Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), foreground, speaks in support of a $10.10 national minimum wage at a news conference at Focus Ink on Tuesday. Americans United for Change, an income equity advocacy group visited Albuquerque as part of the “Give America a Raise Bus Tour.” Other speakers included Nancy Denker, owner of Focus Ink, Carter Bundy, political and legislative director of the New Mexican council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and Juan Certain, co-owner of The Brew coffee shop. Certain and Denker both said they are committed to paying their employees a living wage and hiring locals. UNM student and member of Working America’s New Mexico group Israel Chavez spoke about his years working in restaurants and the positive social and economic effects predicted by proponents of the wage increase. Many of the speakers stressed that a living wage is not only an economic issue, but one of human rights and a moral issue for America. Bundy and Lujan Grisham both called on Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) to support legislation for an increase to the U.S. minimum wage.
