Arizona
Report from the Frontline—Arizona Workers Under Attack
As acting Secretary of Labor under President Biden, I traveled to Phoenix several times to ensure that federal funds spent in the region were benefiting all communities; to meet with my team, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) staff who enforced essential protections for workers; and to partner with local elected officials and organizations to ensure the jobs being created were good jobs that brought not only decent wages and working conditions but real security and dignity. During these trips, I frequently sat down with workers to hear their concerns, to tell them what DOL was doing to address them, and to learn what more we could and should be doing. For example, I heard from workers who were affected by the record high temperatures in Arizona and told them that we were proposing the first nationwide standard to protect workers from the hazards of heat. The day of that discussion, the temperature approached 110 degrees, and it was not unique. Last year was the hottest summer on record and in Phoenix, there was a record 113 consecutive days with temperatures at or above 100 degrees. For workers, heat is not just uncomfortable or inconvenient; it can be deadly. The standard we proposed would save lives, but it requires the Trump administration to see it through.
Though my role as head of the Department of Labor has ended, my concern for workers has not. In May, I returned to Phoenix for a listening session with workers, to hear directly about the ongoing struggles of working people in the face of relentless attacks by the Trump administration. This was the latest stop in my continuing campaign for good jobs and worker rights, powered by The Century Foundation.
Workers Today Feel Attacked, Not Supported
For the listening session, we gathered at the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) Local 86, a place the union regularly opens up for community events.
What I heard was heartbreaking. While each person had a unique story to tell, the pervasive fear, anxiety, and sense of being under attack were not things I’d heard during my prior trips to Arizona. Immigrants feel vulnerable, as if the ground can be pulled out from under them at any moment. Indeed, immigrants being rounded up on the way to work or while at work has sent a message to the immigrant workers in attendance at the union hall that they could be next. A worker with Temporary Protected Status expressed his deep concern that the anti-immigrant administration currently in power will deport him on a whim.
One man wore a t-shirt that said, “Protect VA Healthcare.” As he talked about the importance of access to health services for veterans that are now on the chopping block, he adjusted his Army Vet cap. To him, this administration’s hostility to veterans is a breach of a promise that had been made to those who’ve served. As the evening unfolded, federal employees echoed this sentiment. “We served our country in uniform, then when we returned home, we traded our uniform in to serve in the federal government, and now we are being disrespected and pushed out,” said one federal worker who was in the room. The federal government is the largest employer of veterans in the country—roughly 30 percent of federal employees are veterans—and this administration’s reign of terror over its own federal staff has had a disproportionate impact on veterans.
I also heard about a program dedicated to giving women who had survived domestic violence and poverty a fresh start—a chance to gain new skills, receive counseling and other support, and experience independence and the pride that comes with a good job. Funding for that program has been cut by Trump’s Department of Labor. It was devastating.
A woman rose to share that she’d survived sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of her former employer. Another had been denied overtime pay. Both described the value of having federal government agencies with whom to lodge a complaint—and compassionate, knowledgeable public servants in those agencies who took seriously their responsibility to enforce the laws. What I witnessed was a sense of community: the trust built between those in government and those who rely on them, and the pain and outrage caused by the Trump administration’s indiscriminate cuts. The public servants who chose government careers in Phoenix are not, as the Trump administration believes, enemies of the people; to the contrary, they are neighbors, friends, coaches, community volunteers, and trusted fellow citizens.
Workers Deserve a Partner in Government, Not an Adversary
Throughout the night, I heard about suffering, but I also heard hope and strength. Immigrant workers talked about the power of speaking up and how critical it is to have U.S. Department of Labor investigators who live in the community, conduct outreach and education, and work in local offices. They shared how much it meant when, under the Biden administration, we helped make sure that when workers speak up about abuse, their immigration status wouldn’t be weaponized against them. A farmworker who was there with his coworkers spoke about the power of unity. Workers from researchers to hotel housekeepers came that night to be heard. And federal employees who worked to combat discrimination and wage theft said they would keep speaking out despite threats from the Trump administration of criminal prosecution for exercising their First Amendment rights.
A UNITE HERE shop steward shared how, before he got a union job, he had to pay for his root canal out of pocket; now that he has a union job, he has health insurance, and that makes all the difference. He loves his leadership role in the union because it allows him to take care of his fellow workers.
With everything that’s happening, it can feel like we are powerless to make things better. The workers I met, though, refuse to give up their power. They came to speak, many after a long day at work already, about the harm Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Trump administration are inflicting. They came to testify about what working people really deserve, and about why we have to have each other’s backs. Some of the workers had never stood up in front of a room full of strangers to tell their story. Now that they have, I believe that they are not going to stop. They are part of the growing voices—many of whom never expected to speak at listening sessions, town halls, rallies or press conferences—who are speaking now, documenting the cruelty and lawlessness of an administration that has declared open season on immigrants, women, veterans, working people, people with disabilities, and federal civil servants.
Looking Ahead
Listening sessions like this one are essential in this moment, so that workers can voice their concerns, particularly in the face of an uncaring or even hostile federal government. This session would not have happened without the efforts of Fred Yamashita, who moderated the listening session, and the Arizona AFL-CIO, who moderated the listening session, and Andrea Moreno and the team at Honest Arizona. Fred and I were joined by Omar Algeciras, a U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour investigator who I had the honor of working with as acting secretary, Phoenix City Councilwoman Betty Guardado, and Steve Valencia of Arizona Jobs with Justice. All of them have built their careers around supporting workers and making sure they are heard.
One of the things I loved best about serving in the cabinet of the Biden administration was the ability to bring people together and to include the voices of those who are too seldom heard. Today, when those individuals are being vilified, fired, silenced, undermined, and attacked by the very government that is supposed to be there to protect them, their willingness to speak out is an incredible act of bravery and resistance.
Our work remains unfinished. Workers still need protections from heat. Too many jobs still don’t provide a just day’s pay and real security, which means working people are still working too hard and barely getting by. To the workers and families who came and spoke, your stories and solidarity matter more than you know.
Arizona
NAU launches first-of-its-kind engineering degree to fast-track Arizona’s future workforce – The NAU Review
As Arizona’s semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries continue to grow at a rapid pace, Northern Arizona University’s Steve Sanghi College of Engineering is launching a new degree program designed to help meet the state’s workforce needs.
Beginning this fall, NAU will offer a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Engineering Technology, a flexible, workforce-focused degree pathway that prepares students for careers in microelectronics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing in as little as three years. The 90-credit bachelor’s degree creates a more accessible pathway into engineering careers through a hands-on, applied curriculum and a streamlined transfer model with Arizona community colleges.
The program follows a 45-45 completion structure, allowing students to complete 45 credits at a community college and 45 credits through NAU. Courses will be delivered through synchronous remote instruction at NAU’s North Valley campus in Phoenix and at Pima Community College in Tucson, increasing access for statewide students.
Addressing Arizona’s growing semiconductor workforce
Designed with workforce readiness in mind, the program emphasizes practical engineering application, systems implementation, testing, quality control, systems analysis, manufacturing, fabrication, process control and project management. Students will gain technical and problem-solving skills aligned with the needs of Arizona’s rapidly evolving manufacturing economy.
“This new bachelor’s degree empowers students to identify real-world engineering challenges and develop practical solutions,” said James Palmer, associate dean for academic affairs at the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering. “We are creating a more accessible pathway into engineering careers while preparing graduates to support Arizona’s growing microelectronics and semiconductor industry.”
Arizona has emerged as one of the nation’s fastest-growing semiconductor hubs, with more than $200 billion in semiconductor-related investments announced in the Greater Phoenix region since 2020, including expansions from Intel, TSMC and Amkor Technology. TSMC alone has committed up to $165 billion toward Arizona operations, including multiple fabrication plants and advanced packaging facilities expected to create thousands of technical and manufacturing jobs.
Industry demand continues to grow for professionals with applied engineering and advanced manufacturing skills in areas such as process engineering, manufacturing systems, equipment operations and yield enhancement. NAU’s new degree program was developed to help students quickly enter these high-demand career fields while supporting Arizona’s long-term economic growth and domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity.
The program also aligns with NAU’s strategic commitment to expanding access to affordable, student-centered educational opportunities that prepare graduates for meaningful careers and long-term success.
Students interested in learning more about the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Engineering Technology program should contact SCE@nau.edu.
PHOENIX (AP) — The two Republican congressmen running for Arizona governor pitched themselves at a debate Wednesday as the only candidate with broad enough voter appeal to unseat Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs amid the state’s affordability struggles.
U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who is the GOP primary’s frontrunner and has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, portrayed himself as being able to cross party lines and having the right experience to be the state’s chief executive.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind, if you look at the polling data that you’re going to find, I am the most competitive with Katie Hobbs of anybody on this stage in any Republican in the state,” Biggs said.
U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, who has survived three tough Democratic challenges in recent years, believes his focus on government finances and his drive to bring new business to the state make him the singular Republican candidate.
“These are wonderful people, but they’ve never actually been in the great battle,” Schweikert said of Biggs and two other Republican opponents.
Businessman Scott Neely, who ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2022, said after the debate that if Biggs wins the primary, Republicans will lose the election.
The winner of the July 21 primary will face Hobbs, who’s running unopposed in the primary.
Biggs has served five terms in the U.S. House, representing a heavily GOP district in the eastern Phoenix suburbs and serving at one time as chairman of the ultra-right U.S. House Freedom Caucus.
Before that, Biggs served in the Arizona Legislature from 2003 through 2016, including four years as president of the state Senate. He battled with then-Republican Gov. Jan Brewer on a Medicaid expansion in 2013 and pushed school choice measures and bills targeting abortion providers.
Biggs is one of Trump’s top defenders in Congress and supported Trump’s false claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Schweikert, a budget hawk known for railing against government debt, has represented an affluent district that includes parts of northeast Phoenix and Scottsdale for eight terms. He served in the Arizona House in the 1990s and as Maricopa County’s treasurer in the 2000s.
Schweikert has focused his congressional career on sounding the alarm about the federal budget deficit and the ballooning U.S. debt, often in late-night speeches to a nearly empty House chamber and bleary-eyed C-SPAN viewers. Schweikert has praised Trump’s 2017 tax cuts but has called for more spending cuts to reduce federal borrowing.
His reputation was tarnished by ethics scandals. In 2022, he received a $125,000 fine by the Federal Election Commission for misappropriating campaign funds. Two years prior, he agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and accept 11 campaign finance violations after an investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Ethics. In his last three general campaigns for Congress, Schweikert staved off challenges from Democrats. Biggs voiced support for Arizona’s recent passage of a three-year moratorium on tax incentives for new data centers – a move Hobbs also has touted. “They shouldn’t be given a break,” Biggs said, noting the large amounts of power and water that data centers use.
Schweikert bemoaned Arizona’s unfavorable affordability rankings as “pretty miserable,” but said consumer prices don’t come down magically. He vowed to aggressively recruit businesses to Arizona and push for wage growth.
Both congressmen were asked about the expired healthcare subsidies for those getting coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
“We’re going to have to deal with the reality of subsidization of everything in the economy is not going to work,” Schweikert said.
Biggs said he introduced legislation in Congress to bring down healthcare costs and also voiced support for Trump’s proposal to send money directly to Americans for health savings accounts so they can handle insurance and health costs as they see fit.
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