Arizona isn't Wisconsin, but for a brief moment this week it was getting close.

Labor unions went to the state Capitol on Wednesday to rally against bills they say threaten workers' rights.

In particular, they were protesting City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who has been working with state legislators on bills that would force Phoenix and Tucson to competitively bid out services that cost more than $75,000.

DiCiccio also has been backing legislation that would use state law to dictate how much Phoenix could compensate employees.

Brandishing signs that said "Sal" with his name crossed out, city employees swarmed DiCiccio after he emerged from the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon.

"They ran pretty fast when they saw me," DiCiccio said. "I guess they're in really good shape."

Protesters at the rally called on DiCiccio to resign or threatened to recall the councilman, worried that the push to privatize more services would put Phoenix employees out of work.

Hundreds of employees and supporters of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2960 and the Laborers' International Union of North American 777 were demonstrating.

The AFSCME 2960 website called on members to "Fight back on the attack against your livelihood!" Meanwhile, the LIUNA 777 Facebook page said members would not "give up without a fight!"

There are more than 20 bills winding through the Legislature that could impact public employees, their collective-bargaining rights or public-employee pensions and compensation.

"For decades the middle class in Arizona, through their unions, have protected everyone's right to join together for a common cause," LIUNA representative Jennifer Wozniak said in a press release earlier this week. "But now some elected officials want to destroy the lives of the very people that work hard each and every day to make Arizona a great place to live."

It's not the first time unions have rallied against DiCiccio.

On Tuesday, they marched in front of Phoenix City Hall and last year came out in full force to City Council chambers protesting proposals to outsource more city services.

"If we don't fix this thing now, none of you are going to have your pensions," DiCiccio said about the need to cut how much the city pays to provide services and pay employees.

"The taxpayer has been struggling," DiCiccio said.

But several employees cried back: "We're taxpayers, too!"

Public employees have been targeted all over the country during the recession as many question the compensation and benefits they receive.

The state legislature in Wisconsin recently limited the collective-bargaining rights of labor unions representing public employees.

Reach the reporter at lynh.bui@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @PHXLynh.