Local 205 Members Get Nashville Up and Running After the Flood

When massive flooding enveloped Nashville in early May, it was public employees who were the first line of defense. Whether it was linemen at NES, engineers at Metro Water, or truck crews at Public Works, SEIU members went above and beyond to get Nashville through one of the worst crises in its history. Mark Allen, a lineman for N.E.S. and their chapter’s president, was out in the field during the flood and got a first hand view of the massive problems he and his co-workers faced. “We were working with both hands tied behind our back since half our fleet and a lot of critical equipment was wiped out when the West Center flooded,” Allen says. “Once we had our feet under us, we were able to get out there in full force, take care of business, and get the lights back on.”

At Metro Water Services, there were so many emergencies, that employees who were assigned to the field and in the plants had to handle thousands of customer service calls that poured in; something these technical employees had never had to do before. Jack Watkins, an SEIU activist and former officer who works as an engineering tech for Metro Water, explains what his people were up against. “This was the largest single mobilization of our department in the 25 years I’ve been there,” Jack says. “In addition to the water and sewer line breakages, we had to deal with the roads washing out and cave-ins underneath the asphalt as the water table rose. The K.R. Harrington water treatment plant went down and nearly everything there had to be completely replaced. It could have been worse. Another foot of water would have taken out the Omohundro plant too and that would have been the end of the city’s drinkable water for months.” Metro’s Public Works department was pushed to the limit too during the cleanup —something that was even more difficult since they’ve been the target of layoffs and budget cuts for the last few years. Metro 911 employees fielded countless calls from panicked residents and helped get police, fire, and EMT units mobilized to save lives and property.

“I know it’s cool to bash government workers, but the truth is that if we weren’t there, people would still be in the dark, they’d have no drinkable water, no way to dispose of waste, and the streets would be clogged with trees and garbage,” says Thom Brown, a 911 dispatcher and former chief steward. “When a disaster hits, it’s public employees who have to get things up and running. Hopefully, our elected officials will remember that the next time they rail against ‘big government’ and more budget cuts.