8/27 Weekly Email
Hi all,
I have a few new updates and reminders, in the following order this week.
Flu Shots
Adopt a Path Signup
College Webinar
Photography Contest
Ice Cream Social Schedules
Holiday Party Update
Employee of the Quarter Reminder
September Meeting + August Meeting Minutes
Employee Development Day
1. Flu shots: Tempe is once again offering free flu shots from September 2nd to September 24th. If you are on the City’s health insurance you can schedule an appointment at this link. You can also usually get free flu shots at your local drug store, but this method does it on City time, during your work day, not your personal time.
2. Adopt a Path Signup: UAEA is currently planning to do our next Adopt a Path Cleanup on Saturday, September 26th, from 7-9AM. 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, 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, September 24th, at 5pm.
3. College Webinar: If there are any highschool seniors in your family or friend circle, please let them know about an upcoming webinar from 6-7:30PM on Wednesday, September 9th. This webinar, hosted by College Connect, will walk students through the timeline for applying to colleges as well as guidance for applying to in-state Arizona schools. You can find a link to signup here.
4. Photography Contest: UAEA is running a photography contest between now and August 27th (tonight at midnight). If you need some quick tips on how to take nice photos with your camera, check out these links. If you’re interested, a full list of rules can also be found here. Members can submit entries at this link from now until the deadline. Winners will be announced in our 4th Quarter Newsletter.
5. Ice Cream Social Schedules: The following ice cream social events will be occurring in the next week. We will have non-dairy, gluten-free, and no-sugar-added options at all events - if you are planning to attend a specific event and have an additional need, please let us know in advance.
8/27 - Tempe Transportation Center, Don Cassano Room, 2:30PM
8/28 - Tempe Center for the Arts, Carter Lounge, 2PM
8/31 - Tempe Library, 2nd Floor Cottonwood Room, 12-1PM
9/1 - Tempe Municipal Operations Center, 1st Floor Break Room, 3:30-4:30PM
9/2 - Tempe Fire Station #6, Break Room, 1-2PM
9/3 - South Water Treatment Plant, 1st Floor Conference Room, 12-1PM
Please note that we are happy to schedule additional events if we get members from different workgroups reaching out and requesting our attendance at worksites not on this list. Please let us know if you are interested and provide some details about the best weekdays/time to schedule a visit.
6. Holiday Party: Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback on the date and time of our holiday party. 59% of respondents overwhelmingly preferred that we schedule this year’s party on a Friday. 36% of respondents also stated that they would not be able to attend if the meeting was on a Thursday - this was higher than any other weekday. We have thus tentatively set a Holiday Party date of Friday, December 4th at Tempe’s Spokes on Southern. We will send out more information about the event in late October or early November.
7. Employee of the Quarter: Nominations for the Employee of the Quarter (Q4 2026) will be accepted until Tuesday, September 1st, 2026 (finalists will be announced in our October newsletter). If you would like to be considered (or would like to nominate a peer), please fill out the application (it takes 5 minutes) before the end of day on September 1st. If you would like a refresher on program rules, check out this blog post. As a reminder, winners receive recognition in UAEA publications, a certificate of accomplishment, a $25 giftcard, and the opportunity to be highlighted at a future City Council meeting. I am also happy to contact winner’s supervisors and directors to highlight their accomplishment (but only with their permission).
8. September Meeting and August Meeting Minutes: I’ve attached a copy of the meeting minutes from last Thursday’s member meeting at the Apache PD Substation.
Our next physical meeting will be at the Tempe Historical Museum’s front room (809 E Southern Ave, Tempe AZ, 85282) from 12-1PM on September 17th. You can rsvp here (please make sure you request UB time if you need UB time to attend). We will also be hosting our first completely virtual meeting the following week, from 12-1PM on September 24th. The same information will be discussed at both meetings, but we imagine there will be different questions/comments from staff. We are figuring out the logistics, but the intention is to record the virtual meeting and provide a link of the recording to members. You can rsvp for the virtual meeting here.
9. Employee Development Day: Tempe’s Employee Development Day is coming up on Wednesday, September 16th, from 12-4:30PM at Tempe Center for the Arts. This event will include keynote Speaker Jess Pettitt discussing how to implement change in your workplace, a series of breakout sessions covering financial wellness, internal leadership, and ethical AI, free professional headshots (book in advance), and a Fair with Tempe’s various Educational Partnership partners. For more information, check out the Bridge Page. If you’d like to attend, make sure you ask your supervisor soon to ensure they can find proper coverage.
UAEA Anniversary: Tempe’s Mayor Corey Woods will be reading a proclamation about UAEA at the 8/31 Council meeting around 6PM. Members are welcome to attend. There is free parking at the City Hall garage (one hour free, longer periods with free validation in the Council Chambers).
Group Chat: If you are interested in being a part of a UAEA group chat, please fill out this form. Please make sure you have reviewed our rules and policies concerning conduct and content. Signups will be open indefinitely and we will put out some resource guides showing how people can download, install, and use the app once we have a better idea of how many want to participate.
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.
Tempe Family Day: Tempe is hosting a Family Day again this year on Wednesday, October 7th. Parents can bring their children in from 8-4:30PM to participate in a wide range of activities and learn more about the City. Click on the link for more information and to signup.
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.
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).
Thanks for a great week, everyone!