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Living United for Change in Arizona

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Living United for Change in Arizona
LUCHA.jpg
Basic facts
Location:Phoenix, Ariz.[1]
Type:501(c)(4)
Top official:Tomas Robles, Executive director
Year founded:2009
Website:Official website


Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), a 501(c)(4) organization, described itself as "a membership-led, grassroots organization that builds power with Arizona’s working families to advance social, racial and economic justice for all. Through grassroots campaigns, leadership development, advocacy and civic engagement, we work to create an Arizona in which every person enjoys equal rights, opportunities and protections." The group advocated in support of a $15 minimum wage for fast food workers in Arizona starting in 2013.[2][3]

  • LUCHA supported the 2016 Arizona Minimum Wage and Paid Time Off Initiative, which was approved and raised the state's minimum wage to $10 per hour in 2017, and then incrementally to $12 by 2020. The measure also created a right to paid sick time off from employment.[4]

    • Background

    Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) was formed in 2009 as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization in Arizona. The group was an Arizona partner organization of the Center for Popular Democracy, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was formed to support state and local progressive movements. LUCHA was made up of more than 600 dues-paying members in Arizona as of September 2016.[5][6][7][8]

    Work

    Member services

    LUCHA and its affiliated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Arizona Center for Empowerment (ACE), provided services to members that included immigration documentation assistance, English and U.S. citizenship education, technology courses, and the ACE Summer Leadership program.[6]

    Policy issues

    LUCHA aimed to support the $15 per hour minimum wage campaign for fast food workers in Arizona, promote fair housing policies in the Phoenix area, and protect voting rights, according to its website.[3][9][10][11]

    Political activity

    As a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) was able to engage in political lobbying and campaign activities.[12]

    2016 elections

    LUCHA endorsed former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential election cycle. "Looking at his record and what he's stood for, it only makes sense that LUCHA members back him," said Tomas Robles, LUCHA's executive director, in an interview with the Phoenix New Times.[13]

    Ballot measure activity

    LUCHA supported the 2016 Arizona Minimum Wage and Paid Time Off Initiative, which was designed to raise the state's minimum wage to $10 per hour in 2017, and then incrementally to $12 by 2020. The measure was also designed to create a right to paid sick time off from employment.[4]

    "Twelve dollars an hour is what our families need,” Robles told the Phoenix New Times. "We're just asking for fair treatment."[14]

    Overview of ballot measure support and opposition

    The following table details LUCHA's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

    Ballot measure support and opposition for Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA)
    Ballot measure Year Position Status
    Arizona Minimum Wage and Paid Time Off, Proposition 206 (2016) 2016 Supported[4]  ApprovedaApproved

    Leadership

    The following individuals held leadership positions with Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) as of September 2016:

    • Tomas Robles, Executive director[15]
    • Alejandra Gomes, Co-executive director[13]

    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Living United for Change in Arizona LUCHA. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    Living United for Change in Arizona - Google News

    See also

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Facebook, "Living United for Change in Arizona," accessed September 8, 2016
    2. ↑ Living United for Change in Arizona, "Home," accessed September 8, 2016
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Living United for Change in Arizona, "Fight for Fifteen," accessed September 8, 2016
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ahwatukee Foothills News, "Minimum wage opponents fail to file required spending report," September 6, 2016
    5. ↑ Arizona Corporation Commission, "Living United for Change in Arizona," accessed September 8, 2016
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Living United for Change in Arizona, "Who we are," accessed September 8, 2016
    7. ↑ Center for Popular Democracy, "Donate," accessed September 8, 2016
    8. ↑ Movement 2016, "LUCHA/ACE," accessed September 8, 2016
    9. ↑ Living United for Change in Arizona, "Fair elections," accessed September 8, 2016
    10. ↑ Living United for Change in Arizona, "Housing discrimination," accessed September 8, 2016
    11. ↑ GuideStar, "Arizona Center for Empowerment-Form 990 2012," accessed September 8, 2016
    12. ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Political Campaign and Lobbying Activities of IRC 501(c)(4), (c)(5), and (c)(6) Organizations," accessed July 13, 2015
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Phoenix New Times, "Activist Group LUCHA Joins Other Arizona Latino Voices in Endorsing Bernie Sanders," February 24, 2016
    14. ↑ Phoenix New Times, "Voters May Have Say on Arizona Minimum Wage in November," May 5, 2016
    15. ↑ LinkedIn, "Tomas Robles," accessed September 8, 2016
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