Phoenix

Beth Phoenix looks for competition against Alicia Fox.

Goran Dragic talks with FOX Sports Houston after the Rockets' 96-89 win over the Suns. (02/09/12)

Beth Phoenix looks for competition against Alicia Fox.

As a right-to-work state, Arizona has never been union-friendly, but now the state's lawmakers are considering four anti-labor bills that would strip away the existing rights of public sector unions. On top of the anti-union legislation, Governor Jan Brewer is encouraging the Legislature to weaken the state's personnel system and make it easier to fire public employees.Although the suite of anti-union bills was introduced in early February, they were crafted last fall with the help of the Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, the right-wing Goldwater Institute, and the American Legislative Exchange Council ( ALEC), a corporatist group that writes business friendly legislation for state lawmakers. The Arizona bills have been dubbed 'worse than Wisconsin' because they negatively affect all public sector employees, including police and firefighters. Together the bills would outlaw collective bargaining, prohibit public employers from compensating employees for union activities and eliminate payroll deductions for union dues. Initially, it appeared as if the Arizona Legislature was going to fast-track the bills, but two of the four are stalled and don't have enough votes, while the other two and Brewer's personnel system plan are scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, Feb. 16.According to Republican leaders in the Senate, the bill banning collective bargaining is in trouble, but the bills banning payroll deductions for union dues and release time for union activities still may pass. ' target='_hplink'>Democratic legislators have been opposed to all four bills from the beginning, but since Republicans have an iron grip on both houses and the entire state government, the fight against them appeared a bit like jousting at windmills. Nevertheless, unionists and labor supporters in Tucson and Phoenix have been protesting the legislation; Congressman Raul Grijalva has made public statements against the bills; MoveOn.org activists h