john, 

The legislation to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday was first introduced by Michigan Congressman John Conyers just four days after the assassination of Dr. King in Memphis, TN, on April 4, 1968. 

In 1979, on the 50th anniversary of King’s birth, the bill finally came to a vote in the House. However, even with a petition of 300,000 signatures in support, the backing of President Jimmy Carter, and testimonials from King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, the bill was rejected by five votes in the House. Republican Missouri Congressman Gene Taylor led the opposition, which cited the costs of an additional federal holiday and traditions that exclude private citizens from receiving recognition with public holidays named in their honor. 

Singer Stevie Wonder joined the movement, along with Coretta Scott King and the Congressional Black Caucus, to continue the fight for the national holiday. Wonder even wrote a song, ‘Happy Birthday To You,’ to bring attention to the struggle. 

The bill made it to the House floor once again in 1983, this time with overwhelming support, with more than six million signatures to petition for the national holiday! 

The bill easily passed the House 338 to 90 but met immediate opposition in the Senate led by North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, who ran a smear campaign against Dr. King, which was largely dismissed as a baseless racial attack. After two days of debate, the bill passed the Senate and was then reluctantly signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983. This marked the first time a federal holiday was established to commemorate the life of an African American.

Despite the federal recognition, several states have worked to undermine the significance of the MLK observance by creating other ‘holidays’ to coincide with MLK. 

Arizona was the last state to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a state holiday in 1986 by Governor Bruce Babbitt, though it was very short-lived. In 1987 the incoming Governor, Evan Mecham, promptly rescinded Arizona’s MLK Day, declaring that it was illegal. Then-Senate Minority Leader Alan Stephens called the Governor’s action “a major embarrassment to the state.” 

It ultimately took a threat from the National Football League to withhold the 1996 Super Bowl, which was awarded to Arizona, several years in advance, to bring local politicians and businesses to give in to the financial pressure, including other major boycotts of Arizona, to pass a Martin Luther King Jr. state holiday. 

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Dr. King has taught us, even in his death, that the struggle for justice is ongoing and all-encompassing and that, “we must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope!”

Have a happy Martin Luther King Day! 

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita

Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Arizona AFL-CIO Building Bridges: Free Citizenship Fair

The Arizona AFL-CIO is prepared to host another Citizenship Fair, where applicants will receive free assistance from dedicated volunteer attorneys in completing their N-400 applications and preparing their paperwork for submission to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 

This is open to union members, their families, and friends. We would like to confirm 30+ applicants before finalizing time and location for the workshop. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Arizona AFL-CIO's Training Specialist, Esau Gutierrez at [email protected]. 

Click HERE to download, share, print English and Spanish Flyers. 

Union Events and Action

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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].

Join Our Weekly Meetings

Join us every Friday at 9:30 AM via Zoom as we prepare for the upcoming 2025 Legislative Committee Meetings. This is an important opportunity for union members to learn about the key issues and topics that will be discussed during the 1st Regular Session of the 57th Legislature.

Stay informed and engaged as we navigate the legislative landscape together and ensure that our voices are heard in the decision-making process.

This Week's Update w/ Special Guest, Representative Junelle Cavero 

This week, the Arizona AFL-CIO welcomed Rep. Junelle Cavero to our Weekly Legislative Committee as the 57th Legislature officially began its session on Monday. A steadfast ally of the labor movement and a dedicated advocate for Arizona’s working families, Rep. Cavero provided valuable insights into the first week of legislative activity. She reaffirmed her commitment to advancing labor-friendly legislation and co-sponsoring bills that prioritize the needs of working families.

Our Political Director, Joe Murphy, gave an overview of proposed bills under consideration, including controversial changes to Arizona’s voting process, updates to the state’s worker compensation and food stamp programs, adjustments to how tipped workers report their taxes, and more. While these issues are being monitored closely, the Arizona AFL-CIO has not yet taken an official position on them.

Want Better Pay? Reach Out to a Union Today 

"I am a proud husband and father too, and being a part of a union directly helps me and my family. I started at PCC when I was 17 years old in high school and didn’t know what a labor union was. A union is an organized group of people who represent employees to make the workplace work better for them. Union is power."

Latino Workers and Unions: A Strategic Partnership for America's Success 

"Join us to share el primer Cafecito del Día de 2024 with LCLAA's presidenta Nacional, Evelyn DeJesus, in which we highlight listed topics of LCLAA's Annual Report Latino Workers and Unions: A Strategic Partnership for America's Success."

Monterey Bay Aquarium Workers Launch Union Campaign at Iconic Marine Nonprofit

"The union, Monterey Bay Aquarium Workers United (MBAWU), would cover more than 300 aquarium workers from all sectors, ranging from guest services to marketing and education."

Lawmakers Aim to Pass Bill So Striking Workers Can Access Unemployment Benefits 

"This bill would allow workers to eventually access unemployment benefits, starting the second Sunday after they began withholding their labor. Workers could claim up to four weeks of benefits through the state’s unemployment insurance, according to a co-sponsor of the bill, state Sen. Steve Conway."

President Joe Biden on Protecting 91,500 UNITE HERE Pensions

"These workers, the unsung heroes of our economy, take care of many of us while we are away from home at airports and in hotels, and these newly approved benefits will allow our nation to take care of them."

Workers Say Amazon Is Now Deploying Its Union-Busting "Science" At Whole Foods 

"Last November, a majority of workers at this sprawling Whole Foods location, as much an Amazon delivery hub as a grocery store, expressed interest in forming a union. An election is now scheduled to take place on Jan. 27. If the UFCW campaign is successful, it will be the first Whole Foods in the country where employees will be represented by a union."

For Service Workers, Los Angeles Fires Consumed Jobs, Homes and Dreams 

"Workers who make the region run are struggling to recover from the devastating fires and worry about a cascade of losses if they can't pay rent."

'Brutally Attacked and Stabbed': Phoenix Flight Attendant Killed in Denver, APFA Confirms

"Levno, 71, died between Saturday night and Sunday morning from a "senseless tragedy," the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said. Spokesperson for the union, Paul Hartshorn Jr., confirmed to The Arizona Republic on Tuesday morning that Levno was killed, adding in an email, 'I do believe a suspect is in custody.'"

Phoenix Drywall, Painting Contractor Must pay More Than $7.4M in Wages, Damages After Deliberately Denying Overtime to Over 1,400 Employees 

"The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment ordering two commonly owned Arizona drywall and painting companies to pay $7,450,000 in backwages and damages after investigators found the employers willfully denied overtime pay to more than 1,400 employees."

Farmers Rely on H-2A Visa Program for Labor 

"Undocumented workers make up about half of the workforce across the country, though the number of the workforce across the country, though the number of H-2A workers has quadrupled in just a decade."

Former Arizona SLD Scott Olson Passes Away

“A member of Local 1629 who served as the Arizona State Safety and Legislative Director (SLD) for nearly 18 years, Scott was known for his reliable presence at local union meetings and active engagement within SMART-TD."

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