Fired AG employees still fighting for their jobs

SANTA FE – A group of lawyers and others axed by the Attorney General’s Office when Hector Balderas took over has spent the past few months quietly fighting the dismissals.

Nearly 20 of the ex-employees have been pursuing appeals through the state personnel system, making a novel argument – unsuccessfully, so far – that they’re entitled to the system’s protections.

They’ll get another shot at it this week, when a hearing is scheduled before an administrative law judge for the state Personnel Board.

The crux of the case: whether workers at the Attorney General’s Office are what’s called exempt employees, or whether they’re considered classified employees, covered by the Personnel Act.

Read more: http://www.abqjournal.com/596793/news/fired-ag-employees-still-fighting-for-jobs.html