KGLP Podcasts

Biden-Harris Administration Leaders Visit New Mexico, Highlight New Investments into Green Energy Industry in NM

On Thursday, August 25, several leaders from the Biden-Harris administration visited Farmington, New Mexico, to highlight how historic investments from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will address legacy pollution, invest in new clean energy projects, and lower energy costs for working families.

We hear from the following:

• Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland  
• Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese 
• Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk

Discussion of August 2022 wage theft case with SOMOS clients awarded damages

KGLP Station Manager Rachel Kaub speaks with the plaintiffs and SOMOS un Pueblo Unido New Mexico attorney regarding an August 2022 wage theft case, recently awarding two workers who were not paid, or paid fully, by a Gallup employer.

--- Press Release, with link to video of 8/17/22 Press Conference in Gallup ---

Gallup Judge rules in favor of workers not paid for hours worked at Farmington restaurant.  Video of the bilingual press conference may be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrjdo8wEu6c

Gallup, NM -  August 17, 2022 - On Thursday August 4th, a state District Court judge ruled in favor of two Gallup workers who were not paid for all their hours worked at a local restaurant and ordered they be paid more than $116,000 in unpaid wages and damages.

Jose "Pancho" and Sandra Olivas, Gallup residents and members of the Somos Un Pueblo Unido in McKinley County, worked for Morgan Newsom, a Gallup business owner at his Farmington restaurant in 2014 and 2015 for more than six months and were not paid for all their hours, including overtime hours.

Following a trial that was held last March, 11th Judicial District Court Judge Robert A. Aragon found both Mr. and Mrs. Olivas’ were individually owed wages for more than 800 straight-time hours and more than 900 overtime hours. Judge Aragon ordered the Olivas’ be paid for their unpaid wages, plus interest and treble damages– or an additional amount equal to twice their underpaid wages– as dictated by New Mexico wage laws.

"This decision is a victory for workers across the state and it shows employers that we cannot be exploited. If we all come together as a community we can hold them accountable to follow the law and pay our hard earned wages. " said Jose "Pancho" Olivas.

Newsom hired the Olivas’ to remodel and run 505 Burgers, his Farmington restaurant, in 2014. Mr. Olivas was sometimes paid for his hours worked, but Mr. Newsom frequently failed or refused to pay Mr. Olivas’ for all of his wages; Mr. Newsom never paid Ms. Olivas for her hours worked. During their employment, they both worked between 70 to 100 hours per week, seven days a week.

"This decision sends a message to other employers who do not pay workers their duly earned wages, they run the risk of owing workers much more than just their unpaid wages,” said Gabriela Ibañez Guzmán, staff attorney with Somos Un Pueblo Unido's Worker Center and co-counsel in the lawsuit against the NM Department of Workforce Solutions.

Pancho Olivas is also the lead plaintiff in a statewide class action complaint against the NM Department of Workforce Solutions filed in 2017 for not adequately enforcing wage and hour laws. The 2017 class action lawsuit resulted in a 2018 settlement agreement between workers and workers' rights organizations and the Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS) to ensure the state government will carry out its duty to enforce New Mexico's strong anti-wage theft laws and hold employers accountable when they violate these laws.

“After everything we suffered, justice triumphed. We want our story to serve as an example that we should not remain silent or fear retaliation. We have to remember that there are many organizations like Somos Un Pueblo Unidos that can help us and give us the support to fight for our rights.” Said Sandra Olivas. “That is why we must continue the fight and not only demand that our simplest rights be protected, but demand more from our governments and the people who make the decisions.”

The case,  Olivas v. Serna , was filed in January 2017 by four victims of wage theft, including the Olivas’, and workers' rights organizations Somos, El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos, New Mexico Comunidades en Acción y de Fé (CAFÉ), and Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLÉ).
                           
View the bilingual press conference (en Español y English) on YouTube, at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrjdo8wEu6c

Links:

Final court order:    https://files.constantcontact.com/b6dfe469001/4e361585-8120-40c0-aefa-b2a8ffbb27cd.pdf?rdr=true
Olivas' statements:  https://files.constantcontact.com/b6dfe469001/ad57ef3e-2dff-4191-9566-2807ecd71aaf.pdf?rdr=true

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Somos Un Pueblo Unido  is a statewide immigrant-based civil and workers' rights organization with membership teams in eight counties and offices in Santa Fe, Hobbs and Roswell.

New Mexico impact of federal Inflation Reduction Act, pending as of August 12, 2022

On Friday, August 12, 2022, at 11:30 a.m. MDT, U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (N.M.-03)  and Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)  held a virtual press conference to highlight how the Inflation Reduction Act would impact the lives of all New Mexicans.

During the press conference, Reps. Stansbury and Leger Fernández outlined the Inflation Reduction Act's historic investments in climate, clean energy jobs, and lower costs for health care and prescription drugs that are headed to communities across New Mexico.

You may watch the full video of the Aug. 12 press conference at:

  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LeKkyHEkDYlhD6lGhNQCJXg_Wlvwx3qi/view 

The Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial is celebrating its 100th year

KGLP's Emma Farley speaks to Amber Ballenger, the 2021-2022 Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Queen. They discuss the upcoming Centennial Ceremonial Celebration, taking place August 4-14, 2022 in Gallup. More information can be found on https://www.gallupintertribalceremonial.com.

NM DOH COVID update recorded July 14, 2022, airing @ 5pm MDT on 7/16/22

David R. Scrase, M.D., Acting Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Department o will host a remote news conference July 14, to provide an update on the state’s efforts to address COVID-19.

The video of the press conference is available at:

https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh

Gallup July 10, 2022 Community Health Town Hall discusses continuing RMCH issues

Audio from the July 10, 2022 Community Health Action Group's Town Hall, discussing the latest issues threatening local hospital service to the area, including mis-management, financial losses, employees leaving, et. al.

https://www.rmchisourhospital.com/

The Gallup McKinley County Chamber of Commerce has announced a "Meet and Greet" with RMCHCS CEO Robert Whitaker at Sammy C's sports pub, 107 W. Coal Ave., in Gallup, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. MDT, on Tuesday, July 19 (Whitaker is an employee of CHC, which the Community Health Action Group has been critical of, blaming the administration for the departures of many nurses and physicians over the past year as well as for causing the collapse of the Family Medicine Residency Program after only its first year.)

SCOTUS repeal of Roe V Wade = NM reproductive health orgs and State legislators respond

After the June 24, 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision (reversing Roe v Wade), removed the constitutional protections of reproductive rights, leaving laws on such rights to each state, New Mexico Reproductive Health and Justice Organizations and Legislators responded to the SCOTUS decision.

A coalition of New Mexico reproductive health and justice organizations that advocated for passage of the Respect New Mexico Women and Families Act (also known as SB10, the abortion ban repeal) hosted a press conference regarding the SCOTUS decision on Dobbs v. Jackson, and gave context to how this ruling will affect the New Mexico landscape. They were joined by reproductive healthcare champions in the New Mexico House and Senate.

Participating organizations included:

ACLU New Mexico
Bold Futures
Indigenous Life Ways (Executive Director Krystal Curley, Diné)
Forward Together
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains
ProgressNow New Mexico
Tewa Women United
Reproductive health champions in the NM House and Senate

Related:

Biden responds to 6/24/22 SCOTUS reversal on abortion rights, urges voting

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-urges-public-to-vote-after-supreme-courts-abortion-decision/ar-AAYPYx7?li=BBnb7Kz

 

 

 

May 8, 2022 presentation of solutions for RMCH hospital crisis by CHAG

Here is audio from the May 8, 2022 town hall at which the Community Health Action Group, CHAG, a Gallup area community health group, proposed solutions to the RMCH hospital crisis

The hospital may be facing bankruptcy, with less than a week’s cash reserves, following a year of alleged mis-management, including reports of the forced exodus of a dis-proportionate number of health care providers and staff from the organization, and more recently, of grossly in-adequate supplies and unpaid bills.

For more information, you may email:

RMCHisOurHospital@gmail.com 

or you may visit the Community Health Action Group (CHAG) at:

RMCHisOurHospital.org

An hour of audio recorded at the April 25 business healthcare forum that was held at Angela's Cafe, in Gallup, NM, to discuss the ramifications of RMCH turmoil for local entrepreneurs, may now be heard at:

https://kglp.podbean.com/e/gallup-business-owners-healthcare-forum/ (Note that less than one day later, the CFO of RMCH, who spoke in this April 25 meeting, was fired by RMCH - see the editorial, below...)

Letter to the Editor of the Gallup Independent, from CHAG:
 
It is less than a month into the tenure of a “new” chief executive at Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services, and it is clear, with our hospital on the brink of bankruptcy, that CHC (the hospital’s management company) is pushing forward an agenda of destructive, deceitful and hostile leadership, total disregard of patient and community concerns, and crisis profiteering.
In fact, since Mr. Whitaker assumed the title of CHC CEO, communication, transparency and honesty have been even more curtailed:
 
> A report on the financial status of the hospital was not provided to the public during the Board of Trustees meeting on 4/20. 
> The Community Health Action Group has received dozens of urgent, specific first-hand reports of serious supply shortages (e.g., “Not only have we been reusing disposable adult small blood pressure cuffs we now have no Sp02 probes”). Hospital employees are purchasing their own toilet paper, gloves, and medical equipmentand have the receipts to prove it. RMCHCS labeled these reports “misinformation” (4/27 Facebook post). Community members organized to donate 1,200 rolls of toilet paper, 75 pounds of food, 11 reams of paper, eight boxes of nitrile gloves and more desperately needed supplies. Mr. Whitaker’s response? “Donations are not needed as we have all needed supplies” (4/28 Facebook post). 
> At the 4/26 County Commission meeting, CHC and RMCHCS told the County Commission that former CHC CFO Chantelle Venter, a turnover specialist with clearly communicated plans to bring the hospital into solvency, resigned a week prior. The truth is obvious and undeniable: she was fired the day of the Commission meeting and a day after speaking at a community meeting. As seen on video in a 4/27 KOB4 news report, she was escorted from the hospital by security on 4/26. A further clear sign that her departure was sudden and unexpected is that she was scheduled to provide reports during a medical staff meeting on 4/28.
Our community demands a stop to the lies. Our community demands transparency. Our community demands accountability. 
Because we believe these things, the Community Health Action Group is developing a plan for a Management Services Organization to replace CHC, restore the community’s faith in our hospital, and bring the focus back to patient care and community needs.

Our community demands better. 

Community Health Action Group (CHAG)

Dr. Connie Liu 
Rose Eason 
Brett Hartline 
Jaylyn Hinkley 
Sandra Geary 
Dr. Caleb Lauber 
Dr. Kathy Mezoff 
Jean Philips 
Sara Pikaart 
Pam Yardley 
Gwen Wilson

Gallup Business Owners Healthcare Forum

The latest healthcare forum from CHAG, the Community Health Action Group. Recorded at Angela's Cafe in downtown Gallup on Monday, April 25th. Community members discuss how the health of the hospital impacts their business. 

Red Rock String Ensemble’s Farewell Concert

Recording of the Red Rock String Ensemble's Farewell Concert, recorded at the First United Methodist Church on Sunday, April 24, 2022.