John, 

"The AFL-CIO is a diverse and inclusive family of working people. We advocate for all workers. Our constituency groups address the challenges that workers from diverse backgrounds face. These groups reach out to the communities they serve, build solidarity, help with organizing efforts, and ensure full participation in our movement" (AFL-CIO).

"Founded in 1992, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) is backed by the strong support of the AFL-CIO. APALA has more than 22 chapters and pre-chapters, with a national office in Washington, D.C." (APALA).

"APALA envisions a society where economic and racial justice prevails, human rights and worker dignity are affirmed, and a healthy, sustainable planet is available to all. It works to offer a better life for Asian American and Pacific Islanders, Black, Brown, and Indigenous people, and all communities fighting oppression" (APALA).

As we share these words from the AFL-CIO and APALA sites, we are reminded with each month highlighted to uplifting the stories and accomplishments of our rich and diverse communities, shows, that labor has its role to play and that this country was built on the backs of all workers!

For more information, visit the AFL-CIO and APALA websites.

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Apply To Become A Member of One of Governor Hobb's Boards & Commissions 

If you are interested on how you can apply to become a member of one of Governor Hobb's Boards & Commissions, please click on the button below and fill out the form to receive one-on-one help with one of our staff members! 

Pinal County Labor 2024 Update Meeting - More Info to Come! 

Click on the button below and fill out the form to receive information on the upcoming Pinal County 2024 update, which will happen on Wednesday, June 5th @5PM. 

Solidarity Summer: Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action 

Join CWA-AFA and APFA to demand contracts now! Together, in the height of summer travel season, we'll show management and the flying public that we're united in the fight to raise the standards of our flight attendants. 

PHX Event Details: 

⌚Thursday, June 13th - 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM

📍Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport 

Location 1: Terminal 4, Level 2, Northwest Curb

Location 2: Terminal 3, Outdoor Garden Area 

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 Union Leader Who Changed How We Think About Work 

"By the time Mary Kay Henry stepped down from the presidency of the Service Employees International Union, she and the union had helped change how we think about work. In 2012, SEIU backed striking fast-food workers in the city who were advocating for what was then a bold demand: a $15-per-hour minimum wage and a union. A decade later, the efforts of Fight for $15 and a Union led to an estimated 26 million workers winning $150 billion in higher pay."

The Union Keeps Us Strong

"While Wall Street, bankers, and the billionaire class pad their profits by investing in and manipulating the stock market, the best investment workers make is with each other through our union. The investment of our union dues and participation in the APWU is returned many times over in better pay, benefits, rights, safety, and job security."

Boeing, Locked Out Firefighters Reach Tentative Contract Deal

"Boeing and a union representing about 125 of its firefighters said on Wednesday they had reached a tentative contract deal that if approved by members would end a weeks-long lockout. Boeing in early May locked out members of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local I-66 after they rejected two contract offers, in a move that drew the concern of President Joe Biden."

Corporations Have Very Good Reasons to Break Labor Laws and Bust Unions

"Workers in Towson, Maryland, have earned the distinction of becoming the first Apple retail workers in the nation to vote to strike over failed union negotiations with their employer. The approximately 100 Apple workers were also the first in the nation to successfully form a union. They did so in 2022, as the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE), joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). Two-thirds of the store’s workers voted to join the union, a resounding success at a company that has long staved off union activity."

'New Territory' for Americans: Deadly Heat in the Workplace 

"In the coming months, this team of roughly 30 people at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is expected to propose a new rule that would require employers to protect an estimated 50 million people exposed to high temperatures while they work. They include farm laborers and construction workers, but also people who sort packages in warehouses, clean airplane cabins and cook in commercial kitchens."

UAW Challenges Mercedes-Benz Union Vote, Asks NLRB for New Election

"The United Auto Workers union is challenging the results of last week’s organizing vote of Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama, in which workers voted against union representation, and is asking federal officials to order a new election. Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers’ ability to advocate for the union."

Sacramento Workers Allege $30,000 Wage Theft by Employers with History of Labor Violations

"Daniel Mejia and Edgar Cortez spent last summer working long days in the heat to renovate houses across Sacramento. Sometimes, they mowed lawns, mulched yards and painted. Other days, the men installed doors, cabinets and fences. Occasionally, they fixed irrigation pipes and performed electrical work at the request of their employers."

Union Members Ratify Three-Year Agreement with Asarco

“In addition to wage improvements, the new contract provides additional time off, with numerous vacation and holiday improvements for workers. It lowers workers healthcare contributions and ensures that s-called "fatigue monitoring systems" are used to make work safer and not simply more supervised."

Arizona GOP Report Calls for Dem AG Kris Mayes to be Impeached. She Calls It a 'Sham'

“A group of Arizona House Republicans has recommended Attorney General Kris Mayes be impeached for what it describes as abusing her authority, attacking political opponents and selectively enforcing state laws. The House Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Oversight released a 102-page document outlining its findings and exhibits on Wednesday, recommending the Legislature use its power to impeach Mayes, a Democrat."

Gov. Hobbs Signs Bill to Expand Accessory Dwelling Units Across Arizona

"Gov. Katie Hobbs on May 21 signed a pair of bills aimed at helping ease the state's housing affordability issues. For starters, she signed HB 2720 to expand access to backyard casitas, or accessory dwelling units, across Arizona in an effort to provide more affordable housing options. This legislation will allow these ADUs to be built on existing home lots in cities with more than 75,000 residents."

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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]