Thursday(2/9) I will be attending Senator Murphy’s stakeholder meeting regarding his four Government Reform bills.  As a dedicated public employee, proud union member and representative of hard working and highly skilled public employees I was very disappointed to witness the proceedings last Wednesday at the Government Reform committee.  See more...

Attention ASPTEA Members, as you are all aware, the attack on our voice at the state legislature is crazy. Listed below you will find how to help. Share this with friends, family members and neighbors and have them follow the links below. At this moment we have had 11,000 people submit their voice to the legislators.  

 

Our efforts are making a difference,

 

Thank you so much for signing my petition to Arizona lawmakers and Gov. Jan Brewer, urging them to stop the attacks on firefighters, teachers, police officers and other hard-working public service workers.

 

The response on my petition has been stunning—nearly 11,000 signatures so far! Now, I need your help to ratchet up the pressure. Click here to send e-mails to your Arizona legislators:
http://act.aflcio.org/c/120/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=3588

 

 

It was almost a year ago that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and their political allies launched an all-out assault on firefighters, nurses, teachers and other public service workers.

 

 

Now, extreme Arizona lawmakers are pushing a package of bills that are even worse—they would take away all collective bargaining rights from public workers.

Can you send an e-mail to your legislators? Take action:

http://act.aflcio.org/c/120/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=3588

Corporate politicians are pushing these bills to scapegoat working families and fulfill their extreme, right-wing agenda—to the detriment of our schools and the health and safety of our communities.

 

 

These bills are not about the budget and they’re not about jobs. They’re about satisfying deep-pocketed donors and right-wing organizations like the Goldwater Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council to further their political agenda to help the 1%.

 

Click here to send a strong message to Arizona lawmakers that instead of attacking public service workers, we must focus on what’s best for all of us:

http://act.aflcio.org/c/120/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=3588

 

We need to tackle tough problems by sitting down together, not engaging in political games. Together, we can stand up to this corporate-funded assault and protect firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses and other public service workers who keep our communities safe and strong.

Jason joined many other employee representatives to oppose Senate Bills 1484, 1485, 1486 and 1487.   These bills would end union release time, dues deductions and make Meet & Confer illegal.  They have been put on tomorrows agenda for the Senate Government Reform Committee and are scheduled to be heard at 9:00 a.m.   See More...

Lt. Mark R. Hafkey, President
February 2, 2012

 

 

 Call to Action – Protect Your Pension, Your Pay and Your Benefits!

 

Republicans in the Arizona State Legislature first went after your pension benefits, and now, they’re after your collective voice.  If you haven’t heard, there are four Senate Bills making their way through the legislature designed to cripple your ability to maintain the pay and benefits you have.  

 

Senate Bills 1484, 1485, 1486 and 1487 passed through the Senate Government Reform Committee yesterday after heated debate and are now headed to the Rules and Committee and the Senate Floor.  These bills, written and brought by the Goldwater Institute (the same organization suing PLEA over bargained for benefits), are designed to put public sector employee associations out of business.   Legislators are being misled about Arizona bargaining rights and the Goldwater Institute is painting a picture of union rights that does not exist in this state.   Some of the important facts left out by the lobbyists for the Goldwater Institute include:

 

·         Arizona is a right to work state making membership in an association voluntary.

·         Municipalities are not forced to provide increase pay and benefits and have the final say on all negotiations.

·         Unlike the private sector, we can’t strike, and we can’t get involved in local elections.

 

Our bargaining process simply allows the City to get input from their employees through their respective labor association.   The process has worked well in Phoenix for 35 years without any interference from the State Legislature. 

 

This is an all-out attack on you and your rights to input on your pay and benefits.  What these legislators are conveying is that you can risk your life, and in some cases give your life, but just take what we give you and shut up!

 

Make no mistake about it, this is PPSLA’s top priority and should be yours.  Removing employee representation will result in diminished pay and benefits.  PPSLA is working with our national affiliate (NAPO), several state groups, and the other City of Phoenix employee associations to combat these malicious attacks.  We will continue fighting for your rights, but we need your help.  This is not the time for indifference; this is the time to act.   

 

If you don’t act now, don’t wonder later where your pay and benefits went.

 

Please contact your state senator and ask him/her to vote NO on these bills.  Let him/her know that we have taken voluntary concessions, we are doing more with less, and we are being seriously injured and killed at a higher rate than ever.  Ask them why you don’t deserve the same rights as every other worker in America?  Ask why are you a second class citizen? 

 

To find your legislator, follow this link: http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=S. 

 

You can find additional information about the above bills at the links below.  See also the attached related article.

 

SB 1484  Paycheck Deductions

SB 1485  Unions; Public Employees; Prohibitions

SB 1486  Public Employees; Activities; Unions; Compensation

SB 1487  Government Employees; Union Dues; Withholding

 

Thank you for your support.

 

Checkout the  Legislative Update 2/1/12...

In todays movement our nation is being given a dogma that is very sophisticated at targeting people. This marketing strategy is persuading innocent people into believing that presidents, labor and middle class people are causing our problems. When in reality a small subversive group of people or persons are behind the most disguised enterprise humanity has ever seen. They manipulate our daily lives with heartfelt phrases like, freedom, prosperity and choice. Any American will usually fight to the death when these words are used and are being threatened.   To show what this is about watch the link below and let it speak for its self. http://astroturfwars.com/

by
Will Buividas, PLEA Treasurer/Chief Negotiator

Mr. DiCiccio, your email blasts across the Valley have made it clear that you’re concerned about “services to libraries, seniors, children and parks” and how budget restraints have negatively impacted them.  Read More...

Global Corp Are Scheming to Rewrite Your Rights and Boost their Revenue

Through the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council, global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try to rewrite state laws that govern your rights. These so-called "model bills" reach into almost every area of American life and often directly benefit huge corporations. Through ALEC, corporations have "a VOICE and a VOTE" on specific changes to the law that are then proposed in your state. DO YOU?

 

 

Alec Exposed home page

When the rest of the working stiff is being hammered for their alleged over paid and excess Pension plans, the Rich are having a Merry Christmas. Here is a local example of the underground arrogance of the Rich and Powerful, to snub their noses at the working man and calling their actions justified. Have a great holiday!

 

 

 

 

Glendale human resources director got pay raise, bonus...

Task Force Recommendations, Reports and News(December 6)

Phoenix pension changes propose(AZCentral)

  

 

 

Thanks for your support..

AFSCME and Dr. King

by Ginger Rough - Nov. 28, 2011 08:11 PM

The Arizona Republic

Arizona's state lawmakers are especially receptive to corporate money and influence, according to a new report from two liberal-leaning advocacy groups.

The 100-page report strives to show how the American Legislative Exchange Council uses "its resources to shepherd legislation from the corporate boardroom to the governor's desk," said Marge Baker, executive vice president at the Washington D.C,-based People for the American Way Foundation.

ALEC describes itself as a nonpartisan national association of state legislators.

Critics, however, say it is a conservative-based partisan organization that brings together about 300 large corporations and 2,000 predominately Republican legislators on task forces to produce model bills.

Lawmakers then take those bills back to their state legislatures in hopes of passing them into law.

The groups released the report, "ALEC in Arizona: The Voice of Corporate Special Interests in the Halls of Arizona's Legislature," as ALEC prepares to hold its "States and Nation Policy Summit" in Scottsdale, beginning Wednesday.

More than 50 Arizona lawmakers are members of the group. Arizona corporations that provide financial support to ALEC include the Salt River Project, Taser International, and Pinnacle West Capital Corp., the parent company of Arizona Public Services Co., the state's largest utility company.

"There's no way ordinary citizens can match the level of access and influence that ALEC provides to these corporations," Baker said. "So Arizonans are subjected to laws that serve the interests of the rich and powerful."

But Kaitlyn Buss, an ALEC spokeswoman, said the organization is merely a "resource" for lawmakers.

"Our main goal and focus is to promote free market, limited government and federalism (ideals)," Buss said. "We do have model legislation. It's a main part of what we do, but that doesn't give it priority over anything else that might be introduced at the Legislature."

The report includes side-by-side comparisons of dozens of "model bills" generated at ALEC conferences, and those introduced at the Arizona Legislature.

In Arizona, lawmakers passed 19 of the 36 model bills introduced in 2010, ALEC officials said.

Typically, ALEC model legislation -- including those highlighted in the report -- focus on anti-immigration, anti-union, and anti-federal health-care reform initiatives.

Occupy Phoenix and other anti-ALEC groups plan to protest what they believe is excessive corporate influence at the state Legislature at the organization's conference, which is being held at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2011/11/28/20111128arizona-lawmakers-corporate-money.html#ixzz1f6WEG4iy

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