Daily Lobo new mexico
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Monday, June 17, 2019 | Vo l u m e 1 2 3 | I s s u e 6 8
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
UNMH workers picket for better pay
NMAG: UNM violated IPRA
By Lissa Knudsen & Danielle Prokop
By Makayla Grijalva
@lissaknudsen @ProkopDani A group of University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) workers and their union representatives picketed against the Hospital Wednesday morning. The protesters, around 20 health care employees and representatives from the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, Local 1199, are accusing UNMH management of proposing a new contract they said is worse than their current contract. Media relations for UNMH, Mark Rudi, told the Daily Lobo that the Hospital’s Budget Office could not comment during negotiations, nor could the hospital, according to UNMH policy. “UNM Hospitals continues to negotiatewith the union. We appreciate and value our employees and are dedicated to putting our patients first in everything we do,” Rudi wrote in a statement he provided to the Daily Lobo. Eghe Ehiman, an operating room nurse, picketed on her day off. Ehiman, who has worked at UNMH since 2016 in her current position and previously from 2009 to 2013 said she and other workers believe 1.4% proposed raise is not fair compensation for hospital workers and is undermined by cuts to benefits. “Speaking as a nurse, we enjoy serving the community, we like the experience, we love our coworkers, but fair compensation is due and 1.4% is pretty disrespectful,” Ehiman said. Sharon Argenbright, a registered nurse and the District President of the 1199 Union, said workers are “pissed” about their wages. “People are on a wage scale that
@MakaylaEliboria
Danielle Prokop/ @ProkopDani/ Daily Lobo
Sharon Argenbright, a registered nurse and the District President of the local Union 1199 pickets with University of New Mexico hospital employees over concerns of wages in front of UNM Wednesday morning.
doesn’t make sense. New people are coming in making more than employees with longevity... People are being told if you want to make money at UNM leave and come back because the new hire pay is better,” Argenbright said. In addition to the wage proposals, UNMH is proposing to reduce Friday night differential and on-call hourly compensation, place a cap on vacation time for senior employees, increase requirements to be eligible for bilingual pay compensation and diminish employee discounts in the cafeteria from 30% to 10% off, according to the 1199 Union. The UNMH employee contract is set to expire on June 30. If the contract were to expire, the healthcare workers would continue to be employed under it until a new contract were reached, according to Argen-
UNM: Border fence around campus? Not so fast By Danielle Prokop @ProkopDani University officials said a decision on the proposed campus perimeter fence isn’t coming anytime soon. In addition, the group set to review the proposal doesn’t have all of its members. President Garnett Stokes told the Daily Lobo that the newly announced Campus Safety Council would recommend action on the proposal, but not until the fall semester. “[A barrier] was just one piece of everything we needed to think about, but it got out there as something imminent, and no way is it in that category,” she said. When asked if UNM is taking the proposal seriously, Stokes told the Daily Lobo the decision is still a
long way from being made. “This story got out before we were even seriously considering any of it,” Stokes said. Last week, the Albuquerque Journal reported that an eight to 10-foot tall wrought iron fence encircling Main Campus was being considered by UNM. The estimated cost for the proposed barrier would be $1.6 million dollars, and it was laid out in a 45-page report commissioned by the University. When asked what the direct concerns a barrier fence would prevent, Stokes said they had not developed a specific risk assessment, but she had heard a lot of feedback about the ease of accessing campus. “Our students have expressed concern about their perception of
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Barrier page 3
In this Issue: BRITT: Political Organization rallies for abortion (Page 6)
bright. She added that the workers on the picket line were legally prohibited from striking. "The law won't let us strike, but there are other ways we can turn the heat up on UNMH for the lousy way they treat employees," Argenbright said. In April, UNM approved a 3.1% tuition hike for fiscal year 2019 to assist in paying for a state-mandated 4% increase in compensation for University employees. It is unclear what that means for UNMH employees. A 2012 Albuquerque Journal article said that the University specified that UNMH employees are not considered University employees. The healthcare worker protest comes as members of the UNM faculty are attempting to form a union that does not include HSC faculty, and a month after gradu-
ate-student workers staged a walkout, demanding higher wages. The National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, Local 1199 has two bargaining units at UNMH which represents licensed, technical and professional support — workers such as registered nurses, medical technicians and staff such as housekeeping. Justin Garcia contributed to this article. Lissa Knudsen is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @lissaknudsen. Danielle Prokop is the interim news editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo. com or on Twitter @ProkopDani.
The New Mexico Office of the Attorney General released a letter Friday which informed the University of New Mexico that they are in violation of the state’s “sunshine laws” by withholding documents that should be public information. “We conclude this determination by, yet again, reminding the University that as a public body in New Mexico, it is obligated to provide ‘the greatest possible information’ about affairs to the public,” said Assistant Attorney General John Kreienkamp in the letter obtained by the Albuquerque Journal. “Over the past few years, this Office has repeatedly found the University in violation of IPRA in a multitude of ways.” The letter was written to UNM following their refusal to release documents regarding their accreditation process to the Albuquerque Journal in April. UNM spokesperson Cinnamon Blair told the Journal in an email that the University had a “good faith argument” the documents could be withheld from the public, but in light of the letter from the attorney general’s office, they plan to disclose the documents. This is not the first time the University has found itself in hot water over it’s neglect in releasing public documents. In September 2018, the office of the attorney general released a 32-page report detailing the University’s violations of both OMA and IPRA at the time. Makayla Grijalva is the managing editor of the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @MakaylaEliboria.
NMU falls to Las Vegas By Robert Maler @Robert_Maler New Mexico United notched a huge win in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup over a Major League Soccer opponent on Wednesday, but was unable to carry that momentum onto the pitch against Las Vegas Lights FC. United bested the Colorado Rapids after scoring in extra time to tie the match and eventually won on penalty kicks. They had no such luck on Saturday evening. Las Vegas won in a one-sided affair, as New Mexico was unable to keep pace with the Lights after the scoring began. Both of the squads had decent scoring chances in the early going, but neither was able to seal the deal and pierce the opposing net. United missed a golden opportunity in the 28th minute when Las
Justin Garcia/ @_Just516garc / Daily Lobo
Devon Sandoval covers head during a match against OKC Energy on Wednesday, June 5.
Vegas' goalkeeper left the net in an attempt to snag a loose ball from the air. He was unsuccessful and the goal was left unprotected as the
ball found Devon Sandoval, whose shot attempt just missed finding
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NM United page 6