john, 

As we celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month this May, we would like to lift up our Sister Jennifer Chau, founder and Executive Director of AZ AANHPI for Equity and AZ AANHPI Advocates. They envision an AANHPI community that is working together to shape its future as a part of the broader racial justice movement and advance their community towards a common purpose of well-being for all.

Jennifer was born in Downtown Los Angeles’ Chinatown and currently resides in Tempe, Arizona. It was her personal experience being born to and raised by Chinese immigrant parents that informs her interests and work today. In her career, she has been involved in and worked with organizations focused on serving the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) community and youth leadership for the past decade.

Here in Arizona, during the 2020 elections, the two organizations used a multipronged voter outreach approach that helped increase AZ AANHPI voter turnout by 58% from the 2016 vote. As a mom to two young girls, she has been motivated to continue her work to ensure that civil liberty and women’s rights are preserved for the future of her daughters and that equity is brought to the AANHPI and BIPOC communities here in Arizona.

Jennifer is continuing the legacy of generational leaders here in Phoenix and throughout Arizona around immigrant and voting rights. An advocate for justice working in a community, the AANHPI community, that has been ignored for far too long!

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

LCLAA Cinco de Mayo Mixer 

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla. It is a symbol of determination against overwhelming odds, and resonates deeply within our Latino communities. To honor this history, LCLAA invites you to join their mixer that will serve as a platform to recognize the struggles and triumphs of Latino workers and to discuss the significant contributions of Latino leaders in our political landscape. 

APFA System-Wide Informational Picketing 

American Airlines Flight Attendants have been working for five years without a renewed contract, and management continues to delay a serious offer to complete negotiations. Last week's hotline highlighted America's latest SEC filing revealing that our CEO has taken a salary increase totaling $31.4 million after the Payroll Support Program (PSP) ban on increased executive compensation expired.

Flight Attendants are the only employees at American Airlines who have not had a raise in the past five years.

Phoenix Event Details:

📆Thursday, May 9, 2024

⌚8:00 AM - 10:00 AM 

📍Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Terminal 4, Level 2, NW end

AFL-CIO Governance, Education, and Training - Spring 2024

Click on the button below to access a list of over ten virtual and in person trainings that the National AFL-CIO is offering this spring! 

No More Stalled Negotiations: Tell Congress to Stand Up for Our Rights 

Over 100,000 Flight Attendants have been in drawn-out negotiations across the industry. But without the credible threat of a strike, management across airlines is perfectly happy to prolong negotiations for years. There have only been two releases from mediation with strike deadlines since 2006, compared to dozens of releases in the 1980s and 1990s.

Tell your Representative in Congress to sign on to a letter that urges the National Mediation Board (NMB) to utilize all provisions of the Railway Labor Act, including "self help" and workers' right to strike at the end of a 30 day cooling-off-period, to help encourage negotiations for a fair contract for Flight Attendants and other aviation workers.   

Ask REI's Board: Will You Agree to Reach a Fair Union Contract in 2024? 

REI is hosting its annual meeting on May 9th, and they set aside time during this meeting to answer questions submitted by Co-op members. This year, they need your support asking REI when they’re going to commit to reaching a deal with workers at union stores. 

The goal here is to have as many Co-op members, customers, and REI Union supporters as possible all submit the same question, as outlined above.

Tell Your Legislators to VOTE NO on HB2274! 

HB2274 deals with creating special tax districts for theme parks and stadiums. These special tax districts can levy as much as a 9% sales tax within the district's bounds, which can be used by developers to recover construction-related debt. Currently, for a development company to get this kind of deal, it would have to get approval from the city that wants to bring this project in. This legislation would remove City input on the ability to approve that surcharge, even if it is fully within that city’s limits.   

How Critical Is the ACP to Americans? 

Access to the internet is crucial in today's interconnected world. The Affordable Connectivity Program has been a lifeline for millions, but its funding is about to dry up in just TWO WEEKS. Without it, many will have to choose between the internet and other essentials. We can't let that happen. Contact Congress today and urge them to fund the ACP to ensure everyone stays connected!

Protect Tipped Workers: Oppose SCR 1040 NOW! 

Tipped workers across Arizona face a critical threat to their livelihoods, and they urgently need your support. SCR 1040 poses a grave danger, casting a shadow over the financial security of these hardworking individuals.

In 2016, voters approved The Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act (Proposition 206), a vital step toward ensuring fair treatment for all workers, including tipped employees. SCR 1040 now looms, potentially eroding the hard-won progress of fair compensation for workers.

We urge you to take action now by writing to your legislators. Stand in solidarity with tipped workers by opposing the SCR 1040. Your voice matters, and together, we can protect the rights and dignity of hardworking individuals who rely on tips to make ends meet.

2024 Legislative Committee Meeting Alerts - AZ AFL-CIO 

Join us every Friday at 9:30 AM via Zoom to get updates and alerts on the 2nd Regular Session of the 56th Legislature. Click on the button below and complete the form. 

For additional questions, contact our Political Director, Joe Murphy at [email protected].  

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].

Alabama Union President Says Out-of-Touch Lawmakers are the 'Real Leeches'

"I’m here to set the record straight as a proud union man born and raised here in Gadsden. My grandfather was a union member, my father was a union member and I was a member of the United Steelworkers for well over 30 years. So, as a third generation factory worker in Alabama who grew up walking picket lines with my dad and listening to my granddaddy’s stories about life before he had a union contract, I can tell you this: these out-of-touch lawmakers who collect taxpayer-funded salaries but don’t lift a finger to help their hardworking constituents are the real leeches."

Prevailing Wages and the City of Tempe

"Last May, Tempe Councilmember Randy Keating proposed that the wages for work done on City construction contracts in Tempe should adhere to a “prevailing wage” standard. The concept of a prevailing wage ensures that contracted workers receive a salary comparable to the standard compensation for similar jobs in their area. "

AFL-CIO Praises Biden Administration for Improving Protections for Farmworkers 

"For far too long, farmworkers have been excluded from many core labor protections, and working people in temporary worker programs are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. This final rule makes important progress in enhancing recruitment protections, empowering workers with information, lifting wages, limiting retaliation, improving safety protections, enabling concerted activity and ensuring employer accountability."

EPA Implements Toughest Restrictions Yet on Use of Highly Toxic Chemical in Paint Stripper 

"The US Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule Tuesday that will end many uses of the highly toxic, cancer-causing solvent methylene chloride. The chemical will still be available for certain purposes, but with new guidelines meant to keep workers safe."

Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Ratify a Contract that Will Raise Pay About 33% Over 4 Years 

"The union said the contract provides record gains for flight attendants and sets a standard for other flight attendants. Cabin crews at United Airlines and American Airlines, which are represented by other unions, are still negotiating contracts."

Striking Seattle Electrical Workers Demand Better Pay, Improved Safety 

"This is the first time the union, which has more than 1,000 members, has gone on strike in several decades. Unit members are asking for better compensation and wages that keep up with the pressures of inflation. They are pushing for a 27% wage increase over the next three years. The NECA has countered with a proposed 15% wage increase."

Tractor-trailers with No One Aboard? The Future is Nar For Self-Driving Trucks on US Roads

"In the meantime, the autonomous semi companies say they can help address a truck driver shortage, estimated by the industry to amount to 64,000 drivers. Yet there also are worries that autonomous trucks eventually will supplant human drivers and cost them their livelihoods. The Teamsters union, which represents about 600,000 drivers, most of them truckers, is pushing state legislatures to require human drivers to monitor the self-driving systems, contending that they are unsafe. A 2021 Transportation Department study concluded that the nationwide use of fully automated semis was years away, giving drivers time to transition to other transportation and logistics jobs that will be created."

Food Service Wokers at Phoenix Sky Harbor Vote to Ratify New Contract 

"According to the release, workers for SSP America, a competitor of HMS Host at Sky Harbor, have been fighting for nearly seven months for a fair contract. Workers have filed 13 pending unfair labor practice charges against SSP, including allegations that the company has wrongfully fired nine outspoken union activists."

Arizona's Hobbs Signed Repeal of 1864 Abortion Ban 

“Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed legislation Thursday repealing the state’s 1864 abortion ban, one day after it passed the GOP-controlled state Senate."

Residents Evacuated After Train Derails, Catches Fire Near AZ-NM State Line 

“New Mexico State Police reported the train was transporting hazardous materials, specifically propane and gasoline. Immediate evacuations were ordered for those within a two-mile radius of the derailment."

Judge Tosses Legal Challenge to Ballot 'Drop-Boxes' in Arizona 

“A judge has rebuffed a bid by a group that backs additional restrictions on voting that sought to outlaw the use of “drop boxes” that can make it easier for some people to return their early ballots."

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If you'd like to promote an event for your union in our weekly newsletter, fill out our submission form or email AZ AFL-CIO  Communications & Operations Director Alina Cordoba at [email protected]