Minimum-wage law: Group says officials slow to address criticism

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By Tom Sharpe | The New Mexican
January 13, 2006

An organization promoting Santa Fe's minimum-wage law wants speedier response to complaints about businesses evading the law.

Tomás Rivera, an organizer for the Santa Fe Living Wage Network, told the City Council on Wednesday that he knows of more than 50 such complaints against at least 13 businesses.

"It is possible that these cases have been fully investigated and resolved," he said. "However, we believe that the City Council and the general public have a right to know about the effectiveness of the enforcement of this law."

Rivera declined to name any of the 13 businesses, except the Santa Fe Sage Inn.

Two Sage Inn housekeepers told the council Wednesday they have yet to hear back from the city about their complaints that their employer is improperly avoiding paying the city minimum wage -- $9.50 an hour since Jan 1.

The motel, partly owned by Mayor Larry Delgado's son, David Delgado, maintains it is exempt from the ordinance because it has fewer than 25 employees. Critics say it stays below the threshold by using workers from the Inn of the Governors via a nonprofit called Team Plus Management.

Charlotte Sliva, who manages the Sage Inn through the nonprofit, says the Sage Inn has never used housekeepers from the Inn of the Governors, although she said the two inns have shared other employees for short periods.

However, at Wednesday's City Council meeting, Sage Inn housekeeper Maria Paderes said she had witnessed Inn of the Governors housekeepers working at the Sage Inn.

Paderes said she has yet to hear back from Assistant City Attorney Angela "Spence" Pacheco, who had promised she would have news about the status of the city investigation by last week.Rivera said the city's contract investigator, Gilbert Ulibarri, only began looking into the matter last week.

Pacheco said Thursday that a decision will be made soon on whether to file charges against the Sage Inn.

Another Spanish-speaking housekeeper at the Sage Inn, Noelia Flores, told the council Wednesday that the city needs an organized system to handle complaints about the minimum wage.

Betty Jean Shinas of the city Immigration Committee said immigrants are vulnerable to retaliation when they stand up for their rights. "When they are courageous enough to complain they should be taken very seriously," she said.

City Manager Mike Lujan said Thursday that he is aware of the investigation into the Sage Inn, but not of the other complaints cited by Rivera. He said he wants to discuss these complaints directly with the Living Wage Network.

In the meantime, Lujan said, he has asked Pacheco and Sevastian Gurule, the city employee who hears complaints about the minimum wage, to prepare a report for the mayor and city councilors about enforcement of the ordinance.