John,

First, I want to acknowledge the news that is on many of our readers' minds this week. That is, the news that Roe v. Wade is likely to be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court this summer. In light of this, I wanted to uplift national AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler's statement from earlier this week in response to the leaked draft opinion:

"Access to health care without fear and intimidation is every person’s right. We must be able to control our own bodies—which has a direct impact on economic justice and the ability of working people to make a better life for themselves and their families. This leaked draft foreshadows an unstable future for the fundamental rights of Americans."

Secondly, I wanted to recognize the beginning of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. AAPI communities consist of more than 50 ethnic groups, speaking over 100 languages, with diverse histories, cultures, identities, and modern-day experiences. When the movement to annually recognize AAPI heritage began in the 1970s, the month of May was selected in commemoration of the Japanese immigrants who first arrived in the US in May of 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May of 1869, which was largely constructed by Chinese immigrants.

The AAPI community's collective struggle against state-sanctioned exclusion and exploitation is deeply ingrained in the fabric of America's labor movement. The work we do today was paved in part by leaders like Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itilong, Filipino labor organizers who were instrumental in the formation of the United Farm Workers Union, Sue Ko Lee, a Chinese American garment worker and labor organizer with the Chinese Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Association, and May Chen, who helped found the AFL-CIO’s Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and organized one of the largest work stoppages of AAPI workers in US history.

As we build on the success of our predecessors, we must continue the fight to ensure economic security and safety for AAPI workers, and remain vigilant in the fight against anti-Asian violence which has skyrocketed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report published by Stop AAPI Hate, there have been nearly 11,000 reported hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders between March 2020 and December 2021.

We must also ensure that Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians are not left behind in the long path toward economic recovery from the pandemic, as AAPI workers are more than twice as likely to struggle with unemployment compared to their white colleagues. 

Thank you for remaining committed to the fight for economic justice and equality.

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita
Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Campaign Manager (full-time, temporary)

We are looking to add a Campaign Manager to our team for the duration of our Labor 2022 program. The Campaign Manager, working in partnership with the AFL-CIO, Area Labor Federations, Affiliates, and Allies develops strategic year-round mobilization campaigns to support the federations’ goals. The Campaign Manager is responsible for the development, implementation, and management of the Arizona AFL-CIO’s Labor 2022 electoral campaign. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through May 6th at 5 PM.

Demand Starbucks STOP interfering with their workers’ right to join a union.

Starbucks claims their mission is to improve local communities one coffee at a time, and we believe respecting workers’ right to freely organize is the best way to accomplish this mission. Workers need a fair playing field. It's not up to Starbucks executives & management to decide whether workers can join a union -- that decision is for workers to make by and for themselves free of corporate union-busting tactics. Yes, our labor laws are in need of drastic reform, but RIGHT NOW we must demand that Starbucks not interfere in workers' efforts to freely organize. The ability to organize free of threats and coercion is a civil right fundamental to our country's democracy.

Stand with Starbucks workers today and demand Starbucks STOP interfering with workers’ right to join a union.

The Workers First Agenda

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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.

What the Labor Movement Can Learn From Its Past

"Throughout the pandemic, Kim Kelly, a labor journalist and organizer, has reported on these shifts, following coal miners, grocery-store workers, and Amazon-warehouse employees. In her new book, Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor, Kelly turns her focus away from the present to highlight past protests, strikes, and struggles. Synthesizing Kelly’s own reporting with archival and scholarly research, the book serves as a primer to introduce readers to historical events that are not widely known or taught in schools. I spoke twice with Kelly about the growth of unions during the pandemic and what the labor movement can learn from past struggles. Our conversations have been edited for length and clarity..."

Democrats Need to Fight Harder for Unions if They Want to Win

"Organized labor has been a crucial part of the Democratic coalition since the implementation of the New Deal in the 1930s, and the party has relied on union support ever since. But if Democrats don’t offer more than rhetoric and unfulfilled promises to union workers, they are going to be in for a rude awakening. Those voters will either stay home, or as many did during the 2020 election, vote for Republicans..."

Amazon Labor Union Loses Latest Vote One Month After Historic First

"Employees at a second Amazon warehouse on New York’s Staten Island voted against forming a union on Monday. The loss for the worker-led Amazon Labor Union (ALU) came just one month after it led a much larger Staten Island Amazon facility, known as JFK8, to become the first in the country to vote to join a union. The ALU announced the outcome on its Twitter page on Monday. “The count has finished. The election has concluded without the union being recognized at LDJ5—sortation center on Staten Island. The organizing will continue at this facility and beyond. The fight has just begun,” the tweet said..."

AFGE: 5 Ways to Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 

"May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. AFGE is happy to report that, for the first time, our union has an Asian American Pacific Islanders group specific to AFGE members... In recognition of the need to address the distinct problems, racism, and discrimination facing this group, AFGE’s National Executive Council in November adopted a resolution put forward by the Women’s and Fair Practices Departments to establish a new constituency group called APOWER, which stands for Asian Pacific Organized Workers Empowering Representation..."

Starbucks to Raise Wages, But Not For Unionized Employees

A month after his return to Starbucks as interim CEO, Howard Schultz has announced new benefits, including expanded training, improved sick leave and credit card tipping for some 240,000 Starbucks employees at more than 8,800 stores across the country — but not for those that are unionizing. "We do not have the same freedom to make these improvements at locations that have a union or where union organizing is underway," Schultz said on a conference call with shareholders on Tuesday.

Amazon Labor Union's Chris Smalls faces off against Sen. Graham on workers

The president of the Amazon Labor Union warned Sen. Lindsey Graham on Thursday that he risks ignoring the concerns of workers at his own political peril. At the opening of a Senate Banking Committee hearing focused on Amazon (AMZN), in which Graham used his initial remarks to blast the "demonization of individual companies," Christian Smalls — the Amazon Labor Union head who helped lead a successful union vote in Staten Island last month — told the panel's ranking Republican that it's in his "best interest" to listen to workers.

In Arizona, a repeal of Roe v. Wade could mean a near total ban on abortions. Here's what to know

"Overturning Roe v. Wade could have an immediate effect in Arizona, where the Republican governor and Legislature have passed a host of laws restricting abortion. The latest, approved last month, bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The new law provides no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, but it is less drastic than a law still on the books from the state's territorial days. That law — from the late 1800s — calls for mandatory prison time for abortion providers who perform the procedure at any point in a pregnancy. Both statutes could be in play with a repeal of Roe v. Wade...."

Two more Valley Starbucks locations vote to unionize

On Thursday, two valley Starbucks stores won their union elections. Here's the breakdown of the vote count:

🎉Avondale: Yes 17, No 3
🎉7th & Bell: Yes 7, No 6

The third vote count (Yes 6, No 8) for Scottsdale & Mayo was inconclusive. There are 8 challenged ballots that will determine the final outcome of the election.

Tucson labor movement keeps May Day tradition going strong

"...AFL-CIO Southern Arizona Field Director Ryan Kelly kicked off the event with chants of solidarity: 'You deserve a union! You deserve dignity! You deserve a raise!' He noted that we are at a time when big things are happening, citing the organizing drives at Amazon, Starbucks, and many other workplaces, and calling it 'an explosion of energy.' PALF Chair Trish Muir gave her May Day greetings but explained, 'This is not a new day—this is still 1886, when workers were fighting for an eight-hour day and against exploitation,' alluding to the original May Day actions in Chicago, adding that workers are still fighting for many of the same things workers fought for in the 19th century..."

Arizona to spend $400M on project to widen Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson

"A much anticipated plan to widen Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson took a major step after Gov. Doug Ducey signed a measure Wednesday dedicating $400 million to the project. The funding allows the state to tap into a federal infrastructure grant that, along with other taxpayer dollars, will cobble together the estimated $990 million price tag to widen the interstate to three lanes in both directions for the 26-mile stretch between Chandler and Casa Grande..."

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