Commentary: LAS CRUCES, N.M. – On Monday, June 11th the Las Cruces City Council will “Review and Discuss” the minimum wage ordinance passed on December 1st, 2014. The review comes six months before the next phase of the minimum wage is scheduled to go into effect.
NM CAFé clergy and community leaders will attend the council Work Session and will be available to give testimony and comment.
Background
In December 2013, NM CAFé faith and community leaders launched their “Raise the Wage Las Cruces” Campaign. Over the course of one year, over 200 community leaders worked on the campaign to raise the minimum wage in Las Cruces. Community leaders met with members of their faith communities to hear the needs of people earning minimum wage, met with elected officials and business leaders, and collected 6,031 petition signatures to place the minimum wage ordinance before City Council and voters on the 2014 ballot.
On September 8th, 2014 City Council voted to approve the ordinance brought to them by the public to increase the minimum wage, with the sole intention of weakening the ordinance and undermining the democratic process thereby preventing a public from voting on the ordinance.
On December 1, 2014 City Council approved an amended minimum wage ordinance raising the minimum wage to $8.40 in 2015, $9.20 in 2017, & $10.10 in 2019; with tipped wages increasing to $3.36 in 2015, $4.70 in 2016, and $5.05 in 2017. This amended ordinance doubled the time frame over which wages would be raised.
WHO: City Council and NM CAFé multi-faith leaders
WHAT: City Council Work Session, Minimum Wage Review and Discussion
WHEN: Monday, July 11th, 1:00 pm
WHERE: Las Cruces City Hall, 700 N. Main Street, Council Chambers