John, 

As we look ahead to the challenges and opportunities facing organized labor in this critical moment, one thing is clear: we cannot afford to stand still. Among the 200,000 eligible Arizonans, many of our members and their communities are ready to take the next step toward U.S. citizenship—and we are ready to help them.

The Arizona AFL-CIO is proud to host another Citizenship Fair, where applicants will receive free assistance with their N-400 applications and the preparation of their documents for submission to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Here’s how you can join this important effort:

• Share the English and Spanish flyers widely within your local union and community. Click here to access the flyers.
• Help us meet these goals:
  • Ensure every local is represented by at least one applicant.
  • Confirm 30+ applicants so we can finalize the workshop time and location.
  • Provide free N-400 assistance, legal help from volunteer attorneys, and other resources.
  • Equip applicants to confidently submit their completed citizenship applications.

For questions, thoughts, or concerns, reach out to our Training Specialist, Esau Gutierrez, at [email protected] or (480) 514-6632.

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].

It's Time for a National Monument to Labor Hero Frances Perkins

"As the first woman to lead the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest federation of labor unions, I am deeply inspired by the example that Secretary Perkins set. Even though her work has touched the lives of every working person in America, Perkins remains an unsung hero in our national history."

How Union Leaders are Transforming Women's Labor Rights

"The impact of women’s role in the Labor Movement can be seen in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), where women make up half of the two million members, and District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), whose apprenticeship programs are 70 percent women and minorities. These unions create opportunities for women leaders and serve as important platforms for working women to advocate for their interests."

Amazon Workers Strike at Multiple Facilities as Teamsters Seek Labor Contract

"Workers at seven Amazon facilities went on strike Thursday, an effort by the Teamsters union to pressure the e-commerce company for a labor agreement during a key shopping period."

Starbucks Workers' Union Set to Strike in US Cities as Bargaining Talks Hit Impasse

"The workers' union representing over 10,000 baristas at Starbucks (SBUX.O), opens new tab said its members will strike at stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle for five days starting Friday, citing unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules."

Advocates for Mine Workers Commend Black Lung Rule 

"The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) says a final rule by the Labor Department will help miners who have contracted black lung. The new rule issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requires coal companies to cover the disability benefits of miners who have black lung as a result of working in mines."

AFL-CIO Thanks McFerran for Pro-Worker Leadership, Applauds Wilcox as Next Chair of the NLRB

"Workers across the country continue to organize at historic rates; last year, 60 million Americans said they would join a union if they could. As we prepare for the fights ahead, working people can count on Wilcox’s leadership at the NLRB to have their back when they exercise their fundamental freedom to organize."

Federal Employee Groups Prepare to Fend Off Attacks by Trump and Allies

"The efforts are aimed at resisting what is expected to be a severe assault on public servants beyond the intimidation many federal employees felt during Donald Trump's First Term. "

Amazon Workers are Striking. Here's What That Means for Arizonans and Their Deliveries

“Around 16 people gathered outside the Amazon Fulfillment Center located in the area of 83rd Avenue and West Roosevelt Street near Interstate 10, carrying signs and walking in a loop. Those picketing said they were there asking Amazon to come to the table and bargain with unionized workers."

Hobbs Calls for End to School Voucher Program's automatic Reimbursement Plan

"Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is urging Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne not to move forward with a plan to automate the approval process for some of Arizona’s school voucher program reimbursements."

Minimum Wage Increasing Soon in Tucson to be Higher Than the Rest of the State

"Starting January first, the minimum wage in Tucson is going up by 65 cents from $14.35 an hour to $15 an hour. It’s a larger increase than the rest of Arizona, where in other communities the minimum wage is going from $14.35 to $14.70 an hour."

Thank you for reading the Arizona Labor Dispatch! Can you help us grow our readership by sharing our sign-up form? 

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]