PELRB Watch and Other NM Labor News

Governor Wins Battle on Labor Board Appointment

The most significant recent PELRB-related news, is that the Supreme Court declined to review District Court Judge Nan Nash's decision that Governor Martinez could appoint the so called "labor representative" upon recommendation of any New Mexico labor organization, not just the biggies, AFSCME Council 18 or CWA Local  7076.  See Albuquerque Journal, Gov. Wins Labor Battle, Mar. 14, 2012.

As readers may recall, I had previously been critical of the underlying reasoning in a state Supreme Court ruling that the Governor's removal power is severely limited as to the PELRB.  See AFSCME v. Martinez, 2011-NMSC-018. To me, the decision appeared

Objection to New Labor Board Member Rejected

I have previously written about the Supreme Court ordering N.M. Governor Susana Martinez to reinstate several members of the Public Employee Labor Relations Board.  I have also written about AFSCME, AFT and other Unions threatening to sue the Governor again for having replaced one reinstated members upon expiration of his latest term.  Finally, however, the Governor appears to have "won" one before the Supreme Court.

PELRB to be Sued Again Soon? And What of the Albuquerque Labor Board?

Today I review events at the State and City of Albuquerque labor boards.

First, the PELRB met again today, this time to discuss the replacement of Juan B. Montoya, who had previously be re-hired in violation of the state anti-double dipping laws.  At the same meeting, the PELRB introduced their newest member, Roger Bartosiewicz, who replaced labor representative John Boyd, whose term ended in June of 2011, as I've written in a previous blog.

ABQ Labor Board -- First Meeting in 16 Months Mostly a No-Go

Today Albuquerque's Labor Management Relations Board was scheduled to meet for the first time since December 2009.  The two sitting members--Justin Lesky, Esq., the labor representative, and Barbara Stephenson, the management representative--did convene the meeting.  However, under the Labor Board's Rules, all three members are required for a quorum, so it could not take any action today, although everyone present was allowed to speak--and speak they did, largely to vent quite a bit of simmering frustration.