(SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO) - Staff at the New Mexico School for the Deaf (NMSD) have joined American Federation of Teachers AFT New Mexico, forming a wall-to-wall Union at the Santa Fe campus. 

The New Mexico School for the Deaf Faculty & Staff Association Bargaining Unit includes all Workers, from Educators to Bus Drivers to Administrative Secretaries and more.

The New Mexico State Public Employee Labor Relations Board ratified the results of a Union Card Check and the Union has described the organizing process as a “relatively amicable” one.

The Workers who staff the school - which serves students from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th Grade - united over the need to secure wages that keep up with the high costs of living in Santa Fe, AFT Officials said.

Funding for the institution comes from the State, but unlike other public schools, the NMSD doesn’t get money on a per-student basis.

So, if the New Mexico Legislature passes a raise for Teachers, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Staff will receive a pay increase.

Members are hoping that with their Union, they can better negotiate for transparency and consistency in their salaries and benefits.