Jessica Martínez Santos, president of Servidores Públicos Unidos de Puerto Rico (SPUPR), Concilio 95 AFSCME, said Puerto Rico’s Family Department committed $102,400 to 14 call-center service contracts of roughly one month each, and repeated her demand that the governor remove Family secretary Suzanne Roig. Martínez Santos said the key issue is not whether contractors earn $4,000 or $8,000 a month, but that nothing justifies a contract worker earning more than a career employee.
According to the union, documents at the Comptroller’s Office show six contracts of up to $7,360 for services between August 31 and September 30, 2026, plus two more for the same amount covering August 28 to September 30. The union also identified two contracts of up to $8,960 running August 28 to September 30, and four more of up to $6,400, starting between August 27 and 31 and ending September 30.
SPUPR said the amounts are disproportionate to the pay of career employees with years of experience. The dispute arose, per the union, after Roig circulated a message with the department’s logo calling the allegations about contractor pay false. Martínez Santos questioned using public resources to answer the union and insisted the contracts back its figures.
The amounts cited are those in the contracts the union identified, not necessarily payments actually made. The union said Disability Determination Program employees raised concerns with agency management and the Social Security Administration commissioner. A later 2026-2028 contract no longer includes the line item that, in the union’s reading, allowed the higher pay.
SPUPR demanded explanations of how contractors were chosen, the pay differences with career staff and the use of public funds.