On Monday morning, June 15, 2009 NEA-NM will be among four public employee unions holding a press conference to announce the filing of a Preliminary Injunction against the State of New Mexico to stop the state from forcing more than 66,000 public employees to shore up the state’s budget deficit by paying 1.5% more out of their paychecks to the state for two years.
Union representatives will speak about the details of the lawsuit and explain why the New Mexico and U.S. Constitutions forbid balancing the budget on the backs of public employees. NEA-NM, as well as three other statewide public employee unions, (AFSCME, AFT New Mexico, NEA New Mexico and CWA) are seeking the help of the courts to stop the enactment of a law that would use public employees’ pay to shore up the state’s budget deficit. The state is enacting a law that will decrease the state’s payment into public employee pension funds 1.5% for two years. That cost, over $80 million, is passed directly on to employees who will have to pay for the state’s lost contribution by paying an additional 1.5% into their pension funds. The funding swap violates a number of public employees’ constitutional rights.
The court papers will be filed on Monday, June 15 at 10 a.m. in the Second Judicial District, 400 Lomas NW in Albuquerque following the press conference.
Comments