How We Began

On June 6, 2011, Tempe chapter leaders organized a grassroots petition drive to decertify the affiliation with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Key factors which motivated employees to move away from SEIU included the inability to set dues, a perceived lack of control over political agendas, and an inability to participate in major policy decisions at the local level. The petition drive gathered signatures from more than 60 percent of eligible employees, well above the minimum number required for the City of Tempe to decertify SEIU and certify the United Arizona Employee Association (UAEA) as the exclusive representative for non-management employees.

On August 19, 2011 the City Manager certified the petition process, authorizing UAEA as the new official representative to exclusively negotiate on behalf of more than 700 City of Tempe employees.

The group's first priority was to have the recently negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) delegated and assumed by UAEA. That goal was accomplished by September 8, 2011.

Since the inception of the UAEA in 2011, the leadership of the UAEA has consistently built solid mutually beneficial working relationships with the City of Tempe in benefit of both the city and non-management employees.