Two New Mexico-led initiatives are competing for up to $160 million in federal funding that could create thousands of high-paying jobs and position the state as a national leader in quantum technology and water innovation. The Quantum Moonshot and Energized Watershed projects were named among just 29 semifinalists nationwide in the U.S. National Science Foundation’s […]
Jobs, Workers & Economy
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy, Westside Albuquerque
Intel to cut more than 220 Rio Rancho Jobs
Intel Corp. has told state officials it’s laying off workers at the Rio Rancho plant. According to data from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, 227 positions will be cut by September. Federal and state laws require employers to provide 60 days’ notice in advance of plant closings and mass layoffs. Prior to the […]
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy
NMED fines Utility Block Co. $41K for safety lapses
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) recently cited an Albuquerque-based concrete masonry manufacturer for multiple serious workplace safety violations that exposed employees to potential injury or worse. According to state records, Utility Block Company Inc. was fined a total of $41,384 for the violations by NMED’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB). In December 2024, […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Jobs, Workers & Economy
Tijeras company faces fines after shrapnel exposure incident
An engineering and manufacturing company based in Tijeras is facing more than $12,000 in state fines after a workplace safety inspection uncovered multiple safety violations that exposed workers to flying shrapnel and put them in danger of being caught in moving machine parts. According to records from the New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Occupational Health […]
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy, Pueblos
Cheese plant gas leak hospitalizes 14 workers
A major chemical accident at a local cheese plant that led to the hospitalization of more than a dozen workers has landed a local company in hot water with the state. Last month, the New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB) cited Southwest Cheese Company for five serious violations following a […]
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy, Pueblos
New Mexico grocery workers win wage increases, better benefits in new contracts
Union officials announced Friday that grocery workers across New Mexico have ratified new four-year contracts with Albertsons and Smith’s Food and Drug Stores, securing wage increases and stronger benefits. The agreements, approved by members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1564, cover approximately 3,700 workers statewide — 2,500 at Smith’s stores and 1,200 at […]
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy
Dental office fined for vaccine refusal documentation, training lapse
A Sunland dental practice was recently penalized by the state after inspectors found that employee training on bloodborne pathogens wasn’t up-to-date, and the company failed to document that an employee had declined a vaccine. According to state records, some Sunland Dental employees failed to complete the state-required annual bloodborne pathogen training. The training is done […]
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy
Las Cruces firm accused of defrauding veterans
A lawsuit against a Las Cruces-based company for deceptive practices and illegal business operations is gaining steam as state prosecutors look for more victims. In April, the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) and Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit in Las Cruces against Disabled Veterans Consultants, Inc. (DVC) for unlawfully charging veterans for […]
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy
Nursing home sued for age discrimination
A federal civil rights agency recently filed a lawsuit against an Albuquerque-based local nursing facility, alleging that it discriminated against older workers, subjected them to harassment and then retaliated against employees after they raised concerns. The lawsuit, filed in June by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against South Valley Care Center, claims that […]
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy, New Mexico Statewide News
Green chile worker ‘caught’ in machine
A worker injury at one of the state’s largest green chile producers highlights the life-threatening consequences that can occur when companies ignore safety regulations. Young Guns Chile Co. was recently cited by the New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB) for failing to follow safety regulations, resulting in a serious injury […]