The Arizona Democratic Party publicly declared its support for organized labor years ago, but now it is at odds with a union representing its own staff.
“As is often the case with progressive organizations, union recognition came quickly, but the collective bargaining agreement has not,” according to an April 24 statement from the nascent Arizona Democratic Party HQ Staff Union.
That came after the union took to social media to allege party leadership “continuously refuses to acknowledge that they are obligated to bargain with our union.”
“So what's really stalled negotiations is that leadership has taken an approach to negotiations that relies upon demand as opposed to making proposals, and so there's also a lack of preparation on their end that's been a barrier to productive bargaining,” said Natalye Tate, a spokesperson for the union.
ADP Union Members as management continuously refuses to acknowledge that they are obligated to bargain with our union.
— AZDP Organizing (@AZDPHQUnion) April 17, 2025
Trying to unfairly exclude staffers and make unilateral changes under the guise of "operational needs" is not acceptable. pic.twitter.com/9RHRgej9dm
The Arizona Democratic Party did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
But Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Robert Branscomb, who was elected in January, blamed the party’s old leadership team for leaving him with “an unresolved and complex staff unionization process.”
“Negotiations had stalled since the spring of 2024, with only a few tentative agreements in place. That responsibility now fell to me and my interim leadership team to finalize,” Branscomb wrote.
That statement was included in a lengthy email Branscomb sent to party members on April 19 that elicited criticism from top Arizona Democrats, including Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego. In the email, Branscomb blamed Kelly and past party leaders for disrupting his transition into the chairman’s role after he defeated former Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano in January.
Former Arizona Democratic Party Director Morgan Dick, who Branscomb fired, called his claims “riddled with inaccuracies.”
The union, too, disputes Branscomb’s characterization.
“Bargaining has been ongoing, the union has transparently communicated issues with the process since last year under previous leadership, and any setbacks have been continued under Branscomb’s leadership,” according to a statement.
Tate said the union has met party leadership eight times since November, when Bejarano still led the party. And, according to the union, half of those meetings were with the current leadership.
Tate said the union is asking for staff pay to include cost of living adjustments.
“Inflation affects everyone, and we believe every worker in every workplace should receive an annual cost of living adjustment,” she said. “We're really working to remind our management at the headquarters and Arizona workers that without a cost of living adjustment, any raises that we may secure mean less.”
Some Democratic party members and officials have pointed out that the state party’s apparent conflict with the union is at odds with the political positions it professes to represent.
In 2023, the Arizona Democratic Party adopted a “21st Century Economic Bill of Rights,” that included a commitment to organized labor.
The second tenet of that document affirmed support for “the right to a voice and protections in the workplace through a union and collective bargaining.”
“The [Arizona Democratic Party] is the party of working people and we must live out the values – starting in our own house. I urge party leadership to come to the bargaining table with ADP Union members in good faith,” Arizona Sen. Analise Ortiz (D-Phoenix) wrote on social media.
