John, 

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

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! 

End Anti-Asian Racism! Pledge to Build a Stronger Labor Movement Together

The labor movement must build a workers’ movement truly inclusive of all workers! Will you pledge to take concrete actions toward ending anti-Asian racism? As members, union leaders, and workers united, we must fight for racial justice as fiercely as we fight for workers’ rights!

Pledge to take all or some of these actions in your labor communities, and we'll get in touch with you to provide support and technical assistance toward your goals.

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.

AZ AFL-CIO 2024 Candidate Endorsements 

Mark your calendars for Arizona's Primary Election on July 30th and General Election on November 5th! 

The Arizona AFL-CIO has just released endorsements for Congressional and Senate candidates. Stay tuned for Additional Endorsements coming your way by June 2024. 

Endorsements will be updated on our website: https://azaflcio.org/2024-candidate-endorsements

AFL-CIO Governance, Education, and Training - Labor 2024 Workshop

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

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].

The Enduring Legacy of Asian American Pacific Islander Workers and Union Leaders 

"As a Japanese American, I’m especially moved by the stories of early Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants and Native Hawaiians who are a part of the tapestry of our labor history, though their stories are not well celebrated. From the sugar fields of Hawai’i to the California coast where the Transcontinental Railroad originated to the grape fields in Delano, California, employers exploited these immigrant workers brutally."

Cheap Prison Labor Is Keeping People Locked Up Longer, Suit Alleges

"Inmates do billions of dollars of work for companies and governments each year. A landmark lawsuit alleges many are being kept in prison because the business is just too good."

House Passes Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill 

"The House has passed a major federal aviation bill that aims to improve aviation safety, enhance protections for passengers and airline workers and invest in airport and air travel infrastructure nationwide."

Major Agricultural Firm Sues California Over Farmworker Unionization Law

"The action by the Wonderful Co. comes as it battles the United Farm Workers over a newly formed UFW local of 640 workers at one of its businesses. The $6 billion company founded by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, who have donated to President Joe Biden and Newsom, makes a host of products recognizable to most grocery store shoppers, including Halos mandarin oranges, Wonderful Pistachios, POM Wonderful pomegranate juice and Fiji Water brands."

Apple Store Workers Vote to Authorize First Strike Over Bargaining Delays 

"Workers at the first Apple store in the US to have unionized, in Towson, Maryland, have voted to authorize a strike as progress in bargaining for a first contract has stagnated. They could be the first Apple retail store workers to ever go on strike. International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ (IAM) Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM Core) represents 100 workers at the Apple store who had their union election win certified in May 2022. They are one of two Apple stores in the US to have successfully unionized, the other being a location in Oklahoma City."

Slaughterhouse Cleaning Company Fined $649K for Child Workers, Some as Young as 13

"A cleaning company has agreed to pay more than $649,000 in civil penalties after federal investigators found it employed at least 24 children – some as young as 13 – at slaughtering and meat packing facilities, the U.S. Department of Labor said."

8 Ways the Biden Administration Is Improving the Lives of Service Workers

"The Biden administration is raising pay, building power, and improving living standards for service workers across the economy—including fast-food cooks, call center workers, teachers, home care workers, and federal employees."

White House Announces $65 Million for At-Risk Winslow Levee System 

“The project will replace and complete the Winslow Levee on the Little Colorado River, which officials say has long been at risk of failure. The White House earlier this week announced $65 million for the project from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in November."

Retired Arizona Teacher Touts Biden's Efforts to Protect Seniors' Economic Security

"Alliance members have directly benefited from Biden’s Medicare expansions and caps on prescription drugs, Somo said. One of her Alliance colleagues was previously paying upwards of $500 per month on prescription drugs—but implementation of cost control efforts, like Biden’s $35 monthly cap on insulin for Medicare recipients—has brought prices down."

Republican Take Aim at the 'Convenience' of Voting with Sweeping Election Reform Ballot Measure 

“Election experts say the proposal is riddled with problems that will make voting more difficult and cause confusion. "

Arizona Sues Amazon, Contending Illegal Practices Cost Consumers 

"'In other words, if an Arizona business owner sells a sweater on Amazon for $50, Amazon deems it a violation of its Business Services Agreement for the business owner to sell the same sweater on her own website for $45 — even though she is not paying fees to sell on her own site,’’ the lawsuit says."

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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]