10/8 UAEA Weekly + Indigenous People’s Day + UAEA Resources

Written By Joel Guy

Hi all, 

I have a few new updates and reminders, in the following order this week. 

  1. Indigenous People’s Day

  2. October Member Meetings

  3. Employee Development Classes

  4. Tempe Fire Hand-On

  5. UAEA Resources Reminder

  6. Reminder of UB Time Usage

  7. Meet Me on Mill Event

1. Indigenous People’s Day: This coming Monday, October 12th, is Indigenous People’s Day. Please don’t come to work if you’re not scheduled. Thank you again for those who need to work this day to keep the City functioning. 

The term “Indigenous” refers to the original inhabitants of a region - in an American context, it often refers to all Native American tribes, regardless of how long they have lived in a specific area. Arizona is home to 22 different Indigenous tribes, some of whom were forcibly relocated to the state in the recent past and some of whom have lived here for thousands of years. Nearly a quarter of Arizona’s land is reservations and Arizona has the third-largest Native population of any US State (beaten only by California and Oklahoma). This is directly relevant to our present society, as the Phoenix area likely would not exist without the ancestral peoples of Arizona - Phoenix is located in the middle of a desert plain and has historically had limited rainfall. The Hohokam people lived in the Salt River area for 1,500 years and modified the landscape by building 500 miles of canals across the Valley. Early Phoenix settlers used these canals to grow staple crops and support the growing population, and many of the same canal paths are still used by SRP today to transport water throughout the area. More specifically to the Tempe area, the O'odham and Piipaash peoples lived here for centuries, and early settlers likely used stones from their ancient buildings to help construct their first homes and businesses. Remnants of these buildings occasionally resurface during construction projects - as recently as two years ago, an 8th Street Construction project was delayed by the discovery of an ancient ruin dating back 1,200 years. 

I found it difficult to find some in-depth profiles and histories of Indigenous labor leaders. Despite that, there are some great examples of Native American Labor leaders that the AFL-CIO has highlighted over the past few years, including Liz Pecos, an international representative of IATSE’s Motion Picture and Television Department (and first women president of IATSE Local 480), Terris “T” Tree, who helped win the first CWA contract in the Navajo Nation, and Irene Gonzalez, vice president of AFSCME Local 685. Broadening the definition to include all Indigenous peoples and not just those in or around the continental US, there are people like Harry Lehau Kamoku, a native Hawaiian who helped organize the ILWU’s Hawaii dock-worker’s strike in the 1930’s, Sissel Skoghaug, a Sami leader who served until recently as the co-chair of the Norwegian Labor Union Confederation, and Laures Park, who is the acting chair of New Zealand's teachers' union NZEI Te Riu Roa, which assists with Maori representation. 

Like Juneteenth, Tempe is one of the few Valley cities to celebrate this holiday and give employees a day off - to my knowledge, Phoenix is still the only other city in the area that celebrates the day. If you want to know a little more about the holiday and why it’s important, you can read this State Press article from a few years ago. The general gist is that Tempe wanted to recognize the contributions of Indigenous Peoples to the area and provide an annual opportunity to highlight important Indigenous issues, such as ongoing trends of murder and abuse happening to Indigenous women across Arizona. I also appreciate this opportunity to also highlight both the contributions of past peoples to the area and Indigenous leaders to US labor - I think it is often easy to forget how important these groups are to helping everyone achieve success.

2. October Member Meetings: Member Meeting Updates: UAEA has confirmed 2 Tempe City Council Members, Brooke St. George and Bobby Nichols, will be attending our October Member’s Meeting. We have asked the attendees to talk about what they’re working on in Council and answer questions from members - we’ll then summarize the meeting in a weekly email in case members are unable to attend. 

Please submit any questions you have for the City Council Members in advance at this link. Please remember that Council does not exhibit direct oversight over the daily operations of Tempe departments (and are effectively barred from doing so under Tempe law) - questions about department operations may be better directed to the City Manager. City Council’s primary role is setting Tempe policy/strategic objectives, approving budgets, and exhibiting oversight over roles like that of the City Manager, City Clerk, and City Attorney. More information about the distinction between City Council and the City Manager’s roles can be found in Article 2 of the Tempe City Code. 

As a reminder, the October In-Person Members Meeting will be on Thursday, October 15th from 12-1PM at the Don Cassano Room on the second floor of the Tempe Transportation Center (200 E 5th St, Tempe, AZ, 85281). There is one hour free parking in the City Hall Parking Garage or free parking on 6th St if you arrive in a City vehicle. You can rsvp at this link until tonight at 5PM. 

The October Virtual Members Meeting will be on Wednesday, October 21st, from 12-1PM. You can rsvp for that here until Thursday, October 15th at 5PM. 

3. Employee Development Classes: Employee Development published an updated schedule of Q4 classes and resources, and I would encourage members to take a look. I have personally taken and can recommend the Clifton Strengths class (which helps you identify your career capabilities), Getting Things Done (which describes how to effectively plan and finish projects), Crucial Conversations, which helps you navigate awkward or difficult conversations, and Crucial Influence, which helps people change the behaviors and actions of those around them. I also think people should sign up for the Masterclass at Work or Linkedin Learning tools - both give you access to thousands of classes, some of which are eligible for education credits, professional development hours, or certificates. 

October

10/14   Presentation Skills: Mindset & Delivery

10/14 Growth Mindset: Progress of Potential

10/15 Clifton Strengths Discovery: Enhance Your Unique Strengths

10/21 Getting Things Done

10/28 Interview Preparation Workshop

 

November

11/5 Habits & Hacks: Your Playbook for a More Efficient, Effective, and Enjoyable Career in Tempe

11/17  Connect 101

11/17  Connect 201

11/18 & 11/19 Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue

December

12/2 Crucial Influence

12/8 Connect 301

12/8 Presentation Skills: Purposeful PowerPoint

4. Tempe Fire Hands-On: Tempe Fire is hosting a fun popup event this Saturday, October 10th, from 9-12 at the Tempe Fire Training Center (1340 E University Dr, Tempe AZ). Parents from the community are invited to bring their children to see demonstrations of fire equipment in action and get up close and personal with fire trucks, ladder trucks, and ambulances. There will be live fire demonstrations at 10 and 11AM, followed by a Jaws of Life vehicle rescue demonstration at 1130AM. 

5. Reminder of UAEA Resources: UAEA put together a list of member resources about a year ago, and I’ve been sending out copies of the list to new members in my welcome emails. I recently made some edits to the list and wanted to share the new details with everyone - we currently have a lot going on, and it may be easy to lose track of some of the things we offer or programs that we facilitate. 

Communication: UAEA communicates to and connects with our members in a variety of ways. 

  • Weekly City Emails: UAEA sends out a weekly email with updates and reminders for members. As of September 2026, this email comes out every Thursday and members can opt in to receive those updates to their personal phone or email by providing their personal information at the below link. 

  • Quarterly Newsletters: UAEA publishes a quarterly newsletter that contains updates on our organization. This newsletter is sent out in a Weekly City Email, posted on our website, and posted on the UAEA Bulletin Boards. 

  • Blog: Long form writeups of various topics can be found on the UAEA Blog. This includes rules for various UAEA contests, resources to help members navigate things like FMLA, FSA rules, and discipline, and writeups on various figures from labor history. 

  • Bulletin Boards: UAEA maintains 38 bulletin boards around Tempe and keeps them updated with contact information, important announcements, and copies of our newsletters. Bulletin boards are usually updated at least every other month. If you have a bulletin board in your workplace that appears to be out of date, please reach out to communications@uaeatempe.com. If you have a workspace that does not have a bulletin board (or access to one), please reach out to president@uaeatempe.com. 

  • Private Member Text Chat: UAEA Members have access to a private shared Member chat that can be accessed on their personal phone or computer. If you are interested in signing up, please review the rules and then sign up at the below link. 

  • Office Hours: As of September 2026, the UAEA President hosts bi-monthly office hours at a variety of work sites. For an up-to-date list of locations we visit, check out the UAEA Events Page

  • Podcast: As of September 2026, UAEA produces a monthly podcast that reviews what we did each month and provides an overview of City or UAEA resources. 

Website: Source of All Union Information, Event Updates, and Prior Communications

Legal Services: You are entitled to a free will and access to certain discounted legal services through our law firm, Napier Bailie Wilson Bacon & Tallone, P.C. If the firm does not handle a specific legal need, they can probably recommend another firm in Phoenix. 

  • If you are interested in making a will, reach out via phone or email. Introduce yourself as a member of UAEA, let them know you’d like a will, and they’ll walk you through the first steps. Please note some work will be required by you - you will need to provide things like a list of your current assets. 

Needing Help: You are entitled to request a UAEA Representative be present in any City meeting where you believe you will be disciplined. If you need that or something else, please contact the following people:

Financial Resources:

  • Workplace Events. The union has a small amount of money set aside each year for workplace events such as holiday parties. Reach out to president@uaeatempe.com if your team is looking for support, such as someone to provide dessert or sides. 

  • Scholarship Program: The union provides annual college scholarships for UAEA members or their children. This is a competitive process, applications to apply usually open in the first few months of each year, and winners are announced in May or June. 

  • Community Events: UAEA has historically supported City events such as the Annual MLK Breakfast and the Mayor’s State of the City. We are open to adding additional events to our calendar - reach out if you believe there are others we should be supporting. 

Employee Recognition:

  • Employee of the Quarter: UAEA operates the only citywide employee recognition program and only UAEA members are eligible for consideration. Every quarter UAEA recognizes 3-5 “exemplary” employees from around the City - employees can nominate their peers or themselves. Winners receive a certificate, a $25 giftcard, and will be invited for recognition at an annual City Council meeting (usually during the summer). The most recent version of the application can be found on our feedback page (listed above)

Member Events:

  • Monthly Member Meetings: UAEA hosts 11 physical monthly meetings each year at worksites across the City. As of September 2026, we also host 11 virtual meetings each year that cover the same content as the physical meetings. Members are welcome to attend every meeting, but they are scheduled at a variety of locations and times - we try to schedule them so employees working at a variety of work sites or on a variety of schedules can attend. Meetings have food depending on the meeting time (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) and at least one meeting each year has a member of City Council, the Mayor, or the City Manager present and available for questions. 

  • Holiday Party: UAEA hosts an annual holiday party every December with food, drink tickets, games, and giveaways. This event is only open to UAEA members.

  • Quarterly Contests: UAEA runs member-only contests every quarter, giving members an opportunity to show off their creativity and non-work skills. Winners receive gift cards and recognition in our newsletter. 

  • Elections: Half of UAEA’s Board is elected every year. Members interested in joining the UAEA Board can submit applications and run for board seats in May and June each year. A complete list of positions and position requirements can be found in our bylaws. 

6. Union Business Time: I wanted to also provide a brief reminder of the existence of Union Business (UB) time and how members can utilize it. 

UAEA requires members to contribute Floating Holiday Leave (FHL) hours to our organization on an annual basis. These hours are turned into “Union Business” hours and can be utilized by our board to conduct union activities during the work week. They can also be used by other UAEA members to attend UAEA meetings that are occurring during their normal work hours. If members use them on their timecard they will be paid the same amount as their normal wages for whatever period of time they used them - the only difference is that UAEA, not your department, covers those wages. 

UAEA understands that most members do not have 1 hour lunches and that many will need to take 15-30 minutes to travel to and from our member meetings. Because of this, we are happy to send UB hours to our members if they request them when rsvping for our meetings. UAEA needs members to request this time in advance because we do not have direct access to the hours - any transfers of UB time are done by HR and requires manual edits to Peoplesoft that can take a few days to show up in people’s leave banks.Members also cannot record “UB” hours without having those hours already in their leave bank, so it is important that they report their needs in a timely manner so that they can fill out their timecards appropriately by the end of each pay period. We are happy to allow members to show up to our member meetings without rsvping, but due to the above process, we cannot provide them UB time for doing so - if this occurs, members will need to use their personal leave time to attend. (We also ask for rsvps so we can order an appropriate amount of food - if one shows up without rsvping, we cannot guarantee there will be food for them, and ask that they not grab anything before the other members have had a chance to eat). 

Please let the UAEA Board know if you have any questions related to the use of UB hours. They are a helpful resource that allows our members to engage in our activities without burning their personal leave hours - please take advantage of them whenever convenient. 

7. Meet Me on Mill: Mill Avenue’s refresh is complete and Tempe is throwing a party to celebrate on October 23rd! From 5-9PM on 10/23, Mill Avenue will be hosting a block party-like event with live music, art, buskers, and retailer discounts to welcome people back to the area. More information on the event can be found here. 

I also found a list on Downtown Tempe’s Website which showcased the new businesses in and around Mill Avenue - you can see those below. There are some great spots on here that have really elevated Tempe’s status in the Phoenix dining scene - Filthy Animal, for instance, just won Yelp’s “Best New Restaurant in the US” award.

New 2026 Downtown Tempe Businesses

Businesses That Opened in 2025

Retirement Expo: Tempe will be hosting its annual retirement expo from 10-2PM on October 20th at the Tempe Library’s lower level. Representatives from Tempe HR, Nationwide, AZRS, and Galloway will be there to answer questions and give presentations. This is a useful event for all City staff, regardless of how close you are to retiring - proper planning now can make retirement come much sooner or be far more comfortable. No rsvp is needed to attend. 

Tempe Pride Parade: Tempe PRIDE is once again participating in the Phoenix Pride parade this October 11th. Employees and their families are welcome to attend whether or not they are active members of Tempe PRIDE - you can either ride on the float or walk alongside 

Personal Cellphone/Email: If you would like UAEA updates to be sent to your personal email or phone number, please fill out this survey. We’ll get you added within a week or two to our contact lists. 

UAEA Member Retirements: UAEA’s Board would like to start recognizing the retirements of UAEA members. If you’re planning to retire, please feel free to shoot us an email or fill out this form and we’ll send you some nice thoughts to close out your time at the City. If you’d like, we’d also appreciate if you could fill out our exit survey before you go - there’s an option to indicate interest in that in the survey as well. 

Community Resources: UAEA is aware of rising fuel prices and how this is impacting members. We are having some internal city discussions about possible workplace changes, but also wanted to post some resources for members who may be struggling to make ends meet. This is a similar list to what we posted in November with a few new additions. Please feel to reach out if you have additional recommendations about local resources. 

AZ Food Bank Network: This link contains information about dozens of food banks and assistance sites across Arizona. You can search by the directory and the zipcodes they provide services for to find food banks in your areas. 

AZ Medical and Nutrition Assistance: This is an Arizona-State run program that can help connect people with Arizona State programs that provide assistance for people who need medical coverage, WIC support, or additional access to nutrition. I do not know all that the program entails. 

Maricopa County Utility Support: This is a Maricopa County program that can help people receive assistance paying for utilities. Some cities have unique offerings while others are covered under one umbrella program. 

AZ 211: This is a Arizona-State run help line that can help people connect with a variety of resources and support they may be unaware of in their area. 

Tempe Employee Relief Fund: This is a Tempe-run program (paid for by employee donations) that can provide support of up to $1,200 to assist Tempe employees with unplanned emergency bills (housing, mortgage, utilities, etc). 

Employee Assistance Program: If you have insurance through the City of Tempe, you can take advantage of the EAP, a group of resources which can provide free therapy, legal consultations, or classes on stress management. 

Cheap Recipe Guides: These are two free cookbooks designed for cooking high-nutrition and easy meals on a budget. Even if you’re not a fan of the recipes, there are some good tips on stocking a kitchen with affordable and long-lasting staples. 

Free Transit Pass: This contains information on how to obtain your free bus, streetcar, and lightrail pass as a Tempe employee. 

Sun Bucks: This program offers direct payments in the summer to families whose children receive free or reduced cost school lunches

Discount Grocery Stores: This link provides a few examples of discount/salvage grocery stores around Phoenix that resell food that supermarket chains don’t want (everything is still good, usually stores get rid of items that are out of season or past their best-by date, even if still viable). 

Farm Express: Farm Express is a program that brings buses of fresh produce around South Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa on a consistent basis. Food can be purchased with SNAP dollars or regular cash, and you tend to get a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables below grocery store pricing. The link leads to a map of all the locations the program is offered - most relevant to Tempe staff, the bus shows up outside the Tempe library every other Tuesday from 1:30-3:30pm. 

First Time Homebuyer Assistance: These links provide information on a few programs designed to help municipal or low-income employees purchase homes for the first time. Some are loans, some are down-payment assistance, some are direct financial support. The first link is an Arizona program meant for home buying in Maricopa County, but the same program is also available to Pima County residents. 


Thanks for a great week, everyone!

Joel Guy
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10/1 Weekly Email + Hispanic Heritage Month