Thurs. May 1 is International Labor Day, which has origins in American workers’ fight for shorter daily hours.
Nearly a dozen Arizona unions and pro-labor groups are planning to take part in a national May Day action against what organizers call a billionaire takeover of government.
Among those planning to march from the state Capitol to the federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix is the Arizona Education Association.
President Marisol Garcia said her union membership is up 15% in recent years. The middle school teacher also says she urges students wanting to become billionaires to not forget those whose work helped get them to the top.
“That you treat the people who work for you with dignity. That you pay them a thrivable wage. And you make sure they have health care and safe working conditions. And then you should enjoy your money as much as you’d like to be,” Garcia said.
The AFL-CIO, trade unions, immigrant rights and health care advocates are scheduled to join Garcia’s group.
Labor-themed events are also planned in New Mexico, Texas and North Carolina.
-
Last year, then-President Joe Biden came to the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona and apologized for the federal government’s 150-year campaign to assimilate Indigenous children through boarding schools. -
After being shut down "indefinitely" at the start of April, the registration portal of the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer is operational again. The registry is considered by many to be one of the largest and most promising efforts to further understand cancer risks among firefighters, including wildland firefighters. -
Tesla protests have been gathering at facilities around the Valley. A few years back, conservatives began boycotting Bud Lite. Both of these protests may be considered effective, but were they moral? -
DHS closed three accountability offices earlier this year — including those that monitor conditions in detention centers and investigate alleged human rights abuses. -
After months of delays, a program to help Arizonans with energy efficiency upgrades is set to launch. Households will be able to apply for rebates for appliances like heat pumps or electric stoves.
