Can private-sector employers fire someone for unionizing a workplace in Arizona?

A private-sector employer in Arizona cannot fire someone for trying to unionize their workplace. These rights do not extend to public-sector employees, which in Arizona means state, county or city employees of any branch, department or agency, excluding police and firefighters. 

Federal law prohibits private-sector employers in all states from taking any action against employees for unionizing or participating in union activities in non-work settings or during non-work hours, with few exceptions. Employers have been accused by the National Labor Relations Board, the governing body that enforces union rules, of attempting to circumvent these laws by firing unionizing employees for allegedly unrelated reasons.

Arizona is also a right-to-work state, which prevents employers from not hiring or retaining someone because they are not a union member. The law also protects employees from having to join a union as a condition of employment. 

This fact brief responds to conversations such as this one.

The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.