John, 

• Attacks on immigrant workers and declaring a national security crisis at the southern border.
• Halting minimum wage increases for federal workers.
• Weakening environmental protections that safeguard our communities.
• Cutting protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
• Making it easier to fire federal employees, undermining workplace rights and job security.

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

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. 

68th Annual Grace Carroll Rocky Mountain Labor School (GCRMLS)

Registration is now open! This year GCRMLS will be coming to Las Vegas, Nevada July 6 - July 12, 2025.

Founded in 1956, GCRMLS is the only remaining regional labor school in the nation! It is a renowned educational program dedicated to providing high-quality labor education to union members, activists, and leaders all while being able to share real life successes, challenges, and best practices around the labor movement.

For further information, you can visit the GRCMLS website at gcrmls.org.

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].

Join Our Weekly Meetings

Join us every Friday at 9:30 AM via Zoom as we prepare for the upcoming 2025 Legislative Committee Meetings. This is an important opportunity for union members to learn about the key issues and topics that will be discussed during the 1st Regular Session of the 57th Legislature.

Stay informed and engaged as we navigate the legislative landscape together and ensure that our voices are heard in the decision-making process.

This Week's Update

This week, the AZ AFL-CIO discussed the new administration’s executive orders regarding the freezing of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds. This is currently being fought over in court, as it is believed to be unconstitutional. There are also executive orders regarding the firing of federal employees and the rollback of union contract protections, which are all anti-worker executive orders. Our Political Director, Joe Murphy, highlighted bills that the AZ AFL-CIO is putting under intense scrutiny, such as a bill to prohibit School District Employees from referring to anyone with a pronoun other than the one assigned biologically. There are also several bills relating to election laws, voting centers, and restricting early voting that the AFL-CIO is opposed to.

Don't Buy the Baloney. Oregon Can Both Lift Up Workers and Get Big Jobs Done 

"I believe that no matter where you live in the state, Oregonians should be able to rely on their public infrastructure, and our workforce should have predictability and consistency on the job. These things go together."

I'm President of the UAW. We're Ready to Work with Trump

"The United Auto Workers hopes to find common ground with the president on trade policy."

Veterans, Teachers, Public Health Professionals, Consumer Advocates, and Watchdog Groups File Suit Challenging the DOGE's Secret Operations

"The suit was filed by the American Public Health Association, American Federation of Teachers, Minority Veterans of America, VoteVets Action Fund, Center for Auto Safety, Inc., and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), represented by Democracy Forward and CREW."

Technicians at Providence's Outsourced Lab Seek to Unionize 

"Technicians at a testing laboratory sold nearly two years ago by Providence Health and Services to a North Carolina company have now filed to join the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, a union spokesperson announced Friday."

Costco Teamsters Overwhelmingly Vote to Authorize Strike 

"Costco Teamsters nationwide have voted by an overwhelming 85 percent margin to authorize a strike. The vote is a direct result of the company’s continued failure to bargain constructively and refusal to present a fair contract offer that reflects the company’s record-breaking profits."

IAM Union Members at IKEA Perryville Ratify New Contract, End Strike 

"Approximately 320 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local I460, District 4, employed at the IKEA Distribution Center in Perryville, Maryland, have ratified a new contract to end a strike that began on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024."

Las Vegas Hotel Workers Union Reaches Deal with Casino to End Longest Strike in Decades 

"The longest strike in decades by Las Vegas hotel workers ended Wednesday with a ratified contract between the union and a casino where hundreds of employees had walked off the job in November."

Phoenix Flight Attendant Honored After Random Stabbing in Denver Layover 

"Celinda Levno, who dedicated over 30 years to the skies, was killed in a stabbing this weekend while on a layover in Denver."

Albertsons Laying Off 225 Safeway Administrative Workers in Phoenix in Productivity Move 

"The company indicated that the affected workers at the facility at 20427 N. 27^th Ave. were informed of the job losses in a notice to Arizona officials."

47 Arizona School Districts at 'High Risk' for Budget Overruns, State Audit Finds

"According to the report, 47 of Arizona’s 207 districts are at high risk of exceeding their budgets, and 47 districts are redirecting capital improvement money to pay basic operational expenses."

Tucson Families Prepare for Mass Deportations: 'A sand and painful time'

"Between the twin threats of Trump’s promised mass deportations, and the passage of Proposition 314 in Arizona — which allows local police to arrest people for immigration violations — many in Southern Arizona’s immigrant community are experiencing fear and anxiety reminiscent of the days of SB1070."

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]