John,

I wanted to share with you a few words from this morning's Labor Day Breakfast event:

"Good morning Sisters and Brothers, Siblings,

I’m Fred Yamashita, the Executive Director of the AZ AFL-CIO, welcome!

Thank you, President Shuler for your words of encouragement!

Most of you know that we unexpectedly lost AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka on August 6, 2021. We were honored to have President Trumka as our keynote speaker at the 2018 Labor Day Breakfast and as we remember our brother this morning, President Biden recently paid the ultimate tribute to Rich by posthumously recognizing Richard L. Trumka with the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Job well done Brother, you fought the good fight!

I would also like to take this time to congratulate President Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond on their historic election at the National Convention in June as the first woman and first African American to lead the AFL-CIO, Congratulations!

So, welcome to the AZ AFL-CIO 2022 Labor Day Breakfast! I want to thank our hosts, UA Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 469, Business Manager Aaron Butler and Local 469 Members for opening up their beautiful Hall to us this morning! It’s great to be in the House of Labor! I want to thank our AZ AFL-CIO officers, Secretary Treasurer and President of ATU Local 1433 Bob Bean, President and UFCW Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin and Executive Vice President and Business Manager of IBEW Local 640, Dean Wine, thank you all for your leadership I want to thank all of our generous sponsors for today’s breakfast and I want to thank all of you for being here this morning!

For the past few years, we all have been challenged, pushed to the edge, in every way imaginable and then some. The pandemic, the economy, the politics affecting every part of ours and our families’ lives.

Many lost jobs, as we saw business after business close, many of us lost friends and family members, but life went on.

And as we continue to recover from it all, there is no denying the human spirit. And there is no denying the spirit of Solidarity.

Whether it was UA 469 willing to step up to retro fit medical facilities to create much needed beds during the thick of the pandemic, or IBEW State Association raising over $10,000 dollars for food and supplies to be delivered to the Navajo Nation who had been devastated by Covid. Which inspired the National AFL-CIO, Teamsters 104, UFCW 99, Southwest Service Administrators to donate over $35 thousand more dollars to the Navajo and Hopi Nations and UNITE/HERE who lost over 95% of their members in the hospitality industry. Or whether it was the Pima Area Labor Federation securing and distributing 37,000lbs of food to the Tucson community, or the Maricopa Area Labor Federation working with Labor Community Services Agency to raise and distribute emergency relief funds for IATSE, SAG/AFTRA and AFM members as the entertainment industry was completely shut down and their members were out of work. Or those same UNITE/HERE members making the difference, working with our Community Allies to win important senate races here in Arizona and then in Georgia!

As the saying goes, “Not all heroes wear capes!” and I’m looking at a room full of Heroes right now! Give yourselves a round of applause!"

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita
Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

PALF 24th Annual Labor Day Picnic 

After a three-year hiatus, we would like to invite you to join in on the solidarity and fun with the Pima Area Labor Federation for some free food, live music, and fun as we come together in celebration of working people across Southern Arizona. Hear the latest from our local unions, about worker victories, and the fights ahead. Learn about union apprenticeship programs, and who our local unions represent across sectors and industries.

• When: September 5th, 2022 from 10:00am to 2:00pm
• Where: Kennedy Park Fiesta Area- Tucson, AZ

Labor Day: A Tribute to Workers 

American Federation of Musicians Local 586 are holding concerts throughout Labor Day Weekend at the Phoenix Center of the Arts and Thunderbird Arts Center.

Labor 2022 Launch Phone Bank & Canvass 

We would personally like to invite you to our Labor 2022 Launch as we continue our work towards electing labor-friendly candidates. Progressive leaders will speak and motivate our activist before phone banking and canvassing takes place. We will provide lunch and look forward to your attendance.

• When: September 10th, 2022 from 10:00am to 3:00pm
• Where: Painters Union Hall - 210 N. 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ

2022 AFL-CIO Member Survey

The National AFL-CIO wants to know what issues are important to you-- good jobs, a strong economy, secure rights, and more.

Please let us know by taking our brief survey, and share it with your friends, family, and coworkers.

"Proud Union Home" Signs

Don't leave all your union pride at work and make sure to bring some home! The Arizona AFL-CIO will soon make available yard signs that confidently state "Proud Union Home" in order to make sure you state an advocate for unions even after work. We appreciate all your support and home you bring your union pride home!

Please email our Political Director, Joe Murphy, to reserve your Proud Union Home sign at [email protected].

On Labor Day, Democrats and Unions Should Recall Their Shared History

"In the summer of 1894, a Democratic Congress easily passed and a Democratic president promptly signed a bill making Labor Day a holiday for federal workers."

Unions are Growing More Popular. Democrats Should Talk About That

“Labor unions are one of those issues in which there is an unambiguous distinction between the two parties: Democrats like unions, Republicans hate them. In places where Democrats run the government, conditions are reasonably favorable for labor organizing. Republican states make it as hard as possible for unions to form and grow."

U.S. Approval of Labor Unions at Highest Point Since 1965

“Seventy-one percent of Americans now approve of labor unions. Although statistically similar to last year's 68%, it is up from 64% before the pandemic and is the highest Gallup has recorded on this measure since 1965.”

Teacher strikes in Washington are illegal, but still Occurring in King County

“Washington state law establishes that teacher strikes are illegal, but they are still occurring in the Kent School District and may happen in Seattle Public Schools. The Kent School District has had to delay the start of school for the 25,000 students as the Kent Education Association declared a strike seeking a contract that focuses on class size, caseload, mental health services for students and higher salary for educators. The Seattle Education Association voted recently to authorize a potential strike as the contract between the teachers union and the district expires Wednesday.”

Tesla Illegally Restricted Union Shirts, Labor Board Rules

“Tesla Inc. violated labor law by restricting employees from wearing pro-union shirts, the National Labor Relations Board ruled, overturning a Trump-era precedent that took a narrower view.  “Wearing union insignia, whether a button or a t-shirt, is a critical form of protected communication,” NLRB Chairman Lauren McFerran said in a statement Monday after the 3-2 ruling by the agency’s Democratic majority. “For many decades, employees have used insignia to advocate for their workplace interests -- from supporting organizing campaigns, to protesting unfair conditions in the workplace.”

Minimum Wages to Surge with State, Local Laws Tied to Inflation

“Inflation-based minimum wage increases that are baked into many city and state laws cost businesses a few cents more per hour in a typical year, but this year’s unusually high inflation threatens to drive hourly wage jumps of $1 or more in some locales. Automatic increases tied to inflation will take effect in about a dozen states in 2023, plus about twice as many cities and counties, most of them pegged to growth in the Consumer Price Index. Many of those states will make announcements in October or November of what new, inflation-based wage floors will be starting Jan. 1.”

Arizona Supreme Court Rules State Senate can Keep Election Audit Records Secret

“The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the state Senate can keep hundreds of secret emails and other records related to its partisan review of the 2020 election because they are “privileged” and exempt from disclosure under state public records law.”

Arizona Teachers Face a 32% Pay Penalty, Among the Worst in the Nation

“Arizona has one of the biggest teacher pay gaps in the nation. Public school teachers across the country are paid significantly less than their similarly-educated counterparts, and a new report from the Economic Policy Institute shows that teachers in Arizona faced a 32% wage penalty in 2021 compared to college-educated workers employed in other fields. Arizona has the fourth-largest teacher pay gap in the nation, behind only Colorado at almost 36%, Oklahoma at 32.8% and Virginia at 32.7%.”

Arizona Supreme Court Rules 'Dark Money' and Medical Debt Measures Can Stay on the November Ballot

“Arizonans will be able to vote in November on two controversial ballot measures even though petition circulators did not comply with the law, the state Supreme Court ruled late Wednesday. In separate orders, the justices said those who gather signatures for money are required to register with the Secretary of State’s Office for each petition campaign for which they work. And Chief Justice Robert Brutinel said that did not happen in either the initiative to require disclosure of “dark money” in politics or another to cap medical debt payments. But Brutinel pointed out that the Secretary of State’s Office provided no procedure for those already registered to circulate other petitions to submit new registrations. He said that made it physically impossible for circulators to comply with the law.”

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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  Executive DirectorFred Yamashita at [email protected]