OUR HISTORY
How We Began
On June 6, 2011, Tempe chapter leaders organized a grassroots petition drive to end the City’s affiliation with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Employees cited several key concerns, including a lack of control over dues, limited influence over political agendas, and an inability to participate meaningfully in major policy decisions at the local level.
The petition drive garnered signatures from more than 60 percent of eligible employees—well above the minimum required for the City of Tempe to decertify SEIU and recognize the United Arizona Employee Association (UAEA) as the exclusive representative for non-management employees.
On August 19, 2011, the City Manager certified the petition process, officially recognizing UAEA as the exclusive representative authorized to negotiate on behalf of more than 700 City of Tempe employees.
One of UAEA’s first priorities was to assume the recently negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a goal successfully accomplished on September 8, 2011.
Since its founding in 2011, UAEA leadership has remained committed to building strong, collaborative, and mutually beneficial relationships with the City of Tempe—working to advance the interests of both the City and its non-management employees.
While UAEA strives for collaboration and compromise, we are equally committed to standing up for employees when it matters most. UAEA played an instrumental role in addressing concerns within the Solid Waste Department after employees reported harassment and discrimination. The video above features former UAEA President Jackie Awosika speaking with ABC Family about the issue and UAEA’s efforts to advocate for affected employees.