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This Women’s History Month, the Arizona AFL-CIO proudly recognizes the incredible contributions of women in the labor movement. Today, we highlight Cynthia Staley, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 576 Member and Letter Carrier, whose leadership, activism, and dedication have strengthened not only her union but the entire labor movement in Arizona.

Starting her career with the United States Postal Service (USPS) in 1987, Cynthia became a proud member of NALC George T. Russell Branch 576. Early on, she stepped into leadership as a Union Steward, fighting for the rights of her fellow Letter Carriers. Her commitment led her to take on more responsibilities in the grievance procedure, serving as a Formal Step A Designee and later holding roles as Trustee on the Branch Executive Board, Recording Secretary, Vice President, and ultimately, President of Branch 576.

Her passion for advocacy extended beyond her local, bringing her into the larger labor movement. For over 18 years, she has been an active leader in the Maricopa Area Labor Federation (MALF), championing the belief that we are stronger when we work together.

Recognizing the importance of lifting up women in the labor movement, Cynthia joined the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) last year. CLUW provides a space for working women to organize, fight for common concerns, and develop action programs that bring victories to our workplaces, communities, and families.

💜✊ It’s Better in a Union—Because of Leaders Like Cynthia Staley!

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Tell Congress: Don't Threaten Our Jobs and Communities

⤵️Tell your member of Congress to vote NO on H.R. 32.

AARA Is Looking for Stories from Those Who've Experienced Social Security Overpayment

If you have experience with Social Security overpayments and are willing to share your story, please contact Dora Vasquez, ARA Executive Director at 602-689-8048 or [email protected].

On March 13, Senator Gallego (D-AZ) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced the bipartisan Social Security Overpayment Relief Act which would cap the Social Security Administration (SSA) overpayment "lookback" period at 10 years. If enacted, the legislation would limit the lookback period to 10 years for recipients of Social Security retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). 

One Thousand Photos - One Thousand Shares!

Garment Workers from Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan have organized together to demand wage increases and labor rights protections from Nike.

Nike's ads feature powerful female athletes and champion the idea of equality. But the vast majority of workers who make Nike products are women who fight every day to provide a decent standard of living for themselves and their families. Without them, there would be no profits, no billion-dollar advertising budget, no Nike. 

Pledge to share the image of 1,000 faces of garment workers with a message to Nike on March 21, 2025⤵️

Urge Congress to Protect the Integrity of the Federal Civil Service

Urge Congress to remove Elon Musk and stop funding DOGE. Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have been on the job for less than two months, but the early results are nothing short of disastrous. A series of airplane safety incidents. Cancelled appointments at the VA. Long lines outside national parks. Abandoned medical research. And, through it all, an overriding sense that the world’s richest man is using his power over Donald Trump to steal from the public coffers and enrich himself.

⤵️Click on the button below and use the form to send a message to your member of Congress and Senators to stand up for federal workers. 

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. ⤵️

Yassamin Ansari Central Phoenix Town Hall

Join Congresswomen Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) in discussing the actions of the Trump Administration and breaking down the proposed budget's effects on the people of Arizona's Third District

Event Details:

Flight Attendants Fight Back: Upcoming AFA-CWA Day of Action

Join United Flight Attendants on the picket line where nearly 20 airports worldwide to demand that management removes concessions from the table and delivers the industry-leading contract our hard work deserves! With United posting $3.1 billion in profits in 2024, it's time to recognize the vital role Flight Attendants play in ensuring safety and service.

Event Details:

📅Wednesday, March 19, 2025

🕕10:00 AM 

📍PHX Sky Harbor International Airport, Terminal 3, 3400 Sky Hbr Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85034

CWA Virtual Town Hall - March 19th

During this meeting we will take an in-depth look at the role the NLRB plays in CWA's ability to bargain and protect their contracts and discuss the progress CEOs like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have made toward preventing the Board from enforcing labor laws. They will also be covering how Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's termination of the TSA Officers' collective bargaining agreement fits into plans to ban public sector unions.

Event Details:

📅Wednesday, March 19, 2025 

🕕5:00 PM MST

🔗https://action.cwa.org/events/protect-our-rights-and-contracts-town-hall 

APWU Hands Off Our Public Postal Service

Join Arizona Postal Workers in PHOENIX & TUSCON as they stand together to protect their jobs!

PHOENIX Event Details:

📅Thursday, March 20, 2025

🕕8:00 AM to 10:00 AM MST

📍General Mail Facility, 4949 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix, AZ 85026

TUCSON Event Details:

📅Thursday, March 20, 2025

🕕9:30 AM MST

📍Sun Post Office, 2100 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85719

Coalition of Labor Union Women Upcoming Meetings

As Arizona works to establish it's chapter, they invite you to join their upcoming membership meeting(s)! This chapter serves the Greater Arizona County region, including Maricopa, Pinal, Yavapai, Gila, Pima, and Yuma counties.

To ensure compliance with CLUW bylaws, they are holding three initial membership meetings. Your participation is crucial as we move forward with the nomination process and plan our March Women's Month events.

Upcoming Meetings: 

• Thursday, March 20, 2025 @ 7:00 PM 
• Thursday, April 17th @ 7:00 PM (Virtual Meeting) 
• Thursday, May 29th @7:00 PM (In-Person Meeting)

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. 

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: 

The Eleven Percent: Soph Davenberry, Sheet Metal Worker

"Davenberry talks about building for a just future and the need for creative collaboration among trades."

Dear Donald Trump: Don't Destroy the Postal Service

"The administration's reported plan to demolish the United States Postal Service (USPS) would adversely impact an institution that millions of Americans rely on daily. Across the country, more than 165 million households and businesses count on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to provide an uninterrupted service, six to seven days a week, delivering everything from medications and magazines to ballots."

Workers in Utah Ratify State's First Cannabis Industry Union Contract

"Workers at West Bountiful, Utah-based WholesomeCo last week ratified their union contract with United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 99, becoming the first cannabis industry workers in Utah to do so. Workers had voted to unionize in November 2023 by a 21-1 vote."

Walt Disney Animation Studios Production Workers Ratify First Contract

"Production managers, production supervisors and production coordinators at the 'Wish' studio negotiated for health and pension benefits as well as higher minimum wage rates."

Federal Court Orders Reinstatement of Fired Probationary Federal Employees

"Today, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, presided over by Judge William H. Alsup, granted a Preliminary Injunction broadening a temporary restraining order against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its Acting Director, Charles Ezell, finding the termination of probationary federal employees illegal because OPM had no authority to order it."

Now Elon Musk Says He Wants to DOGE the U.S. Postal Service

"However, privatizing the postal service could have serious downsides, especially for rural communities and small businesses."

Labor Board Member Returns to Work Six Weeks After Trump Fired Her

"The first Black woman to chair the National Labor Relations Board returned to the agency Monday with a hero’s welcome after a judge ruled last week she was illegally fired."

Trump's Funding Freeze Tanks Business for Flagstaff HVAC Company

"His Flagstaff-based HVAC company, CozyHome, was swimming in work orders thanks to a state program called Efficiency Arizona. In September, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced that the state would reimburse homeowners up to $14,000, based on income, to replace their old, inefficient air conditioning systems. Federal grants from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 made it all possible."

Remembering Congressman Raul Grijalva

"After more than two decades representing Arizona in Congress Raul Grijalva has died. The 77-year old Democrat died from complications from his cancer treatment. He was diagnosed with lung cancer last April."

Schweikert Votes for Budget He Called 'Immoral' to Subsidize Billionaire Tax Cuts

"By extending President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, the budget proposal would cut off over $4 trillion in tax revenue over the course of 10 years. $3.7 trillion of those tax savings would go to the country’s wealthiest 10% — households making more than $230,000 per year."

AZ Attorney General Sues Trump Administration Over Mass Firings of Federal Workers

"Mayes, a Democrat, said the firings could directly harm state finances and put critical state-federal partnerships at risk. She said federal agencies did not give state governments any advance notice of the layoffs, which left Arizona scrambling to respond."

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]