john, 

Imagine dedicating your life to public service—helping veterans access their benefits, ensuring Social Security checks go out on time, keeping our air travel safe, and protecting the environment. Now imagine being told your job is expendable, your contract doesn’t matter, and your rights as a worker are up for debate. This is the reality for hundreds of thousands of federal workers right now, as they face a wave of attacks on their livelihoods. 

Across agencies, federal workers are being targeted with threats of mass layoffs, budget cuts, and outright intimidation. The billionaire class—led by figures like Elon Musk—is pushing an agenda that undermines civil servants, stripping away their job security and weakening the unions that protect them. Their goal is clear: dismantle the public sector piece by piece, replacing it with corporate control where profit trumps the needs of everyday Americans.

But federal workers are fighting back. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, is mobilizing to defend these workers and the services they provide to millions of Americans. AFGE has made it clear: they will not stand by while the civil service is dismantled. 

We urge you to contact your lawmakers and demand an end to these attacks!

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Arizona Needs Reliable Internet Service & Good Jobs

$42 billion in public funding for internet infrastructure is on the line, and we need your voice! While CWA members have fought for investments in reliable fiber broadband that create good, union jobs, satellite company CEOs are pushing to redirect these funds to unreliable satellite services. Satellite internet lacks the necessary speeds, employs fewer workers, and has a short lifespan that leads to repeated investments. 

⤵️Click on the link below and tell Governor Hobbs and the Arizona State Broadband Office to stand up to pressure to redirect funds to unreliable satellite internet service and continue to create good, union jobs by investing in reliable, high-speed fiber internet. ⤵️

2025 WCIR Annual Issues & Research Conference - March 6-7th

This leading workers' compensation forum will provide a unique opportunity to stay informed on policy changes, research findings, and key industry trends. 

WCRI offers labor scholarships that fully cover registration for union leaders interested in attending. When I attended a few years ago, I found the conference incredibly valuable—not just for the insights I gained, but also for the relationships I built.

If you’d like to attend, please contact Andrew Kenneally, WCRI’s Communications Director, at [email protected] or 617-892-0125. He is the main point of contact for labor attendees, can assist with registration, and typically hosts a labor networking dinner on the first night of the conference.

OPIN Invites You to Our Homes, Our Fight!

Organized Power In Numbers (OPIN) welcomes you to join a powerful gathering to celebrate their collective wins in the fight for housing justice and continued push for real change.  You will hear key findings from their housing justice report, reflect on the work they have done, and build momentum for the future. 

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025

Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM MST

Location: Puente, 1937 W. Adams St., Phoenix, AZ

Please share the flyer above with your networks and encourage your community to attend. 

AARA Celebrates Women's History Month: Strong Union Women in Apprenticeships & Trades

Join us as we honor the resilience and leadership of union women who are breaking barriers, building fulfilling careers, and shaping the future of labor. Hear inspiring stories from tradeswomen as they share their journeys and experiences in this vital workforce. 

Event Details:

📅Friday, March 28, 2025

🕙11 AM - 1:30 PM

📍IBEW Local 640, 5808 N. 7th St., Phoenix, AZ 85014

*Lunch Provided 

For questions or more information contact Dora Vasquez at [email protected].

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 are still accepting RSVP's for this event, so please share widely! 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. 

26th Annual Joe Standley Golf Tournament - May 23, 2025

The Arizona Building Trades Council (AZBTC) invites you to join their annual fundraising event that supports Labor's Community Service Agency (LCSA). 

LCSA is a nonprofit arm of the AFL-CIO, and provides human services to Arizona's most vulnerable populations since 1974. Your participation will directly support affordable housing, transportation assistance, and financial aid support to those in need.  

➡️Click HERE to download/print flyers.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Rebekah Friend at (602) 622-5361 or [email protected]. 

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.

Central Arizona VITA Network

VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is an IRS-sponsored program that helps low-to-moderate income (less than $67,000) folks file theit tax returns for free! This program is run through non-profit organizations and cities like City of Phoenix, A New Leaf, Mesa United Way, and Tempe Community Council. All volunteers are trained and IRS-certified to prepare an accurate return that gets you every $ you deserve.  

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].

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. 

📖This Month's Review: Work Song by Ivan Doig 

Check out this week's review, written by Esau Gutierrez for a deeper dive: 

This book hits close to home when it comes to union struggles. It follows Morrie Morgan, a sharp, quick-witted guy who ends up in Butte, Montana, in 1919. Butte is a rough, mining town where Anaconda Copper runs everything, and the miners are constantly fighting for better wages and conditions. Right away, I saw parallels to what workers still deal with today—companies using things like fear and control to keep people in line.

Morrie isn’t a miner, but he gets pulled into their fight after landing a job at the library. He starts helping the union with things like writing and strategy, which is a good reminder that labor struggles aren’t just fought with pickaxes and protests—organizing takes all kinds of skills. The book does a solid job of showing how risky it was for these workers to push back, but also how powerful they became when they stuck together.

For me, this book isn’t just historical fiction—it’s a familiar story. It’s about what happens when workers decide they’ve had enough and refuse to back down, no matter how big the company is. That’s something I’ve seen firsthand. Work Song is a reminder that the fight for dignity and fair treatment isn’t new, and it sure as hell isn’t over.

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:  

I Refuse to Stand By While KY Lawmakers Try to Gut Protections for Workers 

"House Bill 398 is a gift to irresponsible employers at the expense of working people. It tells every construction worker, every firefighter, every public employee that their safety doesn’t matter."

Struggling to Make Sense of Cuts to Federal Workforce

"From where I sit as a federal retiree, seeing firsthand the emotional pain and trauma being inflicted on our dedicated public servants is just as devastating to them as any wildfire, hurricane or earthquake is to a community."

AFL-CIO President Calls on Congress to Reject Budget Resolution That Will Hurt Jobs and Public Services

"This budget resolution is an attack on the jobs, families and communities of everyday Americans. We call on every member of Congress to stand with the working people of this country and vote no."

Federal Court Orders Department of Education and Office of Personnel Management to Stop Sharing Private Data with DOGE Affiliates 

"On Feb. 24, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management from disclosing sensitive personal information to employees affiliated with the Department of Government Efficiency. The AFT is the lead plaintiff in the case."

Postal Workers Union Rally in DC Against Federal Plans to Privatize USPS

"A union representing postal service workers said it opposes efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to abolish the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and privatize mail delivery as it's set to rally in D.C. on Monday."

Reconsidered Goods Thrift Store Workers Vote Unanimously to Join the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union

"Workers at Reconsidered Goods first began organizing their union around a shared investment in the non-profit’s work, while recognizing their workplace concerns were not being heard without a seat at the table. For a while, workers have felt severely overworked and deeply undervalued by the non-profit, whose mission and vision they work to move forward every day."

A Century of Labor History for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters 

"This summer marks 100 years since the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) was founded, the first African American labor union in the United States. As a tribute to Black History Month, celebrated each February, we would like to share their story."

Here's How Much Ending Taxes on Tips Would Save —and How Much It Would Cost

"In Arizona, where tipped employees make an average of $10,000 per year on tips, that would amount to an annual tax savings of $250. While the individual benefit would be small, the collective hit would be massive: if signed into law by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, Griffin’s tax exemption bill would result in a projected $31 million loss in tax revenue for the state."

Hundreds Rally in Flagstaff as Trump Admin Directs Layoffs at Federal Agencies

"More than 500 people demonstrated outside Flagstaff City Hall Monday in opposition to the Trump administration’s layoffs of thousands of federal workers."

How Firings of U.S. Forest Service Workers Could Disrupt Arizona Trails 

"The U.S. Forest Service manages several national forests in Arizona, including Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Coronado, Kaibab, Prescott, and Tonto, which covers approximately 11.25 million acres, according to theU.S. Forest Service."

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]