7/2 Weekly Email + July 4th
Hi all,
This is a short week so I just have a quick writeup on July 4th, information on the City’s next blood drive, updates on our member recruitment drive, and information about our new UAEA board members.
Independence Day: Tomorrow is the City of Tempe’s Independence Day holiday - we’re celebrating it on Friday since Saturday is not part of the standard work week. Please don’t come to work if you’re not scheduled. Thank you to those who need to work tomorrow to keep our City functioning.
I did a writeup about the holiday last year that talks a little bit about our nation’s founding and a slight connection with union work - you can find that here.
The City of Tempe has a good writeup about firework laws and firework safety - you can check that out here.
If you’d like to see fireworks this weekend, this webpage has links to a number of events happening around the Valley. Check the individual webpages before you commit to anything - I noticed that several events have started charging entry fees this year.
Blood Drive: The next employee blood drive will be held on Thursday, July 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tempe History Museum. You can register here for your preferred timeslot.
Giving blood is always a good thing in itself, especially if you are a universal donor, but there are also perks for doing so. As a reminder, you can give blood during your normal workday and will be paid as normal by the City for the time the process takes. You also get entered into various raffles hosted by Vitalant and accrue points that can be exchanged for giftcards and merch.
Member Highlight: UAEA loves highlighting our incredible members, and just got news this week of a new accomplishment. The Arizona Building Officials (AZBO) Permit Technician of the Year award recognizes an individual who truly represents the best of the profession - this year that honor belongs to Nina Adams, Senior Development Services Specialist for the City of Tempe.
Nina is recognized for her exceptional customer service, extensive knowledge of permitting processes, building codes, and local regulations, and her unwavering commitment to helping contractors, architects, homeowners, and the community. Her professionalism, accuracy, and willingness to go the extra mile have made a lasting impact on both her customers and colleagues. Through her dedication to public service and public safety, Nina has earned the respect of her peers and serves as an outstanding example of excellence in the permit technician profession.
Congratulations, Nina, on being named Permit Technician of the Year—a well-deserved recognition of your hard work, expertise, and commitment to the City of Tempe and the community you serve.
Member Recruitment Drive Update: As an update on our member recruitment drive, we more than doubled our normal monthly signups in June and have several additional employees who are ineligible, but want to join as soon as their probation is completed. Thank you to all of the members who have recommended people - don’t forget that you have another month to continue doing so! As a reminder, new members and members who recommend them will be getting giftcards at the end of this drive, both a $25 giftcard for each signup and some additional $100 cards randomly drawn at the drive's end. For a complete list of rules, check out this list on our blog.
Board Member Bios: As I’ve mentioned in the last few weeks, every candidate in the 2026 UAEA Elections ran unopposed. The Election Committee gathered bios from each of them though, and I’d like to share them with members so you know some more about the new board.
Victor Diaz - Secretary: My name is Victor Diaz. As a resident of the City of Tempe and a Senior Heavy Equipment Operator for Transportation and Sustainability, I'm honored to be nominated for Secretary. Through my experience in street maintenance and working closely with contractors, residents, and multiple departments, I’ve developed strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills that I believe would serve our union members well. Throughout my career, I’ve taken pride in being dependable, approachable, and willing to help where needed. I understand the importance of keeping members informed, maintaining clear communication, and ensuring concerns are heard and documented properly. I am running for the position of Secretary because I want to continue supporting our members and contribute to a strong, professional, and united union. I believe my work ethic, attention to detail, and commitment to our membership would allow me to serve this position effectively and responsibly.
Victor’s new union email will be secretary@uaeatempe.com
Jacob Epps - Citywide Representative: My name is Jacob Epps, and I am running for Citywide Representative. After relocating from Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2023, I became an active member of UAEA in March 2024. I believe in building strong, positive relationships and assisting individuals through challenging situations with fairness and respect in my current position at Tempe Municipal court. I am committed to problem-solving, maintaining a positive attitude, and promoting collaboration across all city departments. I strive to support coworkers, foster a culture where every voice matters, and advocate for issues that impact employees and the community spaces we share.
Jacob’s new union email will be jacob@uaeatempe.com
I have attached a copy of our new board’s contact information - copies will be posted on bulletin boards soon. You can see the most up to date information about our board on our website at this link. I also wrote a bio while running for a second term as President, and have included it as an attachment - if you’re interested in what the board has worked on over the last few years and where I’d like to concentrate our energy over the next two, feel free to check it out.
July Member Meeting: Our next member meeting will be July 16th, from 5:30-6:30AM at the Tempe Municipal Operations Complex (TMOC), at the first floor conference room of Building 1. You can enter this site off of the intersection of South 48th St and West 1st St - there is plenty of parking in the employee parking area. Enter the southern building in the parking lot through the main entrance - the conference room is just to the right as you enter. You can rsvp here until Thursday, July 9th.
Free/Discounted Summer Activities: If you’re looking for free or discounted things to do with friends or family this summer, this webpage has a list of activities in and around Phoenix.
Besides free days at certain museums, don’t forget about the Culture Passes offered by Maricopa County libraries. These offer free entry for up to 2 people at places like the Desert Botanical Garden, the Arizona Heritage Center, Reid Park Zoo, and the Phoenix Art Museum. Passes are first-come, first-served, for library patrons, but I just learned that their websites can tell you which are available at every branch.
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. As a correction to prior emails, we have a slightly different contract than I initially thought - we will have 1 hour of private pool time and then 1 hour of time where the pool is open to the public. 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.
Union Messaging Survey: UAEA is working on some plans to start some virtual group chats and improve member’s ability to communicate with each other across the City. We have a fairly concrete idea of what we’d like to achieve with this but would like to receive some feedback before we finalize our choice of platform and policies. Whether you are interested in participating or have no desire to participate, please fill out this survey by July 9th so we can better understand member needs.
Podcast Survey: UAEA is exploring additional options to further improve our communication in the coming year. The board is tentatively interested in producing podcast episodes that summarize what we’re working on, overview City benefits, and go over some of our special content, like interview prep materials. Before we invest the time and energy into that endeavor we’d like to know if this is something our members are even interested in and what format these should take. Our hope is that these can fill the communication gap for people who spend all week in a truck or in the field, but we’re also open to other ideas if people have them. I also should be clear, this would be in addition to existing communications we put out, not a replacement, and our goal would be to minimize the amount of time we would take to produce this content. Whether you are interested or not, please fill out this survey by July 9th to weigh in. As a reminder, you can also access all of our weekly emails online at this hidden page on our website.
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.
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.
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 3: Third Street and Mill Avenue intersection to south of Rio Salado Parkway, June 22 – July 8
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
Thanks for a great week, everyone!