john, 

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Urge Congress to Stand with Transportation Security Officers

Take action to urge Congress to immediately call on the Trump Administration to reverse its decision to rescind the collective bargaining agreement for TSOS and to cosponsor and pass the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act (H.R. 2086 and S. 997). This legislation would give frontline TSOs the same workplace rights and protections afforded to other federal workers under Title 5 of the U.S. Code.

⤵️Click on the button below and use the form to send a message to your member of Congress to cosponsor and pass the Rights for TSA Workforce Act

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. ⤵️

FREE State-Registered Apprenticeship — Line Cook Training for Your Members & Community

The Hospitality Training Academy (HTA), in collaboration with UNITE HERE, is offering an 8-week, no-cost Line Cook Training Program in Phoenix, which leads directly to union jobs with benefits. This program is now officially recognized as an Arizona State-Registered Apprenticeship Program.

HTA has a strong history of preparing individuals for success in union jobs, offering fair wages, dignity, and opportunities for career advancement in the hospitality industry.

Who is this for?
✅ Anyone aged 18 or older
✅ Proficient in English with a reading level of at least 10th grade
✅ Interested in starting a career in a growing industry

Why it matters:
This apprenticeship serves as a vital pathway to help workers escape poverty and secure stable, union-backed careers. With your support, we can reach individuals in your community and membership who are ready for this opportunity.

Next steps and details:
UNITE HERE will be hosting informational sessions soon, and only those who attend will be eligible to enroll. Please share the attached flyer with your members, their families, and neighbors to help spread the word.

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. 

Upcoming Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) Meetings & Events

📅 Next LCLAA Meeting
Date & Time: April 9 | 6:00 PM

Location: 1021 S 7th Ave, Phoenix AZ 85007 Time: 

May Day—International Workers’ Day—is a time for action! Across the world, workers take to the streets to demand justice, dignity, and fair wages. This year, LCLAA is mobilizing to stand up against anti-immigrant policies, fight for worker protections, and demand a better future for all working families.

Join us as we march in solidarity with unions, worker organizations, and community allies. We need every voice, every worker, and every ally to make our message clear: Arizona will not stand for attacks on our communities!

📅 LCLAA Annual Cinco de Mayo Mixer
Date: Friday, May 9, 2025

Location: UNITE HERE Offices, 1021 S 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007

 Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Join them for our Annual Cinco de Mayo Mixer, a chance to celebrate their culture, strengthen your relationships, and continue building power together. This is an opportunity to connect, strategize, and enjoy good company as we prepare for the battles ahead.

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: Sunset Park by Paul Auster

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

Sunset Park by Paul Auster hits close to home for working-class union members. Set during the fallout of the 2008 crash, it follows Miles Heller and a group of squatters trying to get by in an abandoned Brooklyn house. Everyone is dealing with instability, including lost jobs, medical bills, and broken families, and the book dives into things like housing insecurity and the emotional weight of economic stress.

Auster doesn’t get preachy, but the story naturally brings up things like the erosion of steady work and how people hold each other up when systems fail. There’s a quiet sense of solidarity in how these characters live and care for each other, even without a clear plan or ideology.

The writing is understated but honest, and it gives space to the struggles a lot of union folks will recognize. Sunset Park reminds us that dignity and connection can grow even in hard times.

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.

We Need to Protect workers from Dangerous 'Bossware' Technology

"Employers should not have unfettered ability to monitor employees."

Researchers Are Workers at Penn State, and They're Ready to Form a Union

"Penn State is a level-one research university leading innovation, thanks in large part to the work of research assistants and trainees. Despite being central to Penn State’s mission, researchers have almost no say in their wages, benefits or workplace conditions. This is true of all 5,000-plus graduate student workers at Penn State, which is why last fall thousands of researchers joined their fellow grad workers and signed authorization cards in support of forming a union."

Faculty Unions Sue Trump Admin: No Halting Science Research to Suppress Speech

"The faculty and national labor unions allege that the Trump administration improperly canceled Columbia University’s federal funding to compel speech restrictions on campus, damaging both vital scientific research and academic discourse."

Sesame Street Faces Layoffs, Funding Cuts, and Unionization All At Once

"The Sesame Workshop layoffs were announced shortly after workers came out and declared their intent to unionize with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) on March 4, 2025. This timing has raised concerns about possible union-busting efforts however, there is no concrete evidence to verify this."

The Uphill Battle to Bring Women into Construction Jobs Could be Lost Under Trump

"Tradeswomen have spent decades fighting for their place in the skilled trades. Now they're suing the government for its DEI policies."

Clark Student Workers End Strike But Will Continue Unionization Efforts, Organizers Say

"The Clark University Undergraduate Workers Union announced the end of the strike in an Instagram post on Monday, but vowed to continue to pressure the university to recognize its unionization efforts and address what they claim are violations of their rights as workers."

REI Withheld Pay from Union Workers, National Labor Board Says

"The NLRB is seeking an order that would require REI to retroactively give unionized workers wage increases and bonuses that match those at non-union stores. REI has until April 2 to respond to the complaint, and a hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9."

6 Influential Women Who Shaped Arizona History

"From breaking glass ceilings to champining for the rights of marginalized communities, these women's stories are worth sharing."

Postal Workers Rally in Arizona to Keep USPS Independent

"Here in Arizona dozens gathered at Wesley Bolin Plaza near downtown Phoenix. The workers say they don't want the Trump administration to put the postal service under the control of the Commerce Department that has been discussed, and many are afraid mass layoffs would soon follow."

Democrat Kiana Sars Chosen to Replace Eva Burch in Arizona Senate

"Officials have selected a replacement for Democratic Arizona Sen. Eva Burch, who stepped down just two months into her second term. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday appointed Kiana Sears to fill the Mesa-based District 9 seat through 2026. The metro Phoenix governing body picked Sears over Laura Metcalfe and Ryan Winkle. All three finalists filled out questionnaires that have been posted online."

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]