Brian I. Clymer Workers Compensation Law Blog on Lawyers.com

     Currently (as of June 3, 2007) there are negotiations going on between business and labor to increase the average monthly wage for workers in Arizona who are injured on the job in the future. The average monthly wage (AMW) is the wage that is used to calculate the workers' compensation benefits which the injured worker receives. When a worker is temporarily disabled he receives two thirds of his AMW. Thus a workers who made $1,500 per month receives only two thirds of that:  $1,000 per month.

     The current AMW in Arizona is capped at $2,400. This means any injured worker in Arizona who was making over $2,400 per month will only receive two thirds of $2,400 (that is $1,600) if he is temporarily disabled and can not work. This is a real hardship for those workers because their workers' compensation benefits are too little to pay their bills.

     The AMW in Arizona was first "capped" at $1,000 in 1949. The Arizona Legislature has not increased the AMW ceiling to keep up with inflation. For example, according to the consumer price index, $1,000 in 1949 is the equivalent of $8,470.59 in 2006. Yet the maximum AMW in Arizona is just $2,400, and the last increase was in 1999.

     A proposal to raise Arizona's AMW in the Legislature to just $3,500 with a cost of living increase is being opposed by some business interests who like Arizona's low workers' compensation rates.They don't want to increase the AMW unless injured workers agree to give up more rights.

     You can influence this debate in the Arizona Legislature. You can call your state Senator or Representative (you have two of them) and share your thoughts on what would be a fair AMW for Arizona's injured workers. The Legislature's phone number is (602) 926-4221. In my experience, the legislators are glad to hear from people in their districts, so you should feel free to call them. If you don't know who your legislator is, then look on your voter registration card for the number of your Legislative District and tell the person answering the Legislature's phone that you want to speak with the state Senator or one of your two state Representatives from that District. While increasing the AMW will not help workers in Arizona who have already been hurt on the job, it will help protect those who suffer injuries in the future.