4/24 Weekly Email
Hi all,
I have a few updates/reminders this week and then another overview of our organization.
Elections: As a reminder, our 2025 election nomination form is now open. You can nominate either yourself or another UAEA member for any of the open roles (Vice President, Membership Director, Resolutions Director, and 2 Citywide Representative roles) between now and Thursday, May 1st, at 5PM. If you would like to view the descriptions and responsibilities of each role, please check Articles 5 and 6 of our bylaws. Once you’ve submitted a nomination the UAEA Elections Committee (3 volunteers who are not part of the Executive Board) will review eligibility and reach out to confirm interest.
Adopt-A-Path. As a final reminder, Members of the UAEA Board will be meeting on Sunday, April 27th at 7:00AM to clean up our Adopt-A-Path trail. We meet in the Tempe Parking Lot on the southeast Corner of Curry and Miller (approximate address is 1325 E Curry Road, Tempe AZ 85281), 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 and/or sunglasses. This event normally takes 1.5-2 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 tonight at 5PM. You’re welcome to attend if you don’t sign up by the deadline but we can’t guarantee food or drinks.
With that, I’m back with another overview of UAEA, with explanations of how our organization operates and what each board member does. My intention is introducing everyone to the various roles as we approach our annual elections - I’ve marked which positions will be open if anyone is interested in running for them. This is my third email related to explaining UAEA - you can find this information and the prior content on our Q+A website page.
How is UAEA run?
UAEA is a registered 501c5, a not-for-profit organization. We are managed by an 11-person board who are elected to two-year terms. Elections are staggered, with approximately half of the board being elected each year - this means that the board will always have experienced people serving. Each member of the board has equal voting power for major decisions like setting the annual budget or deciding how to use our resources. There are 7 main roles with specific roles and 4 Citywide Representative positions (effectively union stewards) whose main job is to help members with disciplinary issues.
What does the President do?
The President runs the organization. Per the bylaws, they lead all meetings, sign contracts and legal documents for the organization, serve as chief negotiator for the MOU process, represent the organization in meetings with the City Manager, City Departments and outside entities, and make recommendations to the board regarding the strategic direction of the organization.
My work as President primarily revolves around organizational development. A lot of my time is spent reviewing current City Policy, talking with stakeholders, and drafting new proposals for Rosa or HR to consider. I also draft new documents and media for our organization - the majority of content you see in emails, newsletters, or on our website comes from me. I take the lead on many disciplinary cases, write all grievances, and always work directly with members who are appealing terminations. I help plan events in coordination with Leah Sergeant, and pick up food, drinks, and ice as needed for member meetings or special events, then help clean up whatever space we were using after the meeting is concluded. I sit on interview panels when other members of the board are unavailable. I also answer phone calls, emails, and text messages from members throughout the week, and try to address their concerns prior to them escalating out of control. I (Joel Guy) am the current UAEA President. My term ends in June of 2026.
What does the UAEA VP do?
The Vice President is essentially the backup for the President, but their role is not full-time release. They must know the same things the President does and be ready to assume the role of President if the President retires, steps down, or is otherwise removed before the formal end of their term. I currently meet with the VP at least once a week to coordinate UAEA’s work and ensure we’re not falling behind on any projects. Our current Vice President is Leah Sergeant. This position will be open in the 2025 elections.
What does the Resolutions Director do?
The Resolutions Director is responsible for tracking and reporting on the resolutions that UAEA is currently working on. This is a lot more work than it initially sounds - UAEA can sometimes have dozens of issues open simultaneously and it’s up to the Resolutions Director to make sure we haven’t left any concerns by the wayside. That said, we do our best to keep the Resolutions Director from getting involved with the details of any particular case - that’s the job of the President or the Citywide Representatives. The Resolutions Director also identifies workplace concerns and shares them with the Executive Board. Our current Resolutions Director is Natalya Ennels. This position will be open in the 2025 elections.
What does the Communications Director do?
The Communicators Director is responsible for ensuring effective communication between the Executive Board and the Members. They are responsible for maintaining the UAEA website and preparing the quarterly newsletter. They may have additional responsibilities as needed - currently, one of their jobs is preparing all physical documents that go up on city bulletin boards. Our current Communicators Director is Kelly Taylor.
What does the Membership Director do?
The Membership Director is responsible for growing UAEA’s membership. They handle all new member applications, send new members a welcome packet, and represent the organization at new employee orientation. Our current Membership Director is Brittainy Nelson. This position will be open in the 2025 elections.
What does the Treasurer do?
The Treasurer keeps track of the UAEA budget, files monthly and quarterly corporate reports, and is responsible for our end-of-year tax filing. They are responsible for proposing a new budget at the end of each fiscal year and should deliver updates to the board if we are significantly ahead or behind our proposed annual budget. This is the only position on the board that the bylaws does not require to be a City of Tempe employee - due to the complexity of our accounting (and potential dangers of improper filings) we’ve considered hiring an outside accountant to fill this role in the past. The current UAEA Treasurer is Brian Gonzales. Per our bylaws, he has the position until he decides he would like to leave - at that point the board will look for someone else.
What does a Secretary do?
The Secretary is UAEA’s record-keeper, maintaining notes of our board and member meetings, lists of current members, and any other documentation that is deemed necessary. Though it doesn’t come up too often. The Secretary is also responsible for reviewing all bylaws proposals that come before the board. The current UAEA Secretary is Lisa Johnson.
What does a Citywide Representative do?
A citywide rep is essentially a union steward. They are responsible for day-to-day organizing in the workplace, essentially meaning they help address issues in their work areas or related work areas prior to them escalating. Representatives also need to sit in with members receiving discipline and guide them through the Part 1/Part 2/Part 3 process. Our current Citywide Representatives are Jeremy Hopf, Annette Betancourt, and Olivia Calderon, with one seat open. Two of these positions (Jeremy’s and the open seat) will be open in the 2025 elections.
Are there any additional responsibilities for Board Members?
Board members may be called to sit on interview panels and represent UAEA - this ensures a fair process and gives us an opportunity to ensure the candidates moving forward are the most highly qualified or proficient. Several Board members review scholarship essays each year - we try to get as many to participate as possible to ensure fairness. Board members may also need to review internal documents, weigh in and assist on short term projects, and help with setup/breakdown of union events.
Why would I bother joining the union if you represent everyone?
If you’re receiving this email you’re already part of the union - this is more of an answer for your coworkers. At the highest level, I’m part of UAEA because I think labor unions are important - yes, there are perks, but I think it’s a good way to support organized labor and help rebuild the middle class. UAEA negotiates a contract on behalf of all 800 employees we represent - that said, every other perk the union offers is not available to non-members. If you’re not a member and you want help with a supervisor’s behavior? We’re not going to help. If you’re not a member and you want help approaching HR about a pay issue? We’re not going to help. Are you not a member and you just received notice of an upcoming discipline? We’re not going to help. Important note on the last part - UAEA used to accept applications from non-members who wanted to join when they started facing disciplinary action. We no longer do that - we don’t want to be a “get-out-of-jail-free” card for non-members and think it’s unfair to longtime members to provide the same services to people who just joined.
With regards to specific perks, union members are the only people with access to our weekly communications, our legal services like the free wills or attorney assistance in termination appeals, our scholarship funds, and our annual events like our holiday parties. You’re also the only people who get to weigh in on the topics discussed in our LMC meetings or the 6-side partnership meetings, which have huge influence on city policy. While that might seem like a minor perk, it can have major implications - there have been times that only 2-3 union people have dictated policy for an entire workgroup. Our team isn’t resting on our laurels though - we’re currently looking at ways to financially support members, enhance workgroup celebrations, expand the Employee of the Quarter program, and maybe add a few more insurance or legal perks to our offerings.
Thanks for a great week everyone!