Joe Seyton of the Goldwater Institute recently wrote an opinion article to this newspaper (8/29/04- Capitol Times) about union release in the State of Arizona and a recent Arizona Supreme Court decision on that issue.

However, Mr. Seyton listed multiple incorrect and inaccurate statements – understandably so as his bosses continuously sue unions, institutions, and cities like Phoenix to get higher salaries and more luxury furnishings for their staff and offices. Spouting forth such misinformation is simply the technique they use to fill their coffers

Union release has been negotiated as part of many city contracts for decades and recognized on both sides as mutually beneficial. Most courts in the United States have recognized this, even our own Arizona Supreme Court recognized this a few years ago (Cheatham v DiCiccio- 2016), before our same high court was stacked with Goldwater-associated appointees and reversed their very own decision (Gilmore V Gallego-2024).

The reason union release is beneficial is simple: unions work collaboratively with the city to make sure that workers are represented. Issues such as workplace safety, proper equipment, compensation, benefits, and staffing are addressed. In turn this makes for a better work environment and therefore better services for the public. 

If, for example, the union works to get detention officers ballistic vests that in turn increases safety at the workplace. If the union gets more police assistant staffing at better pay, the public then gets better service. If the union fights for PTSD services for 911 Dispatchers (HB2717 in 2023), this translates to both better help for the employees and better assistance to the public.

These mutually beneficial results can’t be negotiated on weekends and nights and still be functional. The city recognizes this benefit and that’s why they fought alongside the city unions against Goldwater and against their own appointed Arizona Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick (who worked for Goldwater), who should have would have recused himself in this case for ethical reasons.

Now for the inaccurate statements:

• Mr. Seyton specifically mentioned me in his article as a 911 Fire Dispatcher and Union President and stated that I could just quit my city job and do union functions full time instead. Except to be a labor leader in any public sector union requires you to be employed full time in the same city you represent, making that choice clearly impossible. And he knows that.
• Mr. Seyton says that government workers engage in political lobbying on union release time. Such activity however is banned in the State of Arizona due to SB1166, signed into law in 2022, which Goldwater fought for and got passed. This bill forbids unions in the state from this type of activity (except for police and fire unions) and it just wasn’t being done before this bill passed either. And he knows that. 
• Mr. Seyton said that taxpayers will save $3.7 million a year with union release removed. Taxpayers will not see any savings from this decision and in fact will see an increased cost because of the burden that the city now has in hiring more people to be able to handle the increased workload that unions did for the last 50 years. An audit of union activities in 2016 showed that union officers in the City of Phoenix did City HR type functions 95% of their time, including FMLA, ADA, Workman’s Comp and FSLA issues. And he knows that.

The Goldwater Institute has for many years touted themselves as an advocate for taxpayers all while working in luxury-built offices, at inflated salaries and using their influence to get their attorneys on the Supreme Court of Arizona to push their extreme agenda. Their actions hurt public safety and worker’s rights and are an insult to the Goldwater name and need to stop.

Frank Piccioli is president AFSCME Local 2960 for the City of Phoenix.