john,

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Federal Cuts Vigil & Rally

Congressman Juan Ciscomani betrayed his promise to his constituents by voting in favor of the Republican Tax Scam that would throw 300,000 Arizonans off their health insurance and raise costs for low-income Arizonans to fund trillions in tax giveaways to the wealthiest Americans and corporations.

Join us on Friday, June 6th, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM for a vigil and rally to raise awareness about the federal cuts to programs that Arizonans depend on.

Queer Summer Market

Celebrate diversity, creativity, and community at the Queer Summer Market! Browse an incredible selection of local LGBTQ+ and allied artists, makers, and small businesses while enjoying refreshing summer drinks and delicious bites from food trucks and pop-ups. This inclusive and welcoming event is the perfect place to shop unique finds, support local talent, and connect with the community. Everyone is welcome—come as you are and celebrate with us!

📅Sunday, June 8, 2025

⏰10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

📍Warehouse 215, 215 E. Grand St., Phoenix, AZ 

Celebrate Flag Day with AARA - Pizza, Prizes, and Postcards!

You're invited to a special Flag Day Postcards Party hosted by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans! There will be pizza, prizes, and postcards as we write to President Trump with once clear message: Hands Off our Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. 

Let's honor the flag by standing up for the values it represents - fairness, dignity, and security for all Americans. 

Event Details: 

Date: Friday, June 13, 2025

Time: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM 

Where: Arizona Education Association, 345 E. Palm Ln., Phoenix, AZ 85004

RSVP:  https://bit.ly/4kw3Spx 

Social Security Town Hall with Martin O'Malley

Join Honest Arizona, Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans, and Protect Our Care for a town hall discussion on all things Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, featuring Martin O'Malley, former Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, and local Arizona leaders.

Event Details:

Date: Monday, June 16, 2025

Time: 6:00 to 7:00 PM

Location: 3109 N 24th St., Phoenix, AZ 85016

Heat Day of Action Arizona Heat Standards Coalition

From June 16-20th, workers from coast to coast will take bold action to demand strong, enforceable protections from extreme heat on the job. Arizona workers are on the frontlines of this fight and national week of action. Join the coalition on Tuesday, June 17th to uplift Arizona workers' call for an enforceable heat safety standard.

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Time: 9:30 AM Press Conference + Rally  

Location: Arizona Capitol Rose Garden, Phoenix

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.

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 Book: Stoner by John Williams, read along with us⤵️

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 Legislative Update

At today's Arizona AFL-CIO Legislative Committee Meeting, we had a short legislative update as both chambers of the Arizona legislature have only met briefly recently. Political Director Joe Murphy spoke on a few pieces of legislation, including an overly punitive bill regarding antisemitism, an HCR regarding a constitutional convention for term limits, and an anti-worker warehouse bill. Federally, the Trump administration has currently closed down the Job Corps, leaving thousands of young people out of a job or a residence. The Supreme Court also seems poised to side with the Trump administration Gwynne Wilcox firing, leaving the board inoperable with only two members.  

TSA's Right to Form A Union Makes Us All Safer

"When workers are protected by unionization, they feel more comfortable bringing forward liabilities, sharing concerns, and reporting abuses – because they are safeguarded. These are important considerations in any industry, but especially when dealing with safety-related responsibilities having life or death implications."

Oregon's Clean Energy Policies Must Support Workers, Not Undermine Them

"Increasing our load capacity is the best way to ensure affordable, stable electricity for consumers. However, instead of advancing solutions that build the grid and create jobs, Salem is pursuing HB 3546, known as the POWER Act — a bill that singles out data centers for new regulatory burdens not applied to other manufacturing sectors."

AFL-CIO President Condemns Trump Administration Killing Energy, Manufacturing and Construction Jobs

"The labor movement condemns the Department of Energy’s decision to cut $3.7 billion in funding for new energy projects and take away tens of thousands of good union jobs from America’s workers."

Vox Media Union Pledges to Strike Without New Deal Addressing AI, Rising Costs

"The strike threat was made on Tuesday by the Writers Guild of America East, which said 95% of its bargaining members approved of the plan. Vox is the parent company of outlets like New York magazine, The Verge and Vulture."

Judge Blocks Trump Administration Job Corps Centers' Suspension

"U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter, an appointee of former President Obama, temporarily halted the government from taking further steps to eliminate the program, which offers free education and vocational training in addition to housing for disadvantaged young people aged 16-24."

Transportation Labor Objects to Job Corps Pause, Urges Trump Administration to Reverse Course

"'For more than 50 years, the program has provided a successful pathway for young low-income Americans to hold good-paying, high-skilled careers in high-growth industries like transportation and construction. As the largest nationwide residential career training program, Job Corps has educated more than 2 million workers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.'"

The Stripper's Bill of Rights, One Year Later

"The Strippers’ Bill of Rights was a law championed statewide by the dancer-led organizing group Strippers Are Workers and designed to codify worker protections for dancers in Washington, where state laws uniquely endangered them. Among those laws is a ban on alcohol in clubs, which incentivized club owners to make the majority of their money by charging dancers predatory fees and back-rent — a practice that could leave dancers indebted to the club they danced at."

Arizona Theatre Company Workers Vote Unanimously to Join IATSE Local 415

"As Arizona’s only League of Resident Theatres (LORT) professional regional theater, ATC produces a full season of plays each year, constructing sets in their Tucson shops and staging performances at the 623-seat Temple of Music and Art in Tucson and the Tempe Center for the Arts in the Phoenix area."

Stanton Creates New Congressional Caucus to Focus on Extreme Heat

"2024 was Phoenix’s hottest year on record. And heat-related deaths have skyrocketed in the last decade in Maricopa County, with 602 heat-related deaths last year."

Tucson Proclaimed June 3rd to be Arizona Jobs with Justice Day

"Arizona Jobs with Justice has served the Tucson community by standing with our union brothers and sisters and raising the voices of the working class."

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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]