Hi all,
I have a few new updates and reminders, in the following order this week. Please note that rsvps for our annual holiday party are now open (see bullet point 5).
Prop424 Election Results
Veteran’s Day Reminder
New Podcast Episode
Baking Contest/Dessert Exchange
Holiday Party RSVPs
Employee Survey
New Member Meeting Schedule
Office Hours
Tempe Accelerates Program
1. Prop424 Election Results: As of now, it appears Prop424 has not passed. It is difficult to provide specifics about what this means for Tempe staff since no solid plans were made either way prior to the election. More details about future Tempe funding will be shared by Deputy City Manager Lisette Camacho at next Thursday’s City Council meeting - I will take notes and relay them in a future email. UAEA is committed to ensuring that whatever path the City takes has the most positive impact for staff - we are already scheduling meetings with City Council and City leadership to discuss possible strategies to work around budget restrictions. If you have recommendations for places the City can save money (either specific to your department or for the City as a whole), please feel free to pass them along.
There’s a lot of uncertainty at the moment and it is difficult to forecast what the future might hold. What I can promise you is that the UAEA Executive Team is here to advocate for staff and do whatever we can to limit the impacts to personnel and ensure the most fair and equitable outcomes that we possibly can. We will provide up-to-date information about likely scenarios as soon as we have those details, and will work with departments to ensure everyone’s MOU rights are respected, even as decisions are made to address workplace concerns.
Just as you are committed to UAEA, UAEA is committed to you, and we are here to be as supportive as we can as we move forward into the future.
2. Veteran’s Day Reminder: As a reminder, this coming Wednesday, November 11th, is Veterans Day and a City Holiday. Please don’t come to work if you’re not scheduled. Thank you as always to the employees who need to work this day to perform essential services for our City.
It may be a little late, but Tempe’s annual Veteran’s Day breakfast will be going until 8:30AM at the Tempe Envision Center (1310 E Apache Blvd, Tempe, AZ 85281). Both veterans and veteran’s spouses are welcome to attend.
3. New Podcast Episode: Episode 2 of the UAEA Podcast is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and our RSS Feed. Brittainy and I provide an overview of what happened in October 2026 and then discuss the member exclusive resources that UAEA provides.
4. Baking Contest/Dessert Exchange: UAEA would like to remind members about our Baking Contest/Dessert Exchange happening on Tuesday, November 17th at the Tempe Public Library. We’re letting members bring in and exchange desserts from 10-2PM on that date. Non-members can also participate (we mainly want more desserts to pick from), but only UAEA members will be eligible to enter their treats in the contest portion and/or win prizes. This year we will be accepting 4 types of entries, Sweet, Savory, Non-Traditional, and Allergen-friendly - if applicable, participants can enter one dessert in multiple categories and would be eligible for prizes in each.
A complete list of rules can be found at this link. You don’t need to, but the board would appreciate if members could also sign up in advance at this link so we have a better idea of head count before the day of the event. We’ll be bringing (some) serving utensils, storage containers, utensils, cups, and a variety of drinks to enjoy with the desserts - we’ll need members to bring some desserts though. I’m personally planning on bringing 2-3 of my top creations to show off my cooking skills - if anyone has ever felt the burning desire to show up the UAEA President (and win prizes/acclaim in the process), please step up to the plate on the 17th!
5. Holiday Party RSVP: This is the rsvp for our annual holiday party. I will be updating bulletin boards across the City in coming weeks with a poster and QR codes for this event. We will be at Spokes on Southern from 430pm to 8pm on Friday, December 4th. Entry is free and we will be providing food, some drinks, and giveaways. We will also be collecting toys for donation to Helen’s Hope Chest (a charity for Phoenix foster children) - for each toy you bring, we’ll give you an extra entry into our prize drawing. Please note that, like last year, we will be allowing plus ones - you can bring a friend, partner, or family member as long as they are above 21 (Spokes has restricted entry for underage individuals). Finally, please also make sure to rsvp by Thursday, November 26th - we need to give a final count to Spokes a week in advance.
We recognize that this time may overlap with some member’s normal work schedules. We apologize for the inconvenience and want to do something for those who can’t attend due to their work schedule - if that applies to you, please fill out this survey.
6. Employee Survey: Results from the last Employee Survey will be presented to City staff on November 12th, from 1:30-2:30PM. There will be an in-person meeting at Tempe City Hall Council Chambers (Garden Level, 31 E 5th St, Tempe, AZ 85281) and an option to attend virtually. I will be attending this session and taking notes for a future UAEA email, but encourage members to also attend in case they have any questions on the content.
7. New Member Meeting Schedule: I’ve attached a copy of the upcoming UAEA member meetings from now until June of 2027. This includes planned virtual meetings which will continue to occur each month. Copies of this document will be up on bulletin boards soon.
8. Office Hours: I will be hosting more office hours around Tempe throughout the next few weeks. There’s a complete schedule on the Events page of our website - it was recently updated to reflect some new meetings. As a reminder, these office hours were a quick test to see general interest - if they gain traction, we’ll send out a more detailed schedule in December with more concrete plans for 2027. I am also happy to consider adding more locations/time depending on member feedback - please let me know if that’s something you/your peers would be interested in.
Monday, November 9th, 12 - 2PM - Tempe Library 2nd Floor Hackberry Room
Tuesday, November 10th, 3 - 4:30PM - TMOC Building 2 Break Room
Wednesday, November 11th, 3 - 4:30PM - Kyrene Water Plant, 1st Floor Conference Room
Tuesday, November 24th, 11 - 1PM - City Hall Ground Level Break Room (Behind Council Chambers)
(RESCHEDULED from 11/17 due to Baking Contest conflict
There is also time after 1PM for a separate office hours session elsewhere.
Wednesday, November 25th, 11 - 1PM - Tempe Transit Center Don Cassano Room
9. Tempe Accelerate Program: I wanted to give members a heads up on the Tempe Accelerate Program going into 2027. The Accelerate program is a 9 month long series of classes run by Employee Development to help prepare employees at all levels for leadership in their respective areas. I recently finished the program and can strongly recommend it - I learned a great deal about general leadership strategies as well as opportunities for innovation within Tempe itself. There is one important caveat - you need to have already taken specific Employee Development classes to be eligible for these higher level courses. If you haven’t taken Lead from Any Level or Crucial Accountability yet it may be worth scheduling those sessions in 2027.
More details about the program can be found here. Applications will open on December 4th, 2026 and close on January 8th of 2027.
Tempe Fitness Challenge: If you’re part of Tempe’s healthcare program, you are eligible to participate in November’s “Wellbeing Airways” Challenge. Participants who earn 2,000 fitness points during November will be eligible for weekly drawings of $25 giftcards and a grand prize drawing of $50. More information can be found on healthymetempe.com.
Employee Survey: Results from the last Employee Survey will be presented to City staff on November 12th, from 1:30-2:30PM. There will be an in-person meeting at Tempe City Hall Council Chambers (Garden Level, 31 E 5th St, Tempe, AZ 85281) and an option to attend virtually. I will be attending this session and taking notes for a future UAEA email, but encourage members to also attend in case they have any questions on the content.
Floating Holiday Leave Updates: As a reminder, members have until the last pay period in December to use their Floating Holiday Leave (FHL) hours. Any time not used by December 27th will be lost, then Floating Holiday Leave banks will reset in January. Members who do not plan to use their time can donate it to UAEA through November 15th. Each additional hour donated will count as an entry in the UAEA Donation Incentive Program, which will be raffling off at least 10x$100 giftcards in 2027. As a reminder, all members receive entries in the program based off of mandatory donations, but members who donate additional hours will receive extra entries and a higher chance of winning one (or more) of the giftcards. Hours can be donated at this link.
If you’d like to check your remaining FHL hours, log into Peoplesoft HR, click on “My Time,” and then check the hours listed in the row next to “Floating Holiday Leave.”
The UAEA Board promised that we would be good stewards of FHL time and would not take more time than was needed from our members each year. We took 8 hours of FHL last year, but due to high membership levels, additional time donations, and board vacancies, we believe we will be able to operate with only 6 hours of FHL donated by members this coming year. This time will be automatically deducted from member’s leave banks in January, leaving them 18 hours to use in 2027. We would like to continue asking for 6 or even fewer FHL hours in coming years, but we unfortunately cannot forecast our needs that far in advance - everything will depend on currently unknown factors like the additional leave donations that we receive from employees, our total membership count, and our burn rate of UB hours. We will do our best to keep members posted of our needs well in advance of 2028.
UAEA November Meeting: The next in-person UAEA members meeting will be on Thursday November 19th, from 12-1PM at the Kiwanis Recreation Center (6111 S All-American Way, Tempe AZ, 85283). As a reminder, this meeting was moved from the Price Water Plant due to construction - bulletin boards will be updated soon to reflect the change. Please also note this meeting will be snack-based - we’ll be bringing a bunch of pre-packaged snacks and drinks that members can enjoy in-person or take back to their offices/city vehicles. You can sign up for the meeting here.
UAEA will also be hosting a virtual members meeting the same day (11/19) from 2-3PM. You can rsvp for that here.
Adopt a Path Signup: UAEA is currently planning to do our next Adopt a Path Cleanup on Saturday, November 21st, from 7-9AM. We’ll meet in the Tempe Parking Lot on the southeast Corner of Curry and Miller (approximate address is 1325 E Curry Road, Tempe AZ 85281, see attached photo), then walk north up our path to Mckellips Rd. Breakfast, drinks, safety gloves, trash pickers, and trash bags will be provided. Please bring a hat, sun block, and/or sunglasses. This event normally takes 1.5 hours to complete, is eligible for community wellness points, and is a great opportunity to meet members of the board and your fellow union members. If you’d like to attend, please sign up here by Thursday, November 19th, at 5pm.
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).
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!