Year in review: Right-to-work ordinance garnered attention in 2018

PORTALES — The Roosevelt County Commission considered just four ordinances in 2018, but only one really caught the attention of residents in eastern New Mexico and elsewhere in the state, leading to a pair of marathon public comment sessions.

The debate surrounding the county’s right-to-work ordinance, which says county residents cannot be required to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment, was among the top stories to come out of Roosevelt County in 2018.

The notice of intent to adopt the right-to-work ordinance was first considered by the Roosevelt County Commission on June 26 and the ordinance itself was later approved on July 24, by votes of 4-0 and 4-1, respectively.

Commissioner Dennis Lopez was the lone member of the board not to support the ordinance, first abstaining from voting on the notice of intent, citing a desire for more information on the subject and some advisement from the New Mexico Association of Counties. He later voted to oppose the ordinance due to a lack of local benefit.

Commissioner Matthew Hunton requested the commission consider the ordinance and cited his libertarian beliefs when he motioned to approve at the July 24 meeting, adding that the ordinance “is not a union crusher.”

“I think it’s up to unions to find the value to make people want to join that union and if the value’s not there, I don’t like the idea that money can be stolen out of a paycheck. I just don’t,” Hunton said.

While typically the public comment session before a meeting includes just one or two residents, or is skipped outright because nobody wishes to address the board, both meetings where right-to-work was discussed featured numerous speakers on both sides of the issue.

Four people in favor of the ordinance and seven opposed addressed the commission for just under 30 minutes at its June 26 meeting. That was followed by a 45-minute public hearing held before the commission's Aug. 14 vote, which featured six in support and eight opposed.

Opponents of the ordinance said it would hinder the bargaining power of labor unions to secure better wages and benefits for employees.

“Right-to-work is really a union-busting measure. That's all it is to de-fund unions so they can't do what they do,” said Brian Tremko, a representative of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters.

Proponents said it was unfair for those not wishing to join a union to be charged union dues, also known as “fair share” fees.

“All right-to-work means that unions can't demand you pay dues or join them as a precondition of employment. There’s nothing out there that’s killing unions by preserving workers’ ability to choose whether to join or not join,” said Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation.

Sandoval County was the first county in New Mexico to adopt local right-to-work in January, drawing a lawsuit from the New Mexico Federation of Labor the following month. Roosevelt County was one of eight counties in the state to adopt right-to-work this year, also proceeded by Otero, Lincoln, Chaves, and Eddy, and later followed by Lea and San Juan. Curry County voted against a similar ordinance.

Also in 2018:

• Roosevelt County, like the rest of eastern New Mexico, saw little precipitation to start the year, leading to a burn ban that lasted just under four months, first approved on April 17 and rescinded on Aug. 14.

At the time the burn ban was introduced, Milnesand Fire Chief John Mohon told the commission that the county has lost over 50,000 acres in the last several months from fires.

• Of course as the seasons change, so does the weather, and the county was pounded with rainfall in early September. Amanda Belcher, a farmer and rancher living just north of Dora, estimated 2.5 inches of rainfall within a half hour during a Sept. 3 storm, telling The News that her husband had not seen anything like that at the home in his entire life.

• Stephanie Hicks was appointed county clerk in November. Hicks was the deputy clerk under DeAun Searle, who retired after serving as clerk since December 2013. The position will be up for election again in 2020.

• The Roosevelt County Commission approved salary increases for elected officials for the first time since 2012.

The increase will bring the county sheriff’s annual salary to $65,000 and the county assessor’s annual salary to $60,125 in 2019. In 2021, the county clerk and county treasurer’s salaries will also increase to $60,125.