john,

‘The strike that stunned the country.’ Read the headline of the March 30,1970 issue of Time Magazine. Almost 33 years ago Postal workers were dealing with pay issues and a general disrespect for the work they do and how the public, to this day, takes for granted the services the workers of the USPS provides to us on a daily basis. 

Currently with nine collective bargaining agreements covering some 550,000 career employees, the fight for dignity and respect in the workplace continues for postal workers. 

After many years of fighting off political attacks, President Biden has kept his promise and signed the Postal Service Reform Act which has helped stabilize the postal service health and retirement funds long into the future, and with that has secured more confidence in the essential services that the hard working postal workers provide. But it has taken the sacrifice and courage of many postal workers before us to get to where we are today!

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita
Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

2023 ALF-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil & Human Rights Conference

There is still so much work left to be done to advance civil and human rights, both across the country and inside our own labor movement. We hope you will join us for this engaging, inspiring and educational experience.

When: January 13-16, 2023

Where: Washington, D.C.

2023 Union Plus Scholarship

Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $5 million to students of union families. Over 3,500 union families have benefited from our commitment to higher education.

This program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation, which is sponsored by Union Privilege.

The Union Plus Education Foundation is funded in part by donations from Capital One N.A., the provider of the Union Plus Credit Card (You do not need to be a Union Plus Credit Card holder to apply for this scholarship.)

Deadline: 12:00 PM (Noon, Eastern Standard Time), Tuesday, January 31, 2023.

The NLRB is Underfunded by $94 MILLION

The National Labor Relations Board is in a funding crisis. We need a fully funded NLRB to investigate unfair labor practices and conduct union elections. Without the NLRB, we can't hold corporations accountable o build worker power through stronger unions.

Take two minutes to send a letter to your senators to demand funding from the NLRB.

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].

Learning From the Southwest Airlines Fiasco

"Surprisingly, it wasn't mainly about greed. "

New Year is Time for Fresh Start, Chamber Excited to Work With Hobbs 

“Arizona enters 2023 in one of the most competitive economic positions in recent memory, thanks to significant policy wins last session. Let’s not let our progress and momentum be hindered by dwelling on an election that was settled legitimately a month ago. Let’s resolve to leave the election lawsuits and inflammatory rhetoric in 2022. "

N.C. Chick-fil-A Fined After Paying Workers with Free Meals Instead of a Wage

“The violation was among several at the restaurant, according to a Wednesday news release by the Labor Department, and it received a $6,450 fine. The Labor Department said the Hendersonville Chick-fil-A allowed three workers under the age of 18 to operate a trash compactor, in violation of federal child-labor regulations that prohibit employing minors to perform hazardous jobs."

Nurses Authorize Strike at Major NYC Hospitals; Will it Happen?  

"The nurses’ union says that the labor action may be necessary because hospitals have stretched nurses’ ranks so thin that it’s endangering patients’ health and safety. The hospitals say that care won’t be compromised if there is a strike, and that they’re negotiating in good faith to prevent one from happening. "

Minimum Wage is Going Up in 23 States as $15 An Hour Gains Steam

“Over the past year, historically strong wage growth hasn’t kept pace with skyrocketing inflation, leaving millions of low- to middle-income Americans struggling to pay their bills. Starting New Year’s Day, the lowest-paid workers will make up a good chunk of that lost ground. Twenty-one states and 41 cities and counties are poised to raise their minimum wages on or about Jan. 1, according to a report provided exclusively to USA TODAY by the National Employment Law Project (NELP), a worker advocacy group."

Farmworkers Brace for More Time in the Shadows After Latest Effort Fails in Congress 

"The Senate proposal — a version of which had passed the House — would have made key changes to the existing H-2A temporary visa program for agricultural workers. It would have provided visas to employers who currently can't use them, modified wage requirements and offered some protections for laborers. It also would have created a path to legal status for certain workers."

Democrat Wins Arizona Attorney General Race After Recounts

“A recount of votes has confirmed Democrat Kris Mayes narrowly defeated Republican Abraham Hamadeh in the Arizona attorney general’s race, one of the closest elections in state history."

Women Making Up More of Arizona's Construction Workforce

“Numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show women make up 15.6% of the construction workforce in Arizona. That proportion of women in the industry is second behind Washington D.C.”

Hobbs Retains Arizona Water Director, Appoints New Leaders for Other Natural Resources Agencies 

"Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs is retaining the state's top water official, keeping Tom Buschatzke on board as director of the Department of Water Resources at a time when water issues are of paramount concern in Arizona. Buschatzke is one of five appointments Hobbs announced Wednesday as she continues to build out her Cabinet ahead of her Jan. 2 inauguration."

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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 Director Fred Yamashita at [email protected]