Gallup Gets a Raise!

From ACORN NM:
Gallup, New Mexico voters approved one of the most aggressive municipal wage hikes in the country yesterday. The measure will give Gallup workers a raise to $6.50 on July 1, $7.00 on January 1, and $7.50 on July 1, 2008.

Election results are still unofficial; final results may not be available until Friday; but, for now, it is clear that both minimum wage measures passed with comfortable majorities. Measure 1, which would have provided an annual cost of living increase in addition to the immediate wage increase, had a higher percentage of yes votes than Measure 2, but Measure 2 will become law because it received a larger total of yes votes.

Whatever the result, Gallup workers are benefitting from the volunteer efforts of the tireless Gallup Campaign for a Living Wage, backed by ACORN, AFSCME, the Central New Mexico Central Labor Council, and the United Food & Commercial Workers.

Their success did not come easily. The City Council reacted in fear to their petitioned proposal and tried to under cut it, but wage supporters changed the power dynamic in Gallup. Even the Chamber of Commerce, which had fiercely opposed an increase, came out in support of Measure 2. By winning a raise for thousands of Gallup workers, the Gallup Campaign for a Living Wage has helped the struggle for all hard-working New Mexicans and laid the groundwork for other reforms in Gallup.

For more information, contact Matthew Henderson at nmacorn@acorn.org.