John, 

When I heard the news that senators blocked Lauren McFerran’s reconfirmation as chair of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), my first thought was how this impacts every single one of us. Lauren has been a champion for workers, and this vote wasn’t just about her—it was a direct attack on the progress we’ve fought so hard to achieve. President Liz Shuler said it best in her statement, which I wanted to share with you because it reflects the strength and determination we all feel.

Here’s President Shuler’s full statement:

"Today, 50 senators didn’t just vote against Lauren McFerran’s reconfirmation—they voted against the working people of this country. Make no mistake: This vote had nothing to do with stopping Chair McFerran’s renomination and everything to do with reversing generations of progress workers have made toward building a fairer and more just economy.

The NLRB is the only government agency that protects workers’ fundamental freedom to stand up to powerful companies by organizing a union and bargaining collectively on the job. Without every NLRB seat filled, the board cannot keep up with the historic rate of worker organizing or the escalating union-busting we see from bosses every day. The NLRB faces relentless intimidation and threats from the very corporations and wealthy bosses the agency is tasked with holding accountable—none more notable than Elon Musk, who’s teamed up with other billionaires to try to dissolve the board rather than respect workers’ rights on the job. As Musk prepares for a role at the top of the incoming Trump administration, the NLRB urgently needed McFerran reconfirmed to ensure that working people can rely on the board when massive companies violate our basic rights.

Corporate lobbyists and anti-union politicians may have stopped this vote today, but they won’t stop workers from organizing. The 13 million working people of the AFL-CIO will continue to have working people’s backs. The labor movement was born out of the fight for the very rights the NLRB protects, and we won’t stop until every single worker in America has a fair and free shot to join a union and better our lives."

Read statement online here. 

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Union Made Holiday Gift Guide

Buying union-made is an important act of solidarity that helps support good union jobs in America.

Working people value the hard work and craftsmanship that goes into the products and services we make and provide. That’s true during this holiday season and every day of the year.

Arizona AFL-CIO Building Bridges: Free Citizenship Fair

The Arizona AFL-CIO is prepared to host another Citizenship Fair, where applicants will receive free assistance from dedicated volunteer attorneys in completing their N-400 applications and preparing their paperwork for submission to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 

This is open to union members, their families, and friends. We would like to confirm 30+ applicants before finalizing time and location for the workshop. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Arizona AFL-CIO's Training Specialist, Esau Gutierrez at [email protected]. 

Click HERE to download, share, print English and Spanish Flyers. 

2025 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference

Join the AFL-CIO in this historic place for the civil rights movement at the Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference in Austin, Texas, as we come together to reflect, learn and fight. At this year’s conference, together with our faith allies and others, we will reckon with the urgency of this moment and build on the deep roots of solidarity to lead the fights ahead. Bishop Vashti McKenzie will be joining us. Bishop McKenzie is the president and general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ. In 2000, she became the first woman elected to episcopal office in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and in 2005 became the first woman to serve as titular head of the AME Church.

LCSA 6th Annual 5K Cupcake Chase Walk & Run

Labor's Community Service Agency (LCSA) provides different programs for families including affordable housing, and SHIFT (an affordable transportation program). Join them for their annual Cupcake Chase at Arizona Falls in Phoenix. 

Register to participate, become a volunteer, or become a sponsor. All proceeds are to benefit LCSA. If you have any questions, please contact Rebekah Friend 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].

Facts Over Fear: Unions or Bust

"What does the future hold for the journalists still on strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after more than two years? As a former journalist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it feels personal to watch my former colleagues not only have to go on strike in October of 2022, but engage in the longest strike ever in the history of the nation. And, unfortunately, there’s no end in sight. While an administrative law judge has ruled that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette failed to bargain in good faith and the National Labor Relations Board issued an injunction request to resume bargaining that could end the strike, the owners of the Post Gazette have appealed that move."

Arizona's Immigrant Communities are Preparing for Worst-Case Scenarios After Election

"Nina Franco is a Phoenix-based social worker who works with many mixed-status families and undocumented youth in a mentorship program for teens. She believes that it will be difficult for the Trump administration to carry out mass deportations, but the more the community is prepared for the worst, the better."

The Social Security Fairness Act has Bipartisan Support, but Time is Running Out for Senate Vote

"Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to schedule a vote on the bill that would expand Social Security benefits to roughly 2.8 million retirees. Schumer, a Democrat and cosponsor of the legislation, could invoke a Senate rule that would skip a committee hearing and send the bill directly to a floor vote by the full Senate."

Setting the Record Straight About Telework Use by Federal Employees 

"Exaggerating the number of federal employees who telework and portraying those who do as failing to show up for work is a deliberate attempt to demean the federal workforce and justify the wholesale privatization of public-sector jobs. AFGE believes that facts matter, and that lawmakers should be guided by the facts when making decisions that affect the lives of their constituents."

Labor Board Classifies 'Love Is Blind' Contestants as Employees 

"The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against the hit reality show “Love Is Blind” on Wednesday in which it classified the show’s contestants as employees, opening a case that could have ripple effects across the reality television industry."

Over 1,000 Amazon Workers at Major West Coast Air Hub Join Teamsters Union 

"Over 1,000 Amazon workers at the company’s KSBD air hub in Southern California have formed a union with the Teamsters and demanded union recognition with a “March on the Boss” held this morning. The KSBD warehouse in San Bernardino is a crucial hub in Amazon’s logistics network and the largest air facility on the West Coast."

Labor Movement Principles for a Worker-Centered DNC

"In the coming months, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has the unique opportunity to once again bring working people back to its center. The labor movement represents roughly 20% of the voting members of the DNC. Union members voted for Democratic endorsed candidates from the top of the ticket on down at a much higher rate than the general public."

Federal Judge Blocks Kroger Merger with Albertsons

“Originally pitched in October of 2022, the merger proposal drew immediate controversy, attracting the opposition of politicians as well as consumer and union groups. One of the largest proposed mergers in the history of the retail industry, the outcome of the deal would affect millions of consumers, the ownership of nearly 5,000 stores and the employment of some 700,000 workers."

Valley Metro Changes Its Fair System: Here's What You Need to Know 

"Instead of paying upfront for a fare, riders will choose between paying with the Valley Metro app or a physical Copper Card, load money to the card or app, and scan a mobile fare QR code or tap the card every time they ride."

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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]