The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Arizona Association of Industries have merged to help the state’s business and manufacturing community combat perceived threats from organized labor groups and anti-illegal immigration activists, according to the chamber’s executive director.
The merger has been considered at various levels of seriousness for almost a decade, said Glenn Hamer, executive director of the chamber, and existing “storm clouds” of concern from possible 2008 ballot initiatives proposing universal health care and tough sanctions against businesses caught employing illegal immigrants have helped seal the deal.
After the 2006 success of Proposition 202, an AFL-CIO-led measure that established a $6.75 Arizona minimum wage with annual increases based on cost-of-living indexes, the business and manufacturing community has formed a “united membership front” to combat organized labor’s growing political might, he said.
“They’ve (labor unions) made it pretty clear that Arizona, because of our ballot initiative process, is the state to move their agenda,” Hamer said.
He said he regards the merger as a “great historic opportunity” to not only protect businesses from labor groups, but to pursue traditional pro-business interests such as tax cuts and an increase in job training programs.
Manufacturing interests will be represented
Though exact details of power sharing between the two groups are still being considered, AAI Chairman Mark Dobbins will play a pivotal role in representing the state’s manufacturing industry.
Dobbins, a senior human resources vice-president for SUMCO USA, a subsidiary of a Japanese silicon wafer producing corporation, said the groups’ merger will help to support immigration reform and oppose labor goals, including efforts to do away with secret union ballot elections, which he says serves to intimidate workers into voting to form unions.
Labor organizations such as the AFL-CIO, on the other hand, argue the secret ballot process hinders the ability of workers to unionize in hopes of achieving higher wages and increased benefits. They ask that employees be allowed to authorize union formation by filling out cards.
But talks about forming programs to inspire interest in business and manufacturing careers based on the National Association of Manufacturers’ “Dream It! Do It!” campaign are also underway. The programs could help counter shortages of skilled workers, said Dobbins.
Dobbins said he expects manufacturers’ interests will be represented by a council with a board and chairman that will be a sub-board to the chamber.
“We have members on our board that range from small machine tool shops to the biggest high-tech manufacturers in the Valley,” said Dobbins, who also is a director of the National Association of Manufacturers. “It’s our objective to represent the broad spectrum of interests for any manufacturer.”
Hamer said the chamber and the AAI hope to iron out unanswered questions about board membership and dues structures for members by the end of the year.
“There are differences and it will take a bit of time, but it’s all resolvable,” he said.