Snag in fight for minimum wage hike

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - There is a big hiccup with the push to increase the minimum wage in Albuquerque.

Wednesday city councilors were expected to vote it down, which would have sent it to the November ballot. But a small typo might keep that from happening.

A group called Ole has been pushing for the wage hike from $7.50 to $8.50 an hour. They got more than the 12,000 signatures needed to push it forward. It was supposed to go before the council Wednesday, but the way the proposal reads employees would have to pay employers for the increase.

Now groups opposed to the hike say that makes it invalid.

"No one, not even the 12,000 people who signed the petition would want an invalid document like this to move forward," said Chamber of Commerce President Terri Cole.

Cole has maintained the increase would hurt businesses in the Albuquerque area.

But struggling students like Madison Glover say the increase would help people like her survive financially.

"It's not easy. At this point I'm finding that rent is usually 70 percent of my income, " Glover said.

Late Tuesday, city councilors told KRQE News 13 the issue will likely have to go to court before the council can vote on it.

Members of Ole say they plan on having an attorney present at Wednesday's council meeting, and they play to move forward with the wage increase.