Reasons to Join UAEA
This content is slightly modified from a 9/19/24 email I sent to membership.
Workplace and MOU Negotiation. UAEA is the sole entity authorized to negotiate and make recommendations on behalf of the 790 people we represent. That said, we only solicit feedback from our members, so members have the ability to have a disproportionate impact on department policies and within our MOU negotiations. Keep in mind that we meet with most department directors and Rosa on a monthly or bimonthly basis so we have frequent opportunities to raise concerns and bypass the multiple levels of administration that usually exist between employees and their department leadership. The UAEA President also sits on a number of committees that make decisions on things like deferred compensation plans and our healthcare options - if you thus want the ability to provide feedback on the good or bad aspects of your benefits package, UAEA membership is the way to go.
Discipline Assistance. UAEA is working hard right now with TSA to rethink certain aspects of the disciplinary process (such as encouraging supervisors to use training and coaching prior to discipline), but any changes that come from that process will likely take a while to implement. In the meantime, if you ever receive discipline from your supervisor or management, UAEA is here to help. We can be present in disciplinary hearings or investigations, provide guidance on writing a Part 2 disciplinary response, and file Grievances if we identify any violations of your employee rights throughout the process. Please note that as a general rule UAEA does not allow non-members facing discipline to join and get immediate assistance from our team. We’d love to have non-members join…but don’t want people signing up with us only when it's convenient to use our resources. Strong organizations are built by people who are committed to the mission and values of the group - we’d much prefer to have people sign up who are believers in our work and not because they have a short-term need for our skills.
Resource/Benefit Identification: The City of Tempe has a lot of benefits and it can be difficult understanding or locating all of them. I’m slowly going through and trying to explain as many benefits as possible in weekly emails and website blog posts, but we’re also more than happy to help you find and learn how to use specific perks. Please note that HR will almost always have more up-to-date information about benefits than we do (and that there are multiple employees whose main job is just running certain benefit programs) but we can certainly help point you in the right direction, especially if you have no idea where to start.
A couple immediate examples that not everyone seems to be aware of are the Mediflex program which helps cover health insurance costs (find out more here), the Healthy Me in Tempe program which provides discounts to insurance with participation, and, as a fun one, the discounted Harkins movie tickets that are sold at the Downtown Tempe Cashier’s Office.
Legal Assistance. UAEA has legal representation through the law offices of Napier Baillie Wilson Bacon & Tallone, P.C. Our primary attorney, Kathryn Bailie, assists with drafting documents, provides guidance on how we approach both Grievances and MOU negotiations, and occasionally represents us in court. Perhaps most directly relevant to members, the firm offers several perks including free wills and discounts on many basic legal services. They also have strong connections to other law offices across the state and can make recommendations to members if you’re looking for legal assistance in matters that they don’t typically cover (contracts, discrimination complaints, patent ideas, etc).
Member Meetings and Events: UAEA puts on 12 member meetings a year. These meetings are an opportunity to hear about what UAEA’s Executive Team is up to, connect with members from across the City, learn about benefits from and ask questions of people like Nationwide account representatives, and occasionally interact directly with high-ranking Tempe officials like City Manager Rosa Inchausti or Mayor Corey Woods. We also do an annual holiday party in December which is an opportunity to destress from the year with your colleagues, and host several volunteer events each Fall and Spring which are eligible for points which count towards your healthcare benefit.
Scholarship. UAEA runs an annual college scholarship competition each spring for either members or the children of members. We don’t have a huge funding pool to distribute but we usually only receive 3-6 applications - as such, the chance of winning some financial assistance is pretty high. Keep an eye out in a couple months for the 2025 competition - we’re going to try to have that rolled out and completed long before the start of the 2025 Fall Semester begins.