "Right to Work" and other anti-worker bills so we can continue to defeat them when they come up again in the legislature—and they most certainly will.

We dodged a bullet in this last session, but we can't assume that we'll be so fortunate next year. All working people need to comprehend why they will be hurt if "Right to Work" passes in New Mexico. It's never too early to be proactive on this important subject!

Contact Doug at 505-385-4745 to set up a presentation for your local within the month of April. If you want to schedule a presentation after April, Doug will arrange for someone else to facilitate it for you.

2015 Legislative Session Recap

by Jon Hendry, NMFL President

"From the ashes rose a great victory." Much to my surprise, we managed to fend off all the anti-worker legislation at the legislature this year and even pass a couple of good bills.

It was a month-long prep followed by 60 straight days of high-level, high-intensity politics (especially this year when all of our futures as working people were at stake). At the end of the session, we were getting out of one house at 2 or 3 am and starting at 5 or 6 am in the other. We were sleeping on couches or in our cars so we didn't miss anything.

I have been blessed this year to spend my time with some great union members, officers, and staff from all over the country who came together to help us. It’s a rare privilege to spend so much time with committed trade unionists and receive their support for our programs. We couldn't do it without them.

Finally, our Democratic caucus in both the House and Senate stood strong. By all rights, much—if not most—of the anti-worker agenda should have passed. Lord knows the numbers weren’t on our side. But they stood strong, and we will have multiple chances to thank them between now and the election next year and remember who was there for us.

Reflecting on Moral Mondays

by Chris Saavedra, UFCW, Moral Monday Organizer

I would like to express an enormous amount of gratitude to everybody who lent a helping hand EVERY Moral Monday of the session! They were a lot of fun, and I was lucky enough to hear so many heartwarming testimonies from the most inspirational people of New Mexico.

I thank you all sincerely for everything you've done, and everything you're doing for the immigrants, Voices for Children, teachers, film torkers, the hunger- and poverty-stricken, our beautiful planet Earth, nurses and doctors, and, of course, Labor in New Mexico.

Here's to a fantastic group of Moral Monday'ers! Keep the vision in your crosshairs—we will prevail! Big thanks to Jon, Maxine, and all of IATSE 480 for providing the food, staging, and more.

Going Forward With Moral Mondays

by Jon Hendry, NMFL President

While the figures aren't in and the final costs not yet calculated, it's already apparent that our efforts to establish a weekly progressive event on the Mondays of the session has been a success in terms of attendees and impact on the discourse and dialogue. The citizen lobbyists attracted by the gathering have quickly become a fixture and legislators now ask us the theme for each week.

My plan is to form a committee of interested partners to carry this forward so the burden of organization isn't solely ours. However as there's only three Mondays next year, I would like us to choose the themes before passing on the torch.

I would be remiss in touting the success of the events without thanking the staff and volunteers who made it possible particularly Chris Saavedra, from UFCW, who not only embraced the idea but worked diligently to make sure it all came together. When we return to the Capitol in the years to come to attend the Moral Mondays, we will remember that this wouldn't have happened without our vision and the work of Chris and his team.

Los Alamos Police Have Unionized

by Carol A. Clark for LA Daily Post

Voters sent an overwhelming message to unionize the local police department duringTuesday's International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) Bargaining Unit election held 4-7 p.m., in the Boards & Commissions Room at the County Municipal Building.

Nineteen voters cast yes ballots and one voter cast a no ballot. There were two additional ballots that weren't counted because they were sealed in envelopes as provisional ballots from probationary employees. However, those votes were not needed as part of the count because the 19 affirmative votes more than met the 40 percent of 23, or 10 affirmative votes required.

Click HERE for full article.

Seattle CEO Sets $70K Minimum Wage as US Pay Gap Widens

by Alexander LaCasse for Christian Science Monitor

Dan Price founder and CEO of Gravity Payments, started to the company to help reduce credit card transaction fees for small business. Now he is making headlines agin for vowing to raise all of his employees' salaries to $70,000Money can't buy happiness, so the old saying goes, but a certain level of stable income can definitely give one peace of mind. So, what is the threshold to alleviate one's financial concerns: $10 million? $100 million? $1 billion?

In fact, it's closer to $75,000, according to psychologists Angus Deaton and Daniel Kahneman, the latter being a Nobel Prize winner in psychology.

Click HERE for full article.

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