skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

China and Canada Retaliate Against New Trump Tariffs; EU chief proposes plan to 'urgently' increase defense spending by mobilizing around $840 billion; NY's first grid-scale solar project comes online; MS workers face retirement gap as state considers savings plan; MI scientist: Humans, not climate change, to blame for toxic lakes.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration puts 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. New York wants newly fired federal workers for state service, and the GAO's High Risk report finds ways to make the government more efficient.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. farmers are left twisting in the wind over farm projects the federal funding freeze has stalled, parks and public lands could be a mess for visiting tourists this summer, while money to fight rural wildfires is in jeopardy.

Initiative aims to remove right-to-work statute in Arizona

play audio
Play

Thursday, October 12, 2023   

A grassroots organization in Arizona is pushing to remove the state's right-to-work statute in an attempt to strengthen unionization.

The group Arizona Works Together said the state's right-to-work laws make achieving things like better pay and benefits more challenging. The group added average workers in right-to-work states earn about $10,000 less than in non-right-to-work states each year.

Jennifer Sherer, director of the state worker power initiative for the Economic Policy Institute, said by looking at trends, workers across the country are increasingly looking to their right to organize and collectively bargain as a vehicle to address what she called "really deep inequalities in our economy."

"The initiative and the discussion underway in a number of states about making sure every worker has full access to those rights is the origin of the initiative you are seeing in Arizona," Sherer explained.

Sherer argued because of Arizona's right-to-work laws, unions have been what she deems "actively suppressed." The initiative being pushed by Arizona Works Together is currently working to get close to 400,000 signatures by next summer to get the measure on the general election ballot in November 2024.

Business leaders are expected to oppose the measure, saying it could be damaging to overall competitiveness in the Grand Canyon State.

Sherer emphasized collective bargaining rights are popular among workers across political ideologies. She added nine of 10 young workers approve and are interested in unionization, and said across the country, workers are wanting to improve their working conditions and the compensation they receive.

Earlier this year, Michigan repealed its right-to-work law. Sherer contended people around the country want to ensure a more fair economy.

"If you live in Arizona versus you drive a little bit west and live in California, it is almost like you're in a different economy as a worker because in California you have full bargaining rights," Sherer stressed.

Sherer pointed out various factors, including major strikes currently happening around the country, have led to more of an awareness relating to labor laws and union organizing.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A 2023 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts found states with retirement savings programs for private-sector workers saw increased participation rates and higher savings balances among low- and moderate-income workers. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

For many Mississippians, saving for retirement feels out of reach. Nearly 48% of private-sector workers in the state lack access to employer-…


Environment

play sound

New legislation would help build more wildlife crossings across Oregon highways to make roads safer for people and animals. Research shows that …

Social Issues

play sound

The American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association are suing the Trump administration over a threat of funding cuts and inv…


Lake algae blooms can release toxins posing serious risks to humans, pets and wildlife, potentially causing illness or even death. (Pete Niesen Photo/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Each summer, more lake beaches shut down as toxic algae blooms spread across the water and while climate change is often blamed, new research …

Health and Wellness

play sound

The U.S. had more than 500 mass shootings last year, and a new program launched in Denver hopes to prevent targeted violence before it happens…

According to a new national report, businesses are responding to a patchwork of abortion bans across the country, with some offering relocation assistance and expanded benefits amid a backlash against tighter restrictions. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

The 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn federal abortion protections continues to be felt. New research now suggests states where bans have …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Advocates are urging Maryland lawmakers to support a bill that would approve medical aid in dying for people who are terminally ill. A poll last …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Open enrollment for health insurance from the online marketplace is over, but Wyoming experts are reminding tribal members that they qualify to …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021