COVID-19 Response: Essential, Just Not Paid Like It
In episode 43, we talk about how not everybody’s at home waiting out the pandemic. We hear from people around the state who are still employed and in public—but who don’t make a lot of money—about their working conditions, their support from their employers and their fears about the virus.
Reporter Yasmin Khan spoke with Teresa Ultreras, who works in a grocery store bakery, and Lucy Hernandez, who works in child care. KUNM’s Nash Jones reached out to Liz Coyle, the head cashier at a Sprouts in Las Cruces and to Dorian Jude, who works in auto glass repair, also in Las Cruces.
We also hear from Marcela Diaz, from Somos un Pueblo Unido, Marian Mendez-Cera from El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos and Stephanie Welch from the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.
Special thanks to the KUNM crew for the reporting and editing help on this one: News Director Hannah Colton, reporter Bryce Dix and host / producer Ty Bannerman.
And a news update: In New Mexico, there are 90 more coronavirus patients in hospitals, and 22 on ventilators. The state’s Department of Health says no one in the state died today because of the virus. The total number of cases is at 1,484.
The state Supreme Court rejected a petition to hold the June primary entirely by mail. Though the Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver pointed out in a news release that you can still apply to vote absentee by mail for the next 49 days. And if you want to do that, here’s where you can on the SOS website.
We’re keeping a complete list of the resources and volunteer opportunities that we find for each episode at bit.ly/YNMGhub. And here’s what we got from today.
Resources:
- Have you experienced a short check? Wage theft? You can call the federal Department of Labor: dol.gov, 1-866-487-2365, the state’s Department of Workforce Solutions: dws.state.nm.us, or Albuquerque’s Legal Department: cabq.gov/legal, (505) 768-4500).
- If you’re experiencing discrimination or harassment, you can report it to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: eeoc.gov, 1-800-669-4000, the state’s Human Rights Bureau: 1-800-566-9471, or Albuquerque’s Office of Equity and Inclusion: (505) 768-3307.
- For occupational health and safety violations, look to OSHA: osha.gov, 1-800-321-6742. Or if you were injured on the job, the New Mexico Workers Compensation Administration: workerscomp.nm.gov, 505-827-3600.
- Or if you experience retaliation for speaking out, the National Labor Relations Board: nlrb.gov, 1-844-762-NLRB.
- The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty can also hear your claims about unsafe conditions and wage theft: nmpovertylaw.org, 505-255-2840
- Workers rights advocates at Somos un Pueblo Unido are ready to help, too: somosunpueblounido.org. They have offices in Santa Fe, Roswell and Hobbs.
- And of course, El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos also helps workers facing exploitation, wage theft, injury … all of it: elcentronm.org, 505-246-1627
- And don’t forget: Here’s where you can register to get your mail-in absentee ballot in New Mexico for the next 49 days.
How are things going for you? We want to know. Share your quarantine stories by calling: (505) 218-7084 and leaving us a message. We could roll them into a future episode.
This segment is part of the “Your New Mexico Government” Project (#YourNMgov), a collaboration between New Mexico PBS, KUNM Radio, and the Santa Fe Reporter. This endeavor is funded by the New Mexico Local Journalism Fund with public media support provided by the Thornburg Foundation.