John,

As you may have heard, earlier this week the Biden Administration announced its intention to revoke Arizona’s occupational safety and health plan after the State’s failure to meet basic federal health and safety guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We’ve long been aware of the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH)’s reluctance to implement tangible protections for Arizona’s workers. Just last year, ADOSH refused to follow federal OSHA’s temporary infectious disease standard, which aimed to protect working Arizonans from COVID-19 while on-the-job.

The importance of occupational safety cannot be overstated. Each year, thousands of American workers are killed and millions suffer injury or illness due to dangerous working conditions. Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the inextricable link between workplace safety and the health of our communities. Among the nearly 30,000 Arizonans who lost their lives after contracting COVID-19 are countless frontline and essential workers.

As I stated earlier this week in an official press release, ADOSH has completely abdicated its responsibility to protect working Arizonans by refusing to implement even minimal protections from aerosolized infectious disease, despite the inextricable link between workplace safety and COVID-19. 

When Arizona’s labor movement mobilized to elect President Joe Biden in 2020, we did so with the goal of securing a swift response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Wednesday’s announcement marks an important step toward accountability on behalf of working Arizonans. 

We will be sure to keep our readers up to date on this important development, and we will not stop fighting until ALL people are safe at work.

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita
Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

We're hiring a Full-Time Communications & Operations Director!

Our current Communications & Operations Director, Drake Ridge, will be leaving the Arizona AFL-CIO in May to pursue another opportunity in Arizona's labor movement. As such, we are looking to fill this position starting May 23rd, 2022.

The Communications & Operations Director will be responsible for managing all internal and external communications from the State Federation, Maricopa Area Labor Federation, Arizona AFL-CIO Constituency Groups, and Labor-Oriented Coalitions. We will be accepting applications for this position through April 30th at 5 PM. 

Tell General Motors: Pay Workers in Mexico a Living Wage!

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Sign up to volunteer for Labor 2022

The Labor 2022 program is where union members contact other union members about the importance of voting for Arizona's Labor's endorsed candidates. We know that when we have these important conversations with voters, we can win elections. By talking to union households about our shared values, we can elect champions for Arizona's workers and in turn, make real progress for working people. Sign up today to join our Labor 2022 program.

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