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John, |
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In recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month and the Celebration of the 35th Anniversary of Jobs With Justice in Tucson, AZ. We would like to honor the work and accomplishments of Steve Valencia. Steve’s life has been dedicated to fighting for workers’ rights, justice, and solidarity. He is one of the founders and now Co-Chair of Arizona Jobs With Justice, a campaign for workers’ rights that has had an incredible impact, especially in the Tucson area. Born in East Los Angeles, CA., Steve and his future wife, Mita Cuaron, were part of the student organizers in the 1968 L.A. Walkouts. A social protest in March of that year, where thousands of high school students of Mexican descent in East Los Angeles walked out of school in protest, to fight for justice and equality for Chicano students. Steve moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1971, where he soon became a member of the United Steel Workers at Anamex Mining Co. Later, while serving on the Executive Board of Local 691, he was part of the historic three-year strike against Phelps-Dodge from 1983 to 1986--an experience that shaped his lifelong commitment to standing up against corporate power and fighting for working families. In 1990, in the offices of CWA Local 7026, Steve helped form the Tucson Jobs With Justice organizing committee. Inspired by leaders like Freda McGrath and Larry Cohen, Steve embraced the mission of Jobs With Justice to fight corporate greed, build union power, and foster solidarity between labor and the community. In 2000, Steve organized the Brewster Center, an agency that helps women and families with housing and transitioning from domestic violence. He organized them in one year and members ratified a collective bargaining agreement with a 99% ratification vote. Since then, Steve has dedicated decades to strengthening the labor movement in Arizona. He’s a delegate to the Pima Area Labor Federation, a founder of the Salt of the Earth Labor College, and continues to create spaces where workers can learn, organize, and fight for their rights. In fact, right now, he’s helping support residential construction workers as they organize for union representation, working hand in hand with the Bricklayers and the Painters Union Local 86. The list of those whom Steve has helped, taught, and mentored is way too long to count right now, but I would like to take a point of personal privilege to say thank you for everything you have done for me personally, for labor, and our community!
Steve Valencia was a recipient of the Sam E. Newsome Activist of the Year Award at our 2025 Labor Day Luncheon. Click on the photo below to view a video about him created by IATSE 336 Members MiLo and Paul Stapleton-Smith. ⤵️ |
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Fred Yamashita Secretary-Treasurer Executive Director |
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UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIONS |
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Celebrating 35 Years of Jobs With Justice
This year, we were honored by both the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the City of Tucson, recognizing 35 years of organizing, advocacy, and solidarity across Arizona. We are deeply proud of this milestone and grateful to everyone who has walked with us on this journey past and present.
Join us as we celebrate with food, cake, music, and community while recommitting to “Standing in Solidarity” with our union brothers and sisters and the continued fight for workers’ rights.
In honor of our 35 years, we invite friends and supporters to contribute $35 for 35 years. Your support helps us keep building worker power for the next 35 years and beyond. Contributions can be made at the event by check or credit card. We hope you will join us in celebrating 35 years of solidarity, justice, and community power! |
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Workers' Affordability Town Hall with Congresswoman Ansari 9/27
Join Rep. Yasamin Ansari and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) for a Workers’ Affordability Town Hall to discuss the One Big Ugly Bill and its impact on working people.
📅 Date: Saturday, September 27
From cuts to Medicaid to immigration, and the need for heat protections for workers, hear from our elected officials, union representatives, and organizers on the work being done to raise standards for workers and make Arizona a safer, more equitable place for all.
RSVP is required for admission to the venue. Please fill out the form below to reserve your spot! |
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Starbucks Workers United Tucson Practice Picket
Starbucks Workers United Workers in Arizona are asking for your support. This weekend, Starbucks is closing 600 stores and putting Baristas and other Starbucks Workers on the street. We're fighting back! Please join us for a Practice Picket in Tucson on Monday 9/29 to show the company that we will not back down. The company has stalled on contract negotiations for one year. It would take one day of National Sales to settle our contract. Yet, the Company chooses to pay the CEO 6,666 more than the average worker, close stores, and put workers on the street. We are prepared to strike if we have to. Please find the attached flyer to share with your networks. |
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Dorothy Day - Living a Life of Radical Devotion
Join the Catholic Labor Network at a special program celebrating the life and legacy of Servant of God Dorothy Day. This free program is an opportunity for people of all faiths, especially workers and labor advocates, to connect with Catholic community and clergy. The event seeks to highlight how the Catholic Church's Social Doctrine provides a foundation for supporting workers in their struggles for safe and just working conditions.
If you have additional questions, please reach out to Phillip Tabbita at [email protected]. |
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ALTO's October Training Series
We invite you to join the Arizona Labor Trafficking Outreach Project (ALTO) October Labor Trafficking Training Series. This free three-part series is open to all service providers, law enforcement, and community leaders interested in learning more about labor trafficking, its impact on workers, and strategies for prevention and response.
Each session can be attended individually, but you are welcome to join one, two, or all three depending on your intesest and availability. |
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We Say No Kings on October 18th
On October 18th, millions of people are rising against to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.
Event Details: Wednesday, August 18th Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Location: Arizona Stat Capitol, 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ |
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CLUW- September Membership Meeting - Oct. 23rd
Register for the upcoming CLUW Membership Meeting on October 23, 2025 at 7:00 PM virtually via Zoom - more info to come!
The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) Arizona Chapter serves the Greater Western Arizona, including Maricopa, Pinal, Yavapai, Gila, Pima, Mohave, Santa Cruz, Cochise, Apache, Coconino, Navajo, and Yuma counties. |
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Stand With International Journalists Working in the U.S.
NewsGuild-CWA members and supporters of a free press oppose recent rules that would restrict journalists operating in the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a rule that would shorten the duration of visas for foreign journalists working in the U.S. The proposal would reduce the visa duration from stays of up to five years down to just eight months. This would create instability for foreign correspondents and their families and reduce the quality of news coverage coming from the United States. Take a few minutes to submit a public comment and tell DHS how this proposed rule change will harm your work and the United States, which should stand in support of a free and independent press. |
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Thank Your Senator for Co-Sponsoring the Protect America's Workforce Act
Labor Organized and helped introduce a bipartisan bill in Congress to overturn Trump's Executive Order that stripped away the right to collectively bargain, and we're close to the signatures needed to bring it to the floor for a vote.
Now the Protect America’s Workforce Act has been introduced in the Senate—and your senators have both signed on as co-sponsors. This is incredible news, and we want to show our appreciation. Make a call to thank them!
Recognizing when elected officials do the right thing by supporting workers will encourage them to speak out for our federal workers and encourage more senators to support the bill. And it will go a long way toward helping ensure that they’ll continue to stand with workers. |
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CALL: Stop Looming Health Care Price Spikes!
On Nov. 1, Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces in most states will begin to open for enrollment for next year.
Unless Congress acts, more than 90% of people enrolled in ACA health care plans will see out-of-pocket premiums jump by 75% on average. Millions could lose coverage altogether when a key tax credit drops at the end of the year. And higher costs for Affordable Care Act health care plans ultimately will result in higher health care costs for everyone—including people who get their health insurance through their jobs. The last thing families need is health care bills soaring at a time when we’re also dealing with rising food, housing, electricity, gas and other costs.
Congress must act. Please make a call to tell your senators and representative to stop the health care price spike NOW! Call 855-493-4407.
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Vote Yes on Prop 50
The California Labor Federation is looking for volunteers to either phonebank or canvass for Prop 50. Donald Trump and his MAGA allies have been attacking workers and our families and now they want to rig the 2026 elections.
Yes on Prop 50 will allow us to protect California and their families. |
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No Contract, No Coffee! Pledge to Act in Solidarity with Starbucks Workers United
Support Starbucks baristas in their fight for a union and fair contract, and pledge not to cross the picket line by not patronizing any Starbucks store when baristas are on strike. |
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Support Wells Fargo Workers Forming a Union with the CWA and Fighting for a First Union Contract!
Wells Fargo workers are forming a union to improve working conditions that will also improve your customer experience. |
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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]. |
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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. 📖 Read Along September: The House on Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone⤵️ |
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OPINION |
Arizona Retirees Support Clean Energy and Storage for A Reliable Future
"As executive director of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans, I spend every day working to protect the health, security, and dignity of Arizona’s retirees. One of the issues we hear about most is the rising cost of living—especially utility bills that strain fixed incomes. That’s why the Cactus Flower solar and storage project in Pinal County is such an important opportunity for our state."
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Trump's Attacks on Federal Workers Are Attacks on Black Workers. The Labor Movement is Fighting Back
"Now, as president, Trump has taken drastic steps to turn the Project 2025 agenda into a frightening reality. In addition to appointing Vought, he gave the world’s wealthiest person, Elon Musk, unfettered access to federal data and systems while his team of inexperienced groupies slashed core government functions and the workers who supported them—the more cruel and random the better."
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NATIONAL NEWS |
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AFL-CIO on Trump's Mass Firings Plan at Federal Agencies Ahead of a Possible Government Shutdown
"This administration must fix the mounting health care crisis and find a funding solution now to avoid a costly government shutdown. We urge the administration to get to work. Time is running out."
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The Teacher Pay Penalty Reached a Record High in 2024
"Over the past three decades, stagnant weekly wages of public school teachers have fallen further and further behind those of college graduates who chose other careers, resulting in an ever increasing teacher pay gap that hit a record high in 2024."
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Wells Fargo Workers Push to Bring A Union to the Banking Industry
"These workers, a total of 200, are a small fraction of Wells Fargo’s 217,000 employees. But their organizing represents the first formal union effort since the company’s founding in 1852. And their success is even more notable in an almost entirely non-union industry."
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Windmill Mushroom Boycott Gains Momentum
"Energy is building around the United Farm Workers-led boycott of Windmill Mushrooms, initiated in response to years of union-busting and mistreatment of farmworkers by the company’s current and past owners. Earlier this month, the Oregon AFL-CIO joined the Washington State Labor Council in endorsing the boycott, urging union families and all supporters of working people in the Pacific Northwest to stand with mushroom workers."
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Farm Workers Already Face Harsh Conditions. Now They May Have to Deal with A Pay Cut
"Hard-line immigration policy, climate change, and labor shortages are colliding to create a real problem for U.S. farms."
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6 ADOT Workers Honored for Forming Human Chain to Save Woman from Canal Water
"A medal of valor is ADOT’s highest honor for its workers, and Jennifer Toth, its director, presented the distinctive medallions and framed certificates."
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Adelita Grijalva Wins Special Election, Becoming First Arizona Latina in Congress
"Grijalva’s daughter Adelina, surrounded by dozens of students holding signs reading “History made!” was the first person to announce Grijalva’s victory. “She’s always here for us just as she’s always here for Southern Arizona,” Adelina said."
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Arizona's Minimum Wage to Rise Again in 2026, Marking Decade of Annual Increases
"In 2016, Arizona voters approved Proposition 206, which raised the minimum wage from $8.05 an hour to $10 and increased it in annual increments to $12 in 2020. Prop 206 then required the minimum wage to be adjusted annually for inflation based off August CPI numbers. The law requires the increased minimum wage be rounded to the nearest five cents."
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National Hispanic Heritage Month |
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Thank you for reading the Arizona Labor Dispatch! Can you help us grow our readership by sharing our sign-up form? |
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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] |
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