UNM graduate student workers and bosses prepare to negotiate yearly raises - Austin Fisher, Source New Mexico
Graduate student workers at New Mexico’s largest university want fair compensation for things like the undergraduate courses they teach, and the millions in research dollars they bring to the budgets of their departments.
Last week, the United Graduate Workers at the University of New Mexico (UGW-UE) filed its intent to begin another round of contract negotiations with its employers at the college, starting with the request for a single worker with a dependent to make a salary that at least meets the federal poverty line, which is $20,440.
During last year’s negotiations, the union won a 6% pay increase for students employed in graduate, teaching and project assistantships across UNM.
But the annual income students get for working at the university is still less than half the local cost of living.
Dominic Oddo, a chief steward for the union and a graduate student in the physics and astronomy department, said another pay raise would help workers match costs of living increases and offer a bit more humanity to student workers.
“We’re trying to buck the idea that graduate workers deserve just subsistence wages and that we’re meant to live on peanuts and Ramen noodles while we’re in graduate school,” Oddo said.
A UNM graduate worker’s average annual income is about $17,500, according to the union’s internal data published in a news release on March 18. The cost of living for a single adult in Albuquerque is $41,641, according to the MIT Living Wage Project.
According to the UNM Basic Needs Project, 29% of UNM faculty and 45% of staff are housing insecure, meaning they don’t have a regular place to stay at night, can’t afford rent, need to move frequently, are staying in motels or on campgrounds, or are homeless.
The survey also found 61% of UNM graduate workers — and fully two-thirds of all graduate workers in New Mexico — are housing insecure.
Many graduate workers also support their partners, children, grandparents or extended family, Oddo said.
Getting to the federal poverty line is “really just a starting point for us,” he said. “We’re looking for much more.”
RAISES VERSUS INFLATION
The union signed its first contract with UNM two years ago. Part of it gives the union the right to bargain with management over compensation, wages and salaries.
Last fall, the union bargained with UNM a second time, and they won a 6% raise.
Consumer prices rose 3.4% nationwide in 2023, and 0.7% since the beginning of 2024, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Oddo said the raise barely matched inflation, and research assistants did not see an increase in their pay.
The University of New Mexico will negotiate with UGW-UE over annual wage increases, Blair said.
“Consistent with that standard practice, the University has already responded to UGW-UE with proposed dates and times,” university spokesperson Cinnamon Blair said. “We look forward to productive negotiations with UGW-UE in the near future.”
UNION FINDS DOORS LOCKED
On March 19, Oddo and a group of union members delivered a letter showing their intent to bargain to university administration officials at the Albuquerque main campus.
The group was first met with some hesitation before it could deliver the letter.
A news clip from KOAT shows that when they reached the UNM Office of University Counsel, staff shut the door on the group as union members waved signs with reasons written down why they need a living wage.
“That was a really embarrassing move for them,” Oddo said. “As soon as they’re confronted with the people who they’re meant to represent and the humans who they claim to serve, they shy away very quickly.”
University Counsel staff eventually opened the door, and the union delivered their notice of intent to bargain.
“We weren’t exhibiting any aggressive behavior whatsoever,” Oddo said. “We weren’t chanting inside the building. None of us were loud or raising our voices at all — and yet, as soon as we walked into the office, they closed the door on us.”
When the union walked over to the Office of Academic Personnel in the same building to update them about their intent to bargain, the doors were locked, Oddo said. The same KOAT report also states the doors were locked.
University of New Mexico officials deny this happened.
“Neither office was locked,” Blair said. “It is standard office practice in OUC to keep the doors that lead to individual offices locked, and ask guests to make themselves known in the reception area.”
Katie Slack is a teaching assistant and steward for the Geography and Environmental Studies Department at UNM. They said a union member called the office to ask to speak with someone, but they refused to open the door and told them to go to the Office of the Provost, further down the same hallway.
Blair said the person who manages the Office of Academic Personnel was not missing – they were not around at the time because they had a previously scheduled appointment.
Oddo said 30 minutes earlier, he had checked to see if doors were open and people were available, and he said they were at the time.
“It definitely made me feel unheard, which is something I think, in general, the union has experienced when dealing with administration,” Slack said.
PART OF A LARGER LABOR CAMPAIGN
After the union delivered the bargaining letter, Oddo said they gave speeches outside the administration building where they talked about the power of collective action, showing the university they are loud and paying attention.
“We can change this university for the better, to work for all of us, in the same way we work for this university,” Oddo said.
The fight for a living wage at UNM is part of a larger campaign for workers to own their labor, take collective action and build power to ensure workplaces are safe and rewarding, Oddo and Slack said.
“All of this has to do with fighting for people to not only survive but to thrive and be able to go home and visit my family, go out to eat, or not stress out about having to make a doctor’s appointment,” Slack said. “Our human rights should extend to being able to support ourselves financially.”
New Mexico’s elections ranked best in the nation — Daniel Montaño
New Mexico leads the nation when it comes to running elections according to a non-partisan index managed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MIT’s Election Performance Index examined a variety of indicators from the 2022 midterms including voter wait times, disability access, voter turnout and registration rates, as well as security measures, post-election audits, and much more.
The land of enchantment achieved an overall rank of 88%, tying with Michigan for the no. 1 spot, and up from 83% in the 2018 elections, when it ranked ninth overall.
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a press release that it’s “an honor” to have the work of New Mexico’s election administrators recognized on a national stage.
She said the state’s success lies in striking a “critical balance between voter access and election security.” She commended the work of the various county clerks and their staffs in working to improve and modernize New Mexico’s election systems and procedures, including a robust online voter information system.
Election administration across the nation improved in the 2022 election compared to previous terms, according to MIT. The average score on the index was 63 % in 2010 and rose to 80% in 2022. MIT’s Election Lab said the major drivers of this trend has been better data collection and handling, and more effective online voter resources.
More data and information on methodology is available on the EPI’s website.
State orders insurers to help health care providers after cyberattack – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
Following cyberattacks on a health care technology giant, New Mexico officials are ordering insurance providers to streamline claims processes for small New Mexico health care providers.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Superintendent of Insurance Alice Kane has ordered insurance companies to suspend prior authorizations, avoid denying claims retroactively because of problems caused by the attack, and to waive policies that require providers to submit claims within a certain timeframe.
The state is also requiring insurers to waive deadlines for claims and appeals submitted by small and independent providers after February 21st, which was the day the attack was discovered.
Many providers use the services of the company targeted in the attack, Change Healthcare, which handles nearly half of all medical claims in the country.
The American Hospital Association called the cyberattack “the most significant and consequential incident of its kind against the U.S. health care system.” The association said the disruption from the attack made it harder for hospitals to provide care, submit insurance claims and get paid.
APS wants your input on how your kid’s school is doing - Rodd Cayton, City Desk ABQ
This story was originally published by City Desk ABQ.
Albuquerque Public Schools wants to know how it’s doing.
The district is collecting responses from APS families to its Quality of Education and Family Engagement Survey through March 29.
The annual survey, required by the state, seeks input on school safety, technology, school buildings, learning, extracurricular activities, staff attentiveness, and more.
The survey is anonymous, permitting families to share their true thoughts and opinions. The district uses survey results to make meaningful improvements, according to a press release “The results of the survey are used by school administrators, district administrators, and the APS Board of Education as one of multiple measures to ensure that the perceptions of parents/guardians around school climate and culture are measured on an annual basis,” said Chris West, executive director in the office of accountability and reporting.
The district says families should receive an email from their schools inviting them to complete the survey, and they are encouraged to fill it out right away. They are asked to submit a response for each child enrolled in an APS school.
“For example, if you have two children, please take the survey twice – once for each child, even if they attend the same school,” the release states.
The survey is available in both English and Spanish. In addition to accessing the survey via links provided by schools, families can also access the survey directly from the APS homepage.
Survey results will be posted on the APS dashboard in a box labeled “family engagement” by the end of the school year.
West said the survey aligns with community engagement priorities outlined in the district’s Emerging Stronger strategic plan.
Friday, March 29 is the last day to respond to the survey, available here.
Prosecutors charge a South Carolina man with carjacking and the killing of a New Mexico officer - By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
A South Carolina man has been charged with two federal counts stemming from the killing of a New Mexico state police officer, federal and state prosecutors announced Friday.
An unsealed criminal complaint charges Jaremy Smith, 33, with two counts: carjacking resulting in death and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Smith was shackled and wearing a hospital gown and pants during his initial court appearance Friday. His left arm was in a sling and a public defender asked the judge whether the defendant could remain seated, as he was in pain from the injuries suffered during his capture.
The judge ordered Smith held in federal custody and set another hearing for next week.
Alexander Uballez, the U.S. attorney in Albuquerque, thanked the gas station clerk whose tip lead to Smith being captured, describing her as "a brave civilian working a normal job 100 miles away from a terrible crime."
"I want members of our community to remember that last weekend's tragedy was bookended by hope, by strangers doing the right thing for people they've never met," he said.
Uballez declined to answer questions about Smith's movements from South Carolina to eastern New Mexico or how he got to Albuquerque after allegedly gunning down the officer before dawn on March 15.
Smith was captured by sheriff's deputies following the gas station clerk's tip. He was chased on foot and wounded by gunfire after he reached for his waistband as officers closed in, according to the criminal complaint. Authorities found a 9mm pistol nearby. Smith was taken to a hospital for treatment, where he had remained under guard for several days.
South Carolina authorities also have identified Smith as a person of interest in the killing of a paramedic there whose stolen car was involved in the killing of the New Mexico officer. Charges have yet to be filed in that case.
State Police Officer Justin Hare was dispatched about 5 a.m. on March 15 in Tucumcari to help a motorist in a white BMW on Interstate 40, authorities said.
Hare parked behind the BMW and a man got out, approached the patrol car on the passenger side and then the two began talking about a flat tire, the criminal complaint states. The officer offered Smith a ride to a nearby town because no repair shop was open at that hour and after the officer asked Smith to walk in front of his patrol vehicle, gunfire erupted.
Authorities said Smith then got into the driver's seat of the officer's vehicle and drove away with the officer still inside. The duress signal on the officer's radio had been triggered and other officers responded.
State Police later learned the BMW had been reported missing in South Carolina and belonged to a woman who was killed there — Phonesia Machado-Fore, 52, a Marion County paramedic.
Authorities there found Machado-Fore's body Friday evening outside Lake View in neighboring Dillon County. The coroner said earlier this week that Machado-Fore died from a gunshot to the head fired by someone else. No other details from her autopsy were released.
Smith has been assigned public defenders who had yet to speak on his behalf Friday.
Authorities have said Smith had ties to New Mexico, having spent time there in the past, and had a long criminal history.
A review of South Carolina Department of Corrections records show he spent eight years in prison on charges of attempted armed robbery and hostage taking before being released on parole in Marion County in December 2023. The records also show numerous infractions while he was incarcerated from possessing a weapon to attacking or attempting to injure employees and inmates.
Hare had been with the state police agency since 2018. Born and raised in New Mexico, he is survived by his parents, girlfriend, and their two young children. He and his girlfriend also had a child on the way.
At a vigil in Tucumcari on Wednesday night, about 200 people paid their respects to the officer as state police vehicles flashed their lights and people held candles and cellphones. A funeral for Hare is scheduled for next Wednesday.
No more March Madness for New Mexico as Clemson ousts popular Lobos 77-56 - By Teresa M. Walker, AP Sports Writer
Chase Hunter scored 21 points and sixth-seeded Clemson ended No. 11 seed New Mexico's hopes of repeating the Mountain West's run in the NCAA Tournament, beating the Lobos 77-56 on Friday.
The Lobos (26-10) came in as the Mountain West Tournament champs, a popular pick to be this tournament's version of San Diego State a year ago and favored by 2 1/2 points in this game, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. New Mexico won its league tournament, beating a trio of teams that also earned March Madness berths including SDSU — last year's national runner-up.
"We heard a lot of talk about that New Mexico was going to beat us, but we were just focused on us," Hunter said. "We came out with some fire and intensity. They couldn't handle it in the beginning. We kept it on them. We just kept our poise and our confidence. And we finished this game."
Clemson (22-11) dominated on both ends, leading by 19 points in the first half and 23 in the second. The Tigers also held New Mexico to its worst shooting performance this season — 29.7% from the field and 13% (3 of 23) from 3-point range.
Tigers coach Brad Brownell said his team worked to keep New Mexico from getting to the rim, and Clemson wound up with a 38-28 scoring edge in the paint.
"We were able to play the game the way we wanted to play it," Brownell said. "Getting off to a good start was extremely helpful as well."
New Mexico coach Richard Pitino said he couldn't remember his Lobos making two shots in a row, adding that it felt like the rims were tight.
"Certainly the wrong day to go cold," Pitino said. "We just couldn't make a shot. Clemson had a lot to do with that. They're big, they're disciplined."
The Tigers will play third-seeded Baylor, a 92-67 winner over 14th-seeded Colgate, in the second round Sunday. A Sweet 16 game in Los Angeles awaits that winner on March 28.
Ian Schieffelin had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Clemson. PJ Hall added 14 points despite foul trouble.
Jamal Mashburn Jr., who followed Pitino from Minnesota to New Mexico, hit a jumper in the opening seconds to give the Lobos their only lead. Mashburn missed his final 10 shots and finished with six points.
Jaelen House, the Lobos' leading scorer, fouled out with 12 points. Nelly Junior Joseph had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Schieffelin hit a jumper to tie it up before Hunter's jumper gave Clemson the lead. New Mexico managed a second tie at 4-all.
Then Clemson took over with a 19-2 run and went ahead 30-11. The Lobos pulled within 38-28 on a 3-pointer by House with 1:22 remaining. Clark made a layup, then added a pair of free throws as Clemson took a 42-28 lead into halftime.
Every time the Lobos tried to string together a run, Clemson answered emphatically.
BIG PICTURE
New Mexico: The Lobos had been the betting favorite to make it a full sweep by 11 seeds in the first round. This was the program's 16th tournament berth and first since 2014. They're stuck on eight wins all-time, the last in 2012. ... New Mexico averaged 46% shooting this season.
Clemson: The Tigers came in having lost three of four and now have their first NCAA Tournament win since 2018. ... They had a 16-6 difference in assists and dominated with a 19-6 scoring edge off turnovers.
UP NEXT
Clemson will try to win a second-round game for the first time since 2018.
State Land Office weighs 212-acre South Valley bosque parcel transfer - By Hannah Grover,New Mexico Political Report
While they may not agree about what to do with a parcel of state trust land in the bosque area, nearby residents in Albuquerque’s South Valley say that hunting should not be allowed because the land is an urban environment.
The State Land Office hosted the first of several public meetings on Wednesday discussing the possibility of transferring the 212-acre parcel to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Should that transfer occur, the land would become part of the adjacent Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. This land is currently leased by the City of Albuquerque’s Open Space Division.
Valle de Oro Refuge Manager Jennifer Owen-White said hunting is not currently allowed on the wildlife refuge due to its urban nature. Should the land transfer occur, she said there could be discussions about what level of hunting is appropriate.
State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said recent construction made it easier for hunters to access the state trust land, which is within the boundaries of Rio Grande Valley State Park. Garcia Richard said that led to an increase in hunting in that area.
Hunting is not currently permitted on that parcel, though a future land commissioner could choose to open it up for hunting once again.
One nearby resident described being awakened on a Sunday morning by gunshots and later having an injured goose fall into his yard and die, which his children witnessed.
Owen-White said that the increased hunting led community organizations to approach Valle de Oro about acquiring the land.
Both Garcia Richard and Owen-White said that the meetings are to gather information about what the community wants.
Many of those who expressed opposition to the transfer said they are concerned that including it in a national wildlife refuge could lead to continued hunting.
Additionally, they said the refuge has a hard time enforcing its regulations and that there have been problems with parking impacting the residents. Some also said Valle de Oro struggles with managing the land it already has.
Those in favor of the transfer spoke about the potential development that could occur should it remain state trust land.
The South Valley has had problems with high levels of nitrates in its groundwater. In the 1980s, this led to an infant nearly dying. Dairy farms like the one that eventually became Valle de Oro were one of the reasons the nitrate levels became so high.
That history has some residents concerned about what types of industry might move into the South Valley in the future.
One woman spoke about the guilt she has felt because she consumed that well water when she was pregnant before learning about the nitrate contamination. She described it as poisoning her child.
Garcia Richard said that while it is unlikely that a future land commissioner would allow development to occur on that parcel, it remains a possibility. That could allow for industrial development to occur.
“A future commissioner could do pretty much anything with that land, it could be developed,” she said.
Garcia Richard said the State Land Office has already reached out to Isleta Pueblo to see if it was interested in acquiring the 212-acre parcel and the Pueblo chose not to pursue that option.
The meeting on Wednesday was the first of three public meetings.
The next meeting will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 16 at the Henry “Kiki” Saavedra Community Center at 201 Prosperity Ave. SE in Albuquerque. Those who can’t attend in person will also be able to participate via Zoom.
The final meeting will be from 10 a.m. to noon May 18 at the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. People can also attend that one virtually.
Additionally, the State Land Office is accepting responses through an online survey.