City Stands with Service Workers, Pushes to Modernize Minimum Wage

Mayor Tim Keller, City Councilor for District 6 Nichole Rogers, City Councilor for District 7 Tammy Fiebelkorn, and local advocates joined together to outline the importance of modernizing Albuquerque’s minimum wage ordinance so that workers don’t get left behind. The City has introduced legislation, and as is, it would ensure that Albuquerque’s minimum wage adjusts and increases as costs do.  

“We’re standing with workers, fighting for the folks who serve food to put food on their table,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Especially now, with prices putting a strain on all of us, it’s important that we stand with workers and don’t play politics with people’s pocketbooks.”  

There have already been attempts from some City Councilors to go the opposite direction and cut wages for tipped service workers like servers and bartenders, taking money out of the pockets of employees and families who depend on these jobs, as well as a calls to withdraw the proposal. The City is encouraging the community to speak up and urge Council to pass the legislation as is, without any amendments that would put working families in limbo. 

"This is about securing our minimum wage and strengthening enforcement so that workers take home the pay they deserve," said Councilor Nichole Rogers. "That's why we brought this bill forward, and we'd like to see it passed as is to help us protect our city's workers." 

"Frontline workers are very important to our community, and we want them to know that we support them," said Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn. "We know that it's only getting harder to make do on minimum wage, and now more than every we need to support hardworking families and protect their wages."