CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE

City Council
P.O. Box 1293
Albuquerque, NM 87103
Tel: (505) 768-3100
Fax: (505)768-3227
www.cabq.gov/council

Ken Sanchez
District 1

Isaac Benton
District 2

Klarissa J. Pea
District 3

Dan Lewis
District 5

Diane G. Gibson
District 7

President Rey Garduo

District 6
Vice President Brad Winter
District 4
Jon K. Zaman
Council Director
Trudy E. Jones
District 8

Don Harris
District 9

August 6, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Councilor Klarissa Pea, 503-5490
Councilor Isaac Benton, 553-5675
Councilors Pea and Benton release statement on Fair Work Week Act
We introduced the Albuquerque Fair Workweek Act to help protect Albuquerques workforce and to
strengthen our economy by allowing working people to have the flexibility to work hard, be healthy,
care for their families, and get ahead. We know, as does Albuquerques business community, that
flexibility and predictability in the workplace are critical to employee happiness and productivity.
When we were approached by advocacy groups to sponsor fair work week legislation, they were also
considering a ballot measure. We saw this as an opportunity to develop legislation that would be fair
to employees and employers alike. Since the bills introduction, weve spoken with many of business
and employee groups, and we have listened. We prepared a new, simplified version of the bill with
significant revisions and improvements.
We believe the essential provisions of the Act are fair and common sense policies that address realworld problems facing the hundreds of thousands of working people in Albuquerque. We also
understand, as some apparently do not, that the legislative process is one in which a bill like this is
revised and improved based on comments and suggestions from all stakeholders.
Despite our having made clear that we were working on a substitute bill and have been listening to
the concerns of business people, the Mayor recently promised to veto the legislation. The Mayors
pronouncement, as well as the calls to stifle debate on the bill, are an affront to hundreds of
thousands of working people in Albuquerque. They indicate that employees health and welfare are
not important enough for some to buck the concerns of special interest groups and work with us on
this important legislation.
While we are withdrawing the bill at this time, we remain committed to addressing the need for
predictability in workers schedules, for their benefit and that of the employer. We also strongly
believe that ensuring accrued sick leave and adequate rest between work shifts will protect the health
of the workplace and the general public. Outdated labor practices are obstacles to creating an
economy that works for everyone.
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