CWA Members Take Bargaining Fight to the Governor

On September 19, after a year of stalled contract negotiations, members of CWA Local 7076 delivered a petition, signed by over 1,300 state employees and supporters, to New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's office. Members are demanding "Fair Bargaining Now!" and for the governor to negotiate in good faith on items including cost-of-living raises that keep up with inflation, the ability to work remotely, and safer working conditions and worksites.

Despite multiple attempts, Governor Grisham had not, at that point, agreed to an in-person meeting. Members repeated their request for a meeting to staff at the petition delivery.

After the petition delivery, the CWA 7076 Bargaining Team returned to the bargaining table. The governor's bargaining team responded to the voices of their workers with the same stall tactics they have been using in lieu of bargaining for the last year. After approximately an hour of unproductive negotiations, the CWA Bargaining team walked out of the meeting to the state capitol, where they once again demanded to meet with the governor or her deputy chief of staff.

Thanks to sustained pressure from members, Governor Grisham contacted the union, which hopes to see progress at the next scheduled bargaining meeting on October 6.

CWA Local 7076 represents nurses in rural communities, scientists protecting local water and air, epidemiologists fighting New Mexico's opioid epidemic, social workers supporting children and families in emergencies, stewards of the state's cultural heritage, and thousands more.

"The state employee vacancy rate has been more than 20% over this governor's term. That means we can't provide the full services New Mexicans need," said CWA Local 7076 President Megan Green. "With the ongoing attack on the federal workforce, it's critical that the state is able to recruit and retain skilled professionals who enable agencies to fulfill their missions."

New Mexico State employees represented by CWA Local 7076 held signs (left) outside the state capitol calling on Governor Grisham to bargain in good faith. New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Steward and Region 1 Vice President Jerome Romero and NMED Steward and Treasurer Anne Keller held a billboard of the petition (right). Both Romero and Keller are members of the CWA Local 7076 Bargaining Team.