Corrine asked that we send letters to the Phoenix City Council concerning the working conditions at Sky Harbor  Airport.  Please copy the letter below or write your own drop them off at Democratic Headquarters or send them to Corrine Horowitz at UFCW99, at 2401 N Central Ave, 2nd Floor, Phoenix, 85004-1331.

August 4, 2011

TO:      Mayor Phil Gordon

Members of the Phoenix City Council

Danny Murphy, Phoenix Sky Harbor Aviation Director

Members of the Downtown Aviation Advisory Committee

Sky Harbor Airport workers take pride in making a great first impression.  They serve our guests coffee, offer them a ride to their gate, and keep them company while shining their shoes—and they do it all with a smile.

Because workers at Sky Harbor Airport are the first and last faces visitors to our great city see, they are extremely important to the local economy and community. As such, business that have contracts there, or anywhere else with the City of Phoenix, should be a source of high quality jobs for Valley residents.

Yet many Airport workers, who are also residents of our city, are struggling to feed their families and face difficult conditions at work every day.

A group of employees at GCA Services—one of the companies contracted by the City of Phoenix to clean the Airport terminals—recently began to respond to those conditions.  In May, over thirty of these working men and women went to GCA’s Mesa headquarters to talk to company management about these and other concerns. GCA management refused to even meet with the employees, and just days afterward, the company terminated three employees who were trying to form a union.

GCA employees have stated their wish to improve their access to health insurance, to earn fair wages, to share costs for their security badges and uniforms; and to end the requirement for a doctor’s note for even a single day in which they are sick and cannot work.

The men and women who make Sky Harbor “America’s Friendliest Airport” must be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.  In particular, employees at GCA, should be able to exercise their right to improve wages, benefits, and working conditions without fear of harassment, intimidation, or termination.

We, the undersigned, ask that you ensure that GCA and all other companies that do business with the city of Phoenix, treat their workers with dignity and respect.

Sincerely,

*****

Tim Hogan (The Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest (ACLPI)) asked that we go to their website and support the work they are doing in court on behalf of the environment, education and healthcare.  http://www.aclpi.org/.

*****

Tim Schmaltz of PAFCO told us of their monthly training sessions for activists on the last Wednesday of the month at 3pm.  Check back for the location of training.  Tim emphasized that Facts are not enough. It takes a combination of facts, stories and persistent citizen action to make change or persuade a policy maker.  See the PAFCO website at http://www.pafcoalition.org/.

Andrei Cherny, the Democratic Party chairman called it an “extraordinary, unconstitutional partisan action to remove the independent chair and push the commission toward more partisan goals.”  He also said, “The Constitution allows for the removal of a member only for ‘substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, or inability to discharge the duties of the office.’

We must keep pressure on the Governor to let the Commission remain INDEPENDENT.  Please call the Governor at 602-542-4331.     I called the Governor and told her I want the Commission to remain independent.

The Commission will be holding hearings.  Please attend and let them know we want Competitive districts.  A list of dates and locations can be found here.

Ben Quayle AZ-3 is holding his in Anthem on May 16th at 6:30pm at the Fellowship Church, 39905 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway, according to his Washington office (the local office says they don’t have details).  Let’s get a big turnout of CD 3 Dems and hold Quayle’s feet to the fire.  His local office told some Dems that went into see them that he wouldn’t vote to destroy Medicare.  He had voted to do so the day before.  Let’s carpool and have a big turn out!

AND

5/16/2011            AZ-5       Dave Schweikert              Scottsdale Appaloosa Library, 7377 East Silverstone Drive               Scottsdale                11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

5/19/2011            AZ-5       Dave Schweikert                Riverview Toyota, 2020 W. Riverview Auto Drive                                       Mesa                          11 a.m. to 12 p.m

Hold them accountable for their votes to cut Medicare and still allow oil subsidies for big oil.