Commentary: Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-15-Bernalilo) has introduced legislation to increase the pay of some low paid school district employees to improve their economic circumstances. Currently, the minimum pay rate for school district cafeteria staff, school bus drivers, and all non-certified school personnel and educational assistants is $6.00 per hour. The Ivey-Soto bill, SB 152, will increase wages for these employees to $15.00 per hour and will be heard in Senate Education Committee tomorrow.
“Our school support staff provide invaluable service making sure that our children get to school safely, that they are fed in order to be able to learn, and they assist teachers in the classroom in many critical ways. They perform countless jobs daily to make our classrooms run well,” said Senator Ivey-Soto. “These people should be paid a fair wage for the critical work they do. SB 152 will help. At $15 per hour, an employee who works during the school year will earn about $17,745 annually”
Senator Ivey-Soto also pointed out that paying school workers a fair wage for their important work helps New Mexico’s economy, too. Stagnant wages in New Mexico are a problem for families struggling to make ends meet, and also for the economy as a whole.
“We have a responsibility to address the problem of stagnant wages in New Mexico,” Ivey-Soto said. “Our economy is suffering and we need to focus on increasing wages and creating jobs.”
New Mexico is last in job growth and has the highest unemployment rate in the country. New Mexico lost 1,800 jobs in December down .2 percent while the rest of the country’s employment grew by .21 percent.