Senator, Mujica discuss fair wages in education, health, public safety

By The Star Staff

Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde announced on Thursday that she met with Financial Oversight and Management Board Executive Director Roberto Mujica Jr. to discuss salary increases for workers in education, health and public safety.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the senator reviewed a letter she sent to Mujica three months ago in which she warned that Puerto Rico is likely to face a continued exodus of workers unless a budget plan is established to ensure fair wages in the aforementioned essential sectors.

The meeting occurred at a critical time, as the oversight board currently has only one member following President Trump’s decision this week to dismiss Andrew Biggs after previously dismissing five other members, including the board’s chairman. Álvarez Conde stressed that investing in human capital is vital for families to thrive in Puerto Rico. She discussed issues such as improving retirement systems and the circumstances facing professional services workers, asserting, “We cannot continue wasting money while punishing those who sustain the country’s essential services.”

The senator has introduced initiatives aimed at increasing salaries for both teaching and non-teaching staff. She has also advocated for measures to retain physicians and ensure fair compensation and working conditions for healthcare workers. Additionally, as the minority Popular Democratic Party spokesperson on the Senate Security Committee, she has listened to the concerns regarding firefighters’ retirement and the salaries of correctional officers. Her first resolution aimed to spur the implementation of the approved retirement plan for police officers.

Álvarez Conde also stated her commitment to closely monitoring the actions taken by both the president of the United States and the government of Puerto Rico concerning budget management.

“The composition of the Board may change, but our priorities remain the same: continuity, transparency, and respect for our people,” she emphasized.

The first-term senator concluded by saying, “I have always said that Ada Álvarez Conde is a solution in search of problems; we have many, and we need to work on them.”

“Although I am a minority senator, I am one of 28 senators, and we all have value, we all count, and we all vote,” she added.

The senator expressed her appreciation for the openness to dialogue during the meeting and highlighted Mujica’s acknowledgment that “good ideas do not have a monopoly.”