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The Arizona AFL-CIO is proud to support the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive—the largest single-day food drive in the country! This year’s food drive will take place on Saturday, May 10, and we encourage union members and working families across Arizona to take part in this vital effort to fight hunger in our communities.
Arizona has played a special role in this event—LCSA helped establish the food drive in Phoenix 33 years ago, and it has since grown into a national movement. Last year alone, NALC members and volunteers collected 44 million pounds of food nationwide, providing critical support to families in need.
How can you help? It’s easy! On Saturday, May 10, place a bag of unopened, nonperishable food next to your mailbox before your letter carrier arrives. Your carrier will pick up the donations and ensure they reach local food banks and pantries, where they’ll help feed Arizonans in need.
Help us spread the word and make this year’s food drive a success! Together, we can ensure no family in Arizona goes hungry.
For more information, visit NALC’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
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Fred Yamashita Secretary-Treasurer Executive Director |
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UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIONS |
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Arizona AFL-CIO Stand Up for Labor Action Join us for a rally opposing the attack on our Department of Labor. We will gather tomorrow, Saturday, February 8th in Phoenix, Arizona, from 10:00 to 10:30 AM to hear from our labor leaders.
📅Saturday, February 8, 2025 ⏰10:00 -10:30 AM 📍2600 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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]. |
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AZ AFL-CIO's Book Club: A New Chapter Begins! We're back—and better than ever! The Arizona AFL-CIO Labor Book Club is now formatted as an end-of-the-month book review, offering fresh perspectives on thought-provoking reads that resonate with our movement. 💡 How Can YOU Get Involved? 📱 Join the Conversation! |
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📖 February Book of the Month - Work Song by Ivan Doig
Summary: When Morrie Crosses Paths with a lively former student, now engaged to a fiery young union leader, he is caught up in the mounting clash between the iron-fisted mining company, radical "outside agitators," and the beleaguered miners.
How Can I Participate? This book is available at most book sellers. If you would like to read along, provide Esau Gutierrez a 50-100 word review, and get the chance to be featured at the end of the month!
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AZ AFL-CIO Legislative Committee Meetings |
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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. |
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This Week's Update with Senator Flavio Bravo
During today's AZ AFL-CIO Legislative Committee Meeting, the committee welcomed special guest Senator Flavio Bravo. He updated the group on legislative actions and took questions. Senator Bravo primarily discussed the upcoming nominations for various departments, including State Homeland Security, Economic Security, and Economic Opportunity, with one department remaining unnamed. These nominees are anticipated to face significant challenges due to partisan tensions within the legislature, despite their qualifications and vetting processes.
On the bill tracking front, Political Director Joe Murphy expressed concerns about several proposed bills. These include a bill aimed at allowing guns in schools by arming teachers, a proposal to cut unemployment benefits, and a plan for a constitutional convention that could be chaotic. Additionally, Murphy highlighted concern regarding Congressman Andy Biggs’ bill to abolish OSHA, although it has not gained much traction thus far. |
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OPINION |
Arizona Federal Workers Would Be Crazy to Buy Trump's Buyout Offer
"The American Federation of Government Employees union is telling members 'not to be tricked into resigning.'"
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Amazon's Anti-Unionism Has A History
"Amazon’s decision to suddenly close all seven of its distribution centres in Quebec in the face of successful unionization looks like yet another example of the ferocious anti-unionism of U.S. corporations."
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NATIONAL NEWS |
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AFL-CIO Launches the Department of People Who Work for a Living
"The AFL-CIO has launched the Department of People Who Work for a Living (DPWL), a new campaign to hold Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, accountable and make sure the federal government is responsive to working people and not just to the whims of an unelected CEO like Musk."
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Hockey Players' Union Join the AFL-CIO
"Two of professional hockey’s North American players’ associations—the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA)—announced today they are formally affiliating with the AFL-CIO and joining its Sports Council."
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Alaska Members to Install High-Speed Internet for State's Remote Population
"Providing reliable internet to Alaska's villages and its rural Indigenous population has long been a challenge, due to the remoteness and lack of infrastructure."
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UFW Announces Historic First Contract in New York State
"On January 30th, the negotiating committee composed of farm worker leaders at Cahoon Farms, an apple producer in upstate New York, signed their first ever union contract with the United Farm Workers. Cahoon Farms management had previously signed the contract earlier last week, following its ratification by a majority of Cahoon Farm’s workers. The first ever UFW contract in the State of New York is now in effect."
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Unionized Colorado Grocery Store Workers to Begin Two-Week Strike on Thursday
"Unionized King Soopers employees in the Denver metro area announced a two-week strike that will begin on Thursday, Feb. 6, according to UFCW Local 7. That includes stores throughout Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties as well as King Soopers stores in the cities of Boulder and Louisville."
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United Campus Workers of Arizona - 2024 A Year In Review
"When we fight, we win! We have made lots of progress through official and unofficial channels this year to materially improve the working and learning condition of many of our members."
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Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Demolish Workplace Safety Agency, Slams 'Bloated Federal Government'
"In a statement Monday, Biggs railed against the half-century old OSHA, calling it 'yet another example of the federal government creating agencies to address issues that are more appropriately handled by state governments and private employers.'"
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Bill Would Overhaul How Arizonans Collect Unemployment Benefits
"A piece of legislation that would reform how Arizonans receive unemployment benefits is advancing through the Arizona Legislature. House Bill 2450 would set restrictions on how long a resident can receive unemployment assistance depending on the state's unemployment rate. Arizona law presently allows unemployed individuals to collect benefits for up to 24 or 26 weeks. The current maximum amount of weekly unemployment benefits is $320, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security. The legislation would essentially cut down the number of weeks an unemployed resident can receive benefits as the unemployment rate from the previous calendar quarter drops."
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Bill Would Overhaul How Arizonans Collect Unemployment Benefits
"A dozen attorneys general, including Arizona’s Kris Mayes, are warning federal employees across the country to be wary of the White House’s so-called buyout offer. According to a December 2024 congressional report, as many as 34,150 Arizonans are employed by the federal government to help oversee the disbursement of services from several federal programs at the state level, including Veterans Affairs, Medicaid, Medicare and the Social Security Administration."
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Thank you for reading the Arizona Labor Dispatch! Can you help us grow our readership by sharing our sign-up form? |
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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] |
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