Economic Policy

Worker Power fights for a fair and just economy that benefits all community members. Worker Power's advocacy efforts include educating communities of working people through phone and in-person conversations. In addition, we mobilize community members – most of them low-wage workers who are priced out of their neighborhoods due to the rising housing costs – to testify at public meetings and other forums where their voices need to be heard.

 

Over the last decade, we have successfully advocated for quality jobs, higher minimum wage, and increased safety measures for thousands of service workers in Phoenix, particularly at City-owned facilities like Sky Harbor Airport and the Phoenix Convention Center.  

 

Since 2021, our advocacy has also included the use of local governments' GPLETs (Government Property Lease Excise Tax). Established in 1996 by the State of Arizona, GPLET is a tax abatement program used to spur development in Arizona's major cities. The addition of new jobs and additional tax revenues are some of the initial benefits these new developments bring to aid the economy. However, these tax breaks can add up to hundreds of millions of dollars not spent on local schools and other community needs over time. In addition, GPLETs can contribute to gentrification, exacerbate the deepening housing affordability crisis in our cities, and push low-wage earners out of town.

 

Beyond the direct advocacy efforts that may result in immediate economic benefits, Worker Power engages community members to take direct action on the issues that matter to them, teaching them to use their voices. We also challenge corporate developers to be more inclusive of the community they benefit from. But, most importantly, we change the conversation and challenge elected officials to take the economic interest, needs, and opinions of Arizona's working families that will affect their hometown for decades to come.