6/11 Weekly Email + DC & Pride Month Updates
Hi all,
I have some announcements about Juneteenth, updated information about Deferred Compensation plans, information about Employee Development classes, Heat Stress resources, and a brief writeup about Pride Month.
Juneteenth Holiday: Next Friday, June 19th, is Juneteenth, a City Holiday. Please don’t come to work if you’re not scheduled. Please also note that due to it being a Friday, many employees on 4x10 schedules may need to take an alternative day off in the same pay period. As always, thanks again to everyone who needs to work the holiday to keep the City functioning.
If you’re interested, there is a family friendly Juneteenth event happening next Saturday, June 20th, at the Tempe History Museum from 11AM-3PM - find more information here. If you’re interested in learning more about past African-American labor leaders and activists, check out the writeups I did for Black History Month in 2025 and 2026.
Deferred Compensation Updates: I attended a quarterly meeting of Tempe’s 6-Sided Deferred Compensation (retirement plan) group last week, and have a few updates. As usual with these updates, please remember that I am not a financial advisor and I am not trying to give financial advice. I’m also summarizing 1.5 hours worth of content - if you’d like to do a deeper dive, I’ve attached some additional information.
There are a few changes to retirement plans and savings in 2026 due to changes in federal policy. Employees may now put up to $24,500 per year into their 401 or 457k account, up from $23,500 per year in 2025. Employees 50+ can contribute an extra $8,000 each year as part of a “catch-up” (if you didn’t contribute your maximum amount prior to age 50, you are eligible to contribute more). Employees aged 60-63 have an even higher “catch-up” tier of $11,250 per year, but this has not increased in the last few years. Congress is tentatively exploring additional retirement plan changes through something called the SECURE Act 3.0, but there is no consensus yet about what the final provisions will be or even if it will be passed in the next few years. One big change that could be made is allowing people to withdraw money from their 457 or 401k accounts penalty-free if they are planning to use the money to purchase a first home - this is only a proposal though and there is no timeline for implementation.
The last year has seen some massive investment market gains (17.8% rise in US Large Cap Stocks, 25.7% rise in US Small Cap stocks, 29.6% rise in Emerging Market Stocks, etc), but the last quarter saw a decline in most markets. The exception is US Small Cap Stocks, which saw a 0.9% rise. Our consultant Innovest believes these declines are largely due to disruptions in global energy markets and supply chains in the Middle East, declining consumer economic confidence, stress in private credit markets, and expensive valuations of US Equity. Just going off of historical trends, the market usually continues to climb despite geopolitical disruptions - they provided a chart (page 17 of the pdf) which shows the market returned an average of 12% over a 3-year period following major political or military events over the past 50 years. I can’t speak to whether current economic and political trends are similar enough to past events but would encourage people to reach out to our Nationwide Representative Nancy Feibach if you’d like to discuss your portfolio and re-adjusting it. She can be reached at 602-293-1156 or nancy.feilbach@nationwide.com. Whether you plan to make changes or not, don’t forget that discussions with financial advisors count as 5 points in the annual healthmetempe.com health insurance incentive.
Upcoming Employee Development Classes: Employee Development has the following classes throughout the month of July. They also have announced the date of the next Employee Debelopment day (September 16th), which will have free professional headshots and educational workshops. If you’d like to attend, please let your supervisor know asap.
7/8 Connect 301
7/8 Interview Preparation Workshop
7/16 Getting Things Done
7/22 Connect 101/201
7/23 Habits & Hacks: Your Playbook for a More Efficient, Effective, and Enjoyable Career in Tempe
Heat Tracking Resources: Ray Hagan from Risk Management asked that I include the following information in this week’s email.
This link takes you to the Heat Safety page and serves as a reminder of the resources available to help you stay safe during the upcoming hot, humid months.
One useful resource for both work and home is the OSHA/CDC Heat Safety Tool App, available through your device's app store. The app provides real-time heat index information, safety recommendations, and guidance to help prevent heat-related illnesses.
Remember, heat-related illnesses can cause serious injury and even death. Know the signs and symptoms of heat stress and heat illness and understand what actions to take for yourself and your fellow team members if someone is affected.
Stay hydrated, take appropriate breaks, and be aware of environmental conditions when working outdoors or in hot environments.
If you have any questions, please contact Risk Management.
Gas Prices Survey: UAEA is trying to gather more information about how fuel prices are impacting our members and what solutions, if any, the City could provide staff to help ease their burdens. Please fill out this survey whether you commute by car or public transportation and whether you are being impacted or not - we’d like a representative sample we can bring to City Management. Please also fill it out if you have additional suggestions about how the City can use its resources to best support staff.
Pride Month: I would be remiss to wrap up this email without recognizing the fact that June is Pride Month, an annual celebration of the contributions the LGBTQ+ community has given to our communities and culture. If you’re interested in knowing about or attending Pride Month events, Phoenix Pride has a long list on their website. Please never forget that UAEA stands with and supports Tempe’s queer employees, and commits to supporting anti-discrimination measures and employment policies wherever we can.
I did a detailed write up on Pride Month last year which you can find on our blog - it goes into the history of queer culture, early union efforts to secure queer rights in the workplace, and the modern need for Pride celebrations due to ongoing legal attacks against the community. I don’t have a lot to add to that writeup besides the fact that 9% of US Adults now identify as queer and an update on the legal situation. This time last year there had been 940 anti-trans bills proposed in state legislatures - as of today, there are only 793. It’s hard to know if that’s a win or not - while that does represent a decline, it’s still a 1400% increase from the number of bills proposed in 2016, only a decade ago, and may represent the fact that many rights have already been stripped away so additional legislation is no longer needed. While it’s fundamentally important to protect all marginalized communities for their own sake, it’s also worth acknowledging that a lot of this legislation also impacts other groups, making it harder for cisgender people to use restrooms, appear in public, or even access healthcare if they’re gender-nonconforming. It also heavily restricts the rights of public servants and teachers in the workplace, making it harder for everyone to do their jobs without worrying that they may be fired for personal statements or even their appearance.
It’s easy to acknowledge the problem and harder to give guidance on how specifically to support the queer community. Support is needed throughout the whole year, not just during June, but this is a good time to think about what it can look like in your personal life year-round. This website has a list of actions people can take to support the trans people in their lives and the trans community, while this website has some recommendations for how people can generally support the greater queer community. Tempe has received perfect scores for 11 years in the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, but that doesn’t mean additional resources and support may not be needed for queer employees or the public we serve - Tempe’s score also does not reflect the MEI score of other Valley communities. If you’re interested in an immediate first step, don’t forget that Tempe has a Pride Group for Employees - they are always appreciative of additional employee support.
Member Recruitment Drive: UAEA is running a Member Recruitment Drive from June 1st through August 1st of this year. Every current member who refers a new member and every new member who signs up will receive $25 giftcards. New members and members who recommended new members will also be entered into a giftcard drawing at the end of this promotion - the more people who sign up, the more giftcards will be drawn. A full list of the promotion rules can be found here.
Kiwanis Event: UAEA is hosting a pool party event at Kiwanis Recreation Center on Sunday, July 19th, from 11-1PM. We will be providing free entry, food, and drinks for attendees. My understanding is that the pool is reserved just for us during our first time slot, then will be open to the public afterwards - attendees are welcome to stay past 1PM if they’d like. We currently have 150 spots available for members and their families and may be able to secure additional slots if there is significant interest. If you’d like to attend, please fill out this rsvp form by Thursday, July 9th.
Summer Reading Program: The Maricopa County Summer Reading Program is running between June 1st and July 20th of this year. Adults and children can participate for a chance to win a variety of prizes, including free food, books, basketball tickets, and a variety of gift packages.
Next Membership Meeting: Our next membership meeting will be on June 18th, from 5:30-6:30AM at the Kyrene Water Plant Main Building (311 W Guadalupe), in the first floor conference room. The plant can be accessed off of Guadaulpe through the main gate, then members can enter the SE door of the building on the SE side of the property. You can rsvp at this link until Thursday, June 11th.
Mill Avenue Closures: Tempe employees should be aware that chunks of Mill Avenue will be closed for construction from late May to early July. You can see a complete list at this link, with photos of each section and the impacted intersections.
Phase 2: Intersection of Mill Avenue and Fifth Street to south of Third Street, June 8 – 21
Phase 3: Third Street and Mill Avenue intersection to south of Rio Salado Parkway, June 22 – July 8
HSA/FSA Deadlines: Just as a reminder, employees have until June 30th, 2026 to use funds from their FSA and HSA accounts. You can carry up to $680 from one plan year to another, but you will lose any additional funds in your account above that amount.
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