SANTA FE, NM-Baada ya miaka sita ya kuandaa juhudi, wafanyakazi na watetezi wanasherehekea kusainiwa kwa Gavana Michelle Lujan Grisham kwa Sheria ya Mahali pa Kazi yenye Afya kuwa sheria leo. Kuanzia Julai 1, 2022, wafanyakazi nchi nzima wataweza kupata saa moja ya likizo ya kulipwa kwa kila masaa 30 ya kazi na hadi masaa 64 kila mwaka.

Muungano wa likizo ya wagonjwa wa kulipwa unawashukuru wadhamini wa muswada huo, Reps. Angelica Rubio, Christine Chandler na Patricia Roybal Caballero na Sens. Mimi Stewart na Linda Lopez, kwa kuwa mabingwa wa kweli kwa wafanyikazi wa New Mexico, na Gavana Michelle Lujan Grisham kwa msaada wake.

Wafanyakazi wamekuwa wakipigania sheria hii kwa miaka mingi, wakishiriki hadithi za kibinafsi na wabunge juu ya kulazimishwa kwenda kufanya kazi wagonjwa au hatari ya kupoteza malipo yao. Kama matokeo ya kazi hii isiyo na kuchoka, likizo ya wagonjwa ya kulipwa hatimaye ni ukweli na itafaidika familia zote za New Mexico na jamii. Ushindi huu mkubwa unaonyesha jinsi ilivyo muhimu kwa wabunge kusikia kutoka new Mexicans-watu ambao wanahifadhi mboga, kutunza watoto wa wengine, kuvuna na kutumikia chakula na kuweka jamii zetu kwenda wakati wote wa janga. Wafanyakazi wa New Mexico walijitokeza na kufanya sauti zao zisikike. 

Taarifa hii imesainiwa na yafuatayo: 

• AARP NM
• NM Comunidades en Acción y de Fe (CAFe)
• Kituo cha Sera ya Civic
• El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos
• Enlace Comunitario
• Usawa New Mexico
• Umoja wa Kitaifa wa Wafanyakazi wa Hospitali na Wafanyakazi wa Huduma za Afya Wilaya 1199NM
• Kituo cha New Mexico juu ya Sheria na Umaskini
• Chama cha Familia za Kazi cha New Mexico
• Sauti mpya za Mexico kwa watoto
• OLÉ, Waandaaji katika Nchi ya Enchantment
• Somos un Pueblo Unido
• Wafanyakazi wa chakula wa Marekani 1564
• Mtandao wa Chakula na Kilimo wa Wanawake

Taarifa kutoka kwa wafanyakazi na mashirika kote New Mexico:

Carissa Owen, Restaurant worker and NM CAFe leader, (Las Cruces, NM)
“Paid sick leave is long overdue for New Mexico workers. I have seen restaurants fund expansions, marketing, or new concept rollout instead of investments in their biggest assets: their trained and dedicated workforce. This legislation is necessary for the restaurant industry to take employee health seriously.”

Rosa del Carpio, Worker and El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos member, (Albuquerque, NM)
“I have been working in Albuquerque for almost 15 years without access to paid sick leave. I tested positive for Covid-19 after having to risk going to work to put food on the table. I was worried about getting tested in the first place for fear that a positive test result would force me to quarantine without any income in order to survive. What I feared most as a single mother was infecting my nine-year-old son. Thousands of workers around New Mexico find themselves in situations similar to mine. Having access to paid sick leave is not only a racial justice issue: it will save the lives of workers and families in our communities.”

Marshall Martinez, Director of Equality New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM)
“Paid sick leave is critical for LGBTQ New Mexicans. Queer and Trans people work hourly jobs disproportionately and already face extreme systemic barriers to healthcare. HB 20 helps with one of those barriers and will help provide LGBTQ New Mexicans the opportunity to be able to afford the time off to see our healthcare providers.”

Stephanie Welch, Director of Workers’ Rights at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty (Albuquerque, NM)
“No one should have to choose between a paycheck and protecting their and their loved ones’ health. Yet half of New Mexicans who work for private employers have to do exactly that because their employer does not provide paid sick leave. This law will ensure that workers get this basic right. We thank the workers from across the state who spoke out and advocated to legislators, and who won this victory.”

Anamaria Dahle, NM Working Families Party member, (Albuquerque, NM)
“Earning paid sick leave will allow me to obtain treatment to heal my injuries inflicted by my ex-husband over a decade ago. I will also be able to keep up with my doctors’ appointments for my autoimmune disease. So often, single parents’ health is put on the back burner. Thank you for passing HB 20.”

Iman Andrade, OLÉ member, (Albuquerque, NM)
“For me, winning paid sick leave means a safer workplace for me and my coworkers. This means people can actually stay home if they have COVID and not spread it to others. Workers need paid sick leave regardless if there is a pandemic. We can keep people safe from spreading colds and flus, especially in the restaurant and grocery industry. Our workforce is going to be much safer and I am so excited that HB 20 has passed the Senate.”

Bellanira Lozano, Somos Un Pueblo Unido member, (Santa Fe, NM)
“I am a single mother of four children and a domestic worker who takes care of elderly people in Santa Fe. The pandemic hit my family hard. We all got sick and didn’t get paid. This law means families like mine won’t have to decide between getting paid or going to work sick. It’s a tremendous victory for New Mexico’s workers.”

Oriana Sandoval, CEO of Center for Civic Policy, (Albuquerque, NM)
“Today we celebrate the passage of House Bill 20–a statewide Paid Sick Leave program for New Mexico workers. This legislation sends a clear message that families shouldn’t have to worry about shattering their family budget and getting buried under healthcare costs because they can’t afford to lose a day’s pay. We look forward to Gov. Michelle Luján Grisham signing this bold policy into law to take a step forward in ensuring New Mexicans have access to every resource they need to overcome the current pandemic and regain their stability–ensuring the success of our children and future generations.”

James Jimenez, Executive Director of New Mexico Voices for Children (Albuquerque, NM)
“Paid sick leave has long been a missing piece of the child well-being puzzle in New Mexico, with about half of our workforce lacking this basic benefit. The COVID-19 crisis has made this need even more critical, as families have suffered with the health impacts and the loss of job security and wages. The passage of this bill is a watershed moment for kids in our state and will go far in ensuring New Mexico parents and their families have the opportunity to live healthy lives and continue to contribute to a strong recovery. We applaud the Legislature for boldly rising to the greatest challenge of our time to secure this long-needed policy that will benefit the health and economy of our state.”