Fight for $15 in a Right-to-Work State

"Ya know Arizona is a right-to-work state. Don't'cha? The right to work for less," my Dad warned me, 40 years ago when I moved to Tucson in the fall of 1981.

Back in 1981, I knew what right to work meant, but I didn't realize how anti-union, right-to-work laws suppress wages for everyone. I also had no idea how moving from a highly unionized state to a right-to-work state would impact my career, my future wages and my children's opportunities to make a living wage. 

Thank goodness that voters in low-wage states like Arizona can take matters into their own hands through Citizens Initiative when the state Legislature fails to act OR when the Legislature passes laws that outwardly attack workers and local jurisdictions that attempt reforms.

In this Episode of A View from the Left Side, you will learn about efforts in Tucson and Flagstaff to raise the local minimum wage to $15 per hour and efforts by Republican Legislators to stop local voters from improving the local economy by raising the wage..

My guest is C.J. Boyd who is campaign manager for Tucson Fight for $15, which is on the Nov. 2, 2021 ballot. If you are on the Permanent Early Voting List (PVEL), you should have received your ballot in the mail.

In this episode, Boyd explains the Tucson citizen's initiative to raise the wage to $15 by 2025 and the worker protections that are also included in this ballot proposition.

Time Stamp
"PPH Commentary 0:19 "
"Interview with C.J. Boyd 6:11 "
"Tucson Fight for $15 Explained 6:42 "
"Worker Protections 7:48 "
"Worker Schedules 9:00 "
"Wage Theft Is Biggest Type of Theft in US 9:58 "
"Chamber of Commerce Fighting Labor Standards and Enforcement 10:57 "
"More Wage Theft 12:40 "
"Local Small Businesses 15:12 "
Flagstaff $15 Minimum Wage & State Retaliation 17:35
"State Law Says Cities & Counties Can Raise Local Minimum Wage 20:27 "
"What about Pima County? 23:11 "
Who Will Be Helped by Prop 206? 25:20
Tip Workers 26:08