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.
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This time around, the festival is tied to funding from a Smithsonian initiative where each state is responsible for hosting a single folklife event this year, in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary. -
The 16th annual "Conservation in the West" poll by Colorado College revealed that voters across the political spectrum are concerned by the Trump administration's cuts to public land management. -
The BIA, which is responsible for overseeing trust responsibilities with 575 federally recognized tribes, focused on reducing its own workforce through mass layoffs and hiring freezes within the Interior Department – much like agencies elsewhere. -
Arizonans are speaking out after the Trump administration announced it would rescind the key scientific finding that allows the Environmental Protection Agency to put limits on carbon pollution. -
Last September, the Trump administration announced major cuts to Minority-Serving Institutions, including so-called Hispanic-Serving Institutions. There are 21 of those in Arizona.
