John, 

As we stand in Solidarity with our Sisters and Brothers at UAW, the support from labor as well as the general public has been overwhelming. Recently, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, representing over 60 unions and 12 ½ million union members of the AFL-CIO, joined UAW members on the picket line, encouraging members to stay strong!

History was made on Tuesday when Joe Biden became the first sitting President to walk an active picket line with striking union members! Supporting union members and ‘walking the walk’, demonstrating again that he has been the most union-friendly, most worker-friendly President that we have had in our lifetimes!

As we continue to see workers all across the country, across demographics, across industries standing up to find and exercise their collective voices, to echo the cry, ‘Ya Basta!’, ‘Enough is Enough!’. Unfortunately, we have also seen a part of the ugly side of strikes. In the last week, there have been at least three separate incidents of violence on the picket line.

At the Flint GM plant, five picketers were hit by a car; in Massachusetts, a State Senator and a striking auto worker were hit by two cars; and in California, a non-union contractor pulled a gun on picketers as he was attempting to leave the plant. At last report, the injuries have been minor. Strikes are not easy and emotions run high, but there is no room for violence, and UAW President Shawn Fain has responded, making it clear that it is shameful, unacceptable, and won’t be tolerated!

Politics aside, the rhetoric being spewed by a sitting congressman, citing Ronald Reagan’s union busting of Air Traffic Controllers in the 80's and saying that striking workers should be fired while at the same time being willing to take a vote to shut down the government, is the height of hypocrisy. What he and all of the other anti-worker union haters should know is that workers will not be intimidated and are no longer willing to accept the continued abuse by the corporate class. They will stand up and speak out to demand fair pay, safety at work, and benefits to take care of themselves and their families. They are willing to fight for the dignity, respect, and justice in the workplace that they deserve, and nothing less!

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita
Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Take part in the Pride Parade! 

Are You 'All In' with UAW Members?

Union contracts for 150,000 International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) members at the Big Three automakers expire Sept. 14. It will take the unity and strength of every UAW member, union, community and political ally to win what autoworkers and every worker deserves. The Big Three have made extreme profits over the past decade. Workers deserve fair pay and the Big Three can afford it. You can show your support.

Tell Congress to Preserve Child Care for Millions of Kids and Parents

Millions of working parents could see their child care programs close if Congress does not act, as child care funding drops off the proverbial cliff.

This would have ripple effects across the economy as valuable workers leave jobs or reduce their hours. As a nation, we already experienced the effects of lost child care back in 2020 and 2021, and there’s no reason to repeat this.

Ask your senators and representative to support the Child Care Stabilization Act, which would fund child care programs for the next five years, increase wages for child care workers, and expand the supply of quality, affordable child care, especially in communities facing shortages.

Arizona Labor Book Club Meeting- October

Unfortunately, our September Labor Book Club meeting will be postponed this month

Join us in October via Zoom for a fun and engaging conversation regarding this month's book, The Great Stewardess Rebellion by Nell McShane Wulfhart, and also vote on November's book of the month!

NEXT MEETING: October 5th, 2023, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Union Events and Action

We want to uplift what you are doing for our members and our community!

Please fill out all the required information to have your Local's event uploaded to our Arizona AFL-CIO website or featured in our next Labor Dispatch. If you have any questions please reach out to Alina Cordoba, Communications & Operations Director at [email protected].

Why Unionizing is Women's Work 

"The 33-year-old is a temp at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne — where she assembles Ford Broncos — a job she started just three months ago. She’s been struggling to make ends meet. Last Friday, her plant went on strike. This week, her car broke down, and she had to borrow money to have it fixed. "

I Lead the Michigan AFL-CIO. Trump Has Never Shown Up for Union Workers

"When Donald Trump’s private jet touches down in Michigan tonight, working people know what to expect from the former president. Underneath his multimillionaire-class status and luxurious private estates, his $100,000 plated Bedminster dinners and Mar-a-Lago golden galas, he’ll claim to lend a hand to working people. It’s the same lie he told us in 2016, when he first ran for president."

Biden Joins Striking Auto Workers on the Picket Line

"President Joe Biden on Tuesday became the first sitting president to join a picket line with striking workers, vividly demonstrating his commitment to labor and its central role in his reelection campaign. The president, donning a blue hat with a United Auto Workers symbol, stood on a wooden platform and used a bull horn to speak to the crowd of union members dressed in red. He was flanked by United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain. "

Thousands of Las Vegas Hospitality Workers Vote to Authorize Strike 

"On Tuesday, they filled the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where members of both the Culinary Workers Union and its sister union, the Bartenders Union, voted by a 95% margin in favor of authorizing a strike if a new five-year labor deal is not reached. "

Wrigley Field Concession Workers Authorize Strike Ahead of Final Homestand 

"In another effort to get a new contract, a number of workers at Wrigley Field could walk off the job this weekend. UNITE HERE Local 1, which represents a number of concessions employees in the ballpark who work for Levy Restaurants, announced that their membership voted by “an overwhelming majority” to authorize a strike ahead of the team’s final regular season series against the Colorado Rockies."

Starbucks Illegally Kept Wages, Benefits from Union workers 

"Starbucks Corp. broke federal labor law when it boosted wages and benefits only for workers in non-unionized stores across the US last year, a National Labor Relations Board judge held. Thursday’s decision from Administrative Law Judge Mara-Louise Anzalone marks the first nationwide ruling against the coffee giant amid its resistance to a unionization wave that began two years ago. Starbucks violated the National Labor Relations Act in August 2022 by lifting wages to at least $15 an hour and providing benefits such as credit card tipping, increased training, and faster sick time. "

On Day 146, Screenwriters Reach Deal with Studios to End Their Strike 

"The Writers Guild of America got most of what it wanted. With actors still on picket lines, however, much of Hollywood will remain shut down. "

Union Gathering Wins as the Movement Gathers Steam for the First Time in Decades

“After years of decline 13 News Reporter Bud Foster is live at a Local Union Hall to show us the impact here in Arizona."

Federal Judge Blocks Arizona Law that 'Disenfranchised' Native Voters 

“A federal judge has blocked a 2022 Arizona law that voting-rights advocates say would have made it harder for some Native Americans to vote. House Bill 2492 required that all registered voters provide proof of a physical address to cast a ballot. But the Native American Rights Fund contends more than 40,000 homes located on reservations do not have a physical address."

289 Heat-Associated Deaths Confirmed by Maricopa County Department of Public Health

“The county reported that 149 of these deaths were heat-caused and 140 of them were heat-related. A total of 262 deaths are still under investigation from the county as of the newest report. That is 94 fewer deaths under investigation compared with the previous report. A heat-related death is defined by the county as a death indirectly caused by heat. A heat-caused death is defined by the county as a death directly caused by heat or heat exposure."

ASU Receives Federal Funding to Build New McCain National Library

“The president visited Tempe after making a campaign stop in San Francisco on Sept. 27 and walking the picket line with striking auto workers in Michigan on Sept. 26. Cindy McCain, the late senator’s wife, introduced the president before he gave the speech at the Tempe Center for the Arts."

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