Print This Page Email This Page
front page billboard 1

Sarah Jones Performs @ SEIU Event on July 7!

Sarah Jones

Sarah Jones Comes to Nashville on July 7

June 30, 2009

SEIU and the Partnership for Quality Care are co-sponsoring a three city tour with Tony Award winning performer Sarah Jones, fresh off her performance at the White House. Her next stop... Nashville!

SEIU Member Awarded "Custodian of the Year"

Michael Hayes, senior custodian at Glendale Elementary, was honored as this year's "Custodian of the Year" by the Metro Nashville Public School system.

The 2009 Convention: A New Building and a New Mission

Posted at Blog/205 by Doug Collier, Local 205 President>>

This is my first post on the new “Blog/205” here at our website, so it’s as good a time as any to thank all the folks who attended Local 205’s Convention on May 9.

End of the School Year Report

Wow, has this been a busy year!  If you haven’t yet come by your new Union hall, please drop by.  I wish you could see where we started and where it is now.  Thanks to all who gave of their time, energy and talents to help paint, remodel, clean and make our new home sparkle.  This year has seemed to fly by, but there are things you need to be aware of before leaving for the summer or going to summer schedules.

Kristine LaLonde Wins In Metro Council Runoff Election!

Kristine LaLonde, who was endorsed by SEIU in the Metro Council special election, won her race and will be the new councilperson for District 18.  Kristine received significant grassroots support from SEIU and has this to say:

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the support of the SEIU and its members during the recent District 18 election.  Thanks to your support, I was able to achieve a victory and will soon start representing the community as the District 18 Councilwoman. We all know that these are challenging times, but I also want you to know that I intend to work hard to represent the hard-working people of this community. I look forward to working with you as we build a better future for all of Nashville in the coming months. Please do not hesitate to contact me at kristine.lalonde@nashville.gov.

LaLonde was a volunteer on Harold Ford Jr.’s 2006 senatorial campaign, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008 and, most recently, the Nashville for All of Us campaign against English Only this year.  SEIU Local 205 congratulates Kristine for her victory and welcomes her to the Metro Council.

NADC Workers Win New Contract!

Just hours before their contract expired, the Bargaining Committee of SEIU's Nashville Auto Diesel College (NADC) chapter voted overwhelmingly to approve a new five-year agreement.  The new agreement will result in better working conditions, better communication procedures with Management, and will increase wages to $4.50/hr over the five-year period of the contract.

Peter Murphy Wins in Council Runoff!

SEIU's endorsed candidate in Chattanooga's 9th council district, Peter Murphy, won convincingly in his runoff election on April 14.

SEIU Brings Change to Chattanooga!

SEIU's slate of pro-worker candidates won big in Tuesday's city council elections, in no small part thanks to a major coordinated union campaign to change Chattanooga.  Of the five candidates that Local 205 endorsed, four of them won their races and one is headed to a runoff election.

Memphis Schools Bargaining Committee Chosen

Building engineers and cafeteria managers from across the city came together to nominate and elect a new Bargaining Committee to represent support staff from Memphis City Schools in upcoming contract negotiations. 

MMC Bargaining Committee Election Results

The results from the Bargaining Committee elections are as follows:

S&T Delegates 
Methodist Medical Center, bargaining committee, members, Steve Paoletto, Barbie Parman, Jeff Massey
Steve Paoletto
Barbie Parman
Jeff Massey
Margo Baker (not pictured)

Alternates:  Sarah Englehart, Theresa Vance

RN Delegates 
Methodist Medical Center, bargaining committee, members, John Weir, Sandra Bryant, Pam Strange, Kay Golden
John Weir
Sondra Bryant
Pam Strange
Kay Golden

Alternate:  Missy Nolan

Thanks to all those who were nominated and elected, and to those who voted.

1st Annual “Activist Recognition Dinner” Honors Superstar Union Members

It goes without saying that a union is only as strong as its members are. Without the dedication of our officers, our shop stewards, our member organizers, and our political activists, it wouldn’t be possible for us to achieve all the things we need to do to improve our members’ lives.

November 2008 Political Roundup

Whether it was on the campaign trail or in the halls of government, your union was on the move during the November 2008 general election to make sure that candidates and politicians put working people first.

N.E.S. Chapter Elects New Officers

At the monthly meeting on Oct 23, the NESEA Board received a list of candidates from the Election Committee who reported that several qualified members had initially accepted nomination, with a contested race apparent for 3 of the 4 offices, but some candidates reconsidered after nominations closed resulting in a single candidate for each office.

NES Workers Turn Out in Force to Protect Their Benefits

 Some 140 Nashville Electric Service (“N.E.S.”) union members swarmed Metro Council to voice their concerns about the possibility of the company’s budget being subjected to heavy scrutiny by Metro Council, which would have jeopardized union contracts and benefits.

SEIU Stops Privatization of Metro Social Services!

SEIU members taking action was the key to victory in stopping privatization at Metro Social Services when the department’s Board of Commissioners voted against the outsourcing of its homemaker and nutrition services programs.  As a result, between 40 and 50 jobs that would have been eliminated next year were saved.

Doug Collier Elected to International Office

Doug Collier, union election, international, board of auditors

Local 205’s president, Doug Collier, was elected to the Board of Auditors, a corps of officers that serve as a watchdog group for the International Union’s accounting practices.

"Rule of 75" Bill Passes Metro Council!

A bill supported by SEIU which would provide additional retirement benefits to certain employees in the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office passed on final reading at Metro Council on June 17. The ordinance, BL2008-206 (also known as the “Rule of 75 bill”), makes sure that employees who perform public safety duties receive the same benefits as their counterparts in the Metro Police and Fire Departments.

Union Action Protects Retiree Benefits!

An SEIU-backed bill passed the Metro Council on its third and final reading thanks to the hard work of union activists and retired Metro employees.