The Freedom to Choose a Union

As an elected official or candidate for office, I am committed to making our communities a better place to live and work. I believe that unions contribute to the economic vitality essential to creating and sustaining thriving communities. I respect the right of every working person to pursue equality, opportunity, a voice on the job and a better life by forming a union. I understand that the decision to join a union should be the free choice of an employee, absent employer coercion. I believe that employers, who interfere with, harass, threaten or fire workers for trying to form a union, or who deliberately manipulate the legal system to prevent or delay organizing, are harming not only their employees but our entire community. Such tactics have the effect of denying workers their basic human right to organize and bargain collectively and drive down standards for the community as a whole.

• I fully support the principle that all workers are entitled to freedom of association at work. I support the right of workers to form a union and bargain collectively in an environment free of interference, intimidation, coercion, harassment, reprisals or delay.
• I will publicly support workers who are forming unions by reaffirming the importance of unions to our communities and by taking actions such as issuing public statements, attending rallies to support organizing, sponsoring public forums and the like.
• I will urge employers to respect their employees’ rights to form a union, to remain neutral during union organizing campaigns, to recognize a union voluntarily when a majority of the employees chose to form one and to bargain in good faith and reach an agreement.

A PLEDGE TO CREATE HOPE AND OPPORTUNITYFOR ALL OUR STUDENTS

Whereas, one of the goals of our educational system is to prepare all youth for a future where their full potential may be realized; and
Whereas, Arizona’s high school graduation rate for the general population is over 75%; however, schools serving economically disadvantaged communities have a significantly lower graduation rate; and
Whereas, student retention increases significantly when work-based learning, career pathway programs, and technical preparation programs exist within a school system; and
Whereas, findings link school facility upgrades to a wide array of positive impacts, including student attendance and academic gains, teacher job satisfaction and retention, increased residential property values, equity across communities, and reduced negative health issues arising from poorly maintained buildings; and
Whereas, studies have found that community workforce and training agreements with the Building and Construction Trades Unions are a cost effective method to build and/or renovate high quality school and community college facilities; and
Whereas, the use of Community Workforce and Training Agreements increase the opportunity for high school graduates to get introduced to college through their enrollment in a state of Arizona approved Joint Labor Management Apprenticeship Training Programs; and
Whereas, the use of community workforce and training Agreements result in a higher use of a local construction work force that, through reinvesting their wages within a local economy, generates higher sales tax revenue for school districts.
THEREFORE, in accordance with these principles, I pledge to support a future affirming educational experience for all of our students by:

A Sustainable Communities Pledge

Whereas, past patterns of urban growth and development are not sustainable, the adoption of sustainable communities’ strategies that will incentivize urban infill and transit-oriented development: and
Whereas, this shift in land use and transportation policy is already resulting in an unprecedented level of private investment for residential, commercial and retail, urban infill development and construction which is projected to increase over the next twenty years: and
Whereas, (enter city or county name on form) should welcome more intensive, compact development, and development along transit corridors, to meet our obligation to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases: and
Whereas, it is critical that private investment and construction contribute to economically vibrant, healthy and equitable communities, including providing housing for an economically diverse work force, and diverse land uses that offer walkable communities for work, shop and recreation; and
Whereas, it is critical that this private investment and construction provide tangible economic, employment and other benefits to local residents, workers and communities and not just benefit the investors; and
Whereas, communities receive the full economical and employment benefits from local construction and development when projects offer training and apprenticeship opportunities, hire local workers and pay area standard wages to the construction workforce; and
Whereas, the value of every dollar in construction wages spent by local workers is multiplied as it is recirculated through our small business community and the local economy; and
Whereas, the local spending of construction wages generates much needed sales tax revenue to local governments; and
Therefore, in accordance to these principles, I pledge to support and give priority to those projects that will contribute to this vision of a sustainable, economically vibrant and equitable community by

• Furthering smart land use and growth policies, by offering energy efficient and sustainable, green building design and promoting transportation choices for the community.
• Ensuring that local workers will be hired on construction projects and make meaningful efforts to ensure they get paid the area standard wage.
• Providing outreach to local youth and disadvantaged communities for construction craft apprenticeship training and provide opportunities for them to have work opportunities to fulfill their hours as participants in a State approved Labor/Management apprenticeship program.
• Providing construction employment and training opportunities for our military veterans.
• Ensuring that affordable units are provided by builders of market rate residential projects and that the potential impacts of gentrification are addressed.
• Providing other community benefits and amenities to offset a project’s potential adverse impact on the community.