Posts tagged Arizona
Billionaire tax backers burn big money on retreats, out-of-state political efforts and breathing ‘coach’
July 22, 2026 // The Post’s review of federal records found that officials for Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West burned millions on an out-of-state political effort as well as dues on travel, conferences and beachfront retreats — all while paying nearly $235,000 to a “clarity coach” who appeared in a series of low-budget mindfulness videos on Instagram.
Arizona Supreme Court Backs Goldwater in Phoenix Police Union Records Case
July 22, 2026 // The case began in 2022, when the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association refused to comply with Phoenix’s city code requiring it to submit draft contract proposals for public comment before beginning negotiations with the city. That proposal and subsequent records exchanged during the closed-door negotiation process concern the expenditure of tens of millions of taxpayer dollars as well as the terms and conditions of employment for first responders. City residents and taxpayers deserve to know what the union was demanding and what city leaders were offering during that process. But all of that was kept hidden from the public. That’s why the Goldwater Institute requested the negotiation records from the city.
Teachers’ Unions Are Losing One of Their Government Perks
July 22, 2026 // The question is not whether teachers unions should exist, but whether taxpayers should subsidize organizations that subsequently seek more taxpayer subsidy, often for actions the taxpayer wouldn’t otherwise support. Removing public subsidies forces unions to rely on voluntary member support, increases accountability, and keeps government resources focused on their proper purpose: educating children. The reforms in Idaho, Florida, and Arizona mark the beginning of a necessary correction.
National park workers in the Mountain West are unionizing. More may follow
July 14, 2026 // Park rangers, scientists, and administrative staff are among the non-supervisory staff represented. Last year, workers at Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon national parks in California joined another union, the National Federation of Federal Employees.
Op-ed: Union transparency rules are only as strong as their enforcement
July 12, 2026 // Only after Ormond and Bilodeau sued their unions to compel them to follow the law did the agency finally start doing some of that “paperwork.” Last month, the department sent public-sector unions in the state a notice reminding them to follow the law, and it created an apparently new online portal for them to file the required financial reports. The department’s official guidance also said that unions must provide employees with hard copies of the reports and hold a meeting to discuss them.
Op-ed: Why teachers unions fear, and fib about, new federal program
July 7, 2026 // Perhaps the unions are right to be scared. Anything that introduces competition into the educational landscape threatens their monopoly. When you read between the lines of Weingartner and Pringle’s letter, you can almost hear the death rattle. But in the end, this isn’t about the unions. This is about kids who deserve a high-quality education regardless of their household income or zip code. And anybody who gets between them and their parents would be wise to choose their words more carefully.
Arizona voters to decide on measure curtailing taxpayer support for teachers’ unions
June 16, 2026 // HCR 2040 would prohibit union members from using school email systems and equipment to recruit members or distribute union materials, end automatic payroll deductions for union dues and bar union meetings from being held on school property while students are present. Employees would also have the right to bargain on their own behalf if they are unsatisfied with a union-negotiated contract. “Teachers’ unions have long counted on government resources to do their organizing for them,” said Aaron Withe, CEO of the Freedom Foundation. “Arizona voters will now have the chance to weigh in on whether taxpayer resources should be funding union politics in public schools.”
Sun Tran union votes ‘yes’ to authorize strike in Tucson
June 9, 2026 // Teamsters Local 104, which represents the Sun Tran employees, said 99% of voting members supported the strike authorization measure. The current collective bargaining agreement is scheduled to end at 11:59 p.m. June 30. The vote was held on June 7.
Ruben Gallego, Flirting With 2028 Bid, Backs Key Demands of Labor Unions
June 3, 2026 // Sectoral bargaining “stops employers from trying to attract top talent by outbidding their competition,” argued the Institute for the American Worker, a right-leaning think tank, in a paper. “This would be a huge problem as American employees typically see larger raises by switching jobs rather than simply waiting for a salary increase at their current workplace.”
Tucson charter school teachers vote to unionize
May 23, 2026 // CITY charter school network becomes second unionized charter school in Arizona