About SEIU

The Service Employees International Union is the largest and fastest growing union in North America, focused on uniting workers in the key service sectors to improve their lives and the services they provide. The 1.9 million members united in SEIU across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico work in four service industry “divisions”:

Hospital Systems – SEIU is the nation’s largest union of health care workers representing over 900,000 caregivers and hospital employees, including 110,000 nurses and 40,000 doctors in public, private, and non-profit medical institutions.

Long-Term Care – SEIU is the largest union of long-term care workers in the United States. 350,000 home care- and 150,000 nursing home workers provide vital services in both facility and private home settings for our nation’s seniors and the disabled.

Public Services – SEIU is the second largest union of public service employees with 850,000 local and state government workers, public school employees, bus drivers, and child care providers – 49,000 of which joined SEIU in early 2005 in one of the largest union elections in U.S. history.

Property Services – SEIU is the largest property services union, with 225,000 workers who protect and clean commercial and residential office buildings, and is the largest security union, with 50,000 private security officers and public safety personnel.

About Local 205

SEIU Local 205 is chartered to represent its members in Tennessee.  Currently, SEIU is active in four major cities - Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Oak Ridge - in both public- and private-sector workplaces.

Organization
In Nashville, Local 205 represents public sector workers in the Metro General Government departments, the Metro Hospital Authority, the Davidson County Sheriff's Office, the Metro Action Commission, Nashville Electric Service, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, and support staff in the Metro Nashville Public School system.  Private-sector shops include Meharry Medical College and the Nashville Auto Diesel College.

In Memphis, Local 205 represents workers at Medical Action and support staff in Memphis City Schools.

In Chattanooga, SEIU recently organized the city workforce.  We now have union members in the Human Services, Parks & Recreation, Public Works, General Services, Finance, Animal Services, City Court, Neighborhood Services departments.  We also represent workers at the 911 Communication Center and the civilan workers at the Fire Department.

In Oak Ridge, Local 205 is proud to represent RN's and Service & Technical workers at Methodist Medical Center, which is the oldest unit in our local and one of the first unionized hospitals in the country.  Read about Oak Ridge's unique role in Local 205 here.

Political Action
SEIU is one of the most politically active unions in Tennessee.  Its political action committee contributes more money to state and local candidates than any other single labor union based in the state.  In the last year, SEIU and its member activists helped elect 76% of its endorsed candidates to office in Metro Nashville, 100% of its endorsed candidates in Memphis, and succeeded in helping oust a city councilwoman in Chattanooga who was hostile to labor.  This is just the beginning of what SEIU plans to do throughout 2008 in local, state, and national politics to help working people and their families.  Find out more about Local 205's involvement in politics and find out how to help here.

Officers
Local 205's president is Doug Collier.  To learn more about the President, other officers, and the Executive Board, click here.  Local 205's main office is located in East Nashville at 521 Gallatin Ave. and there are satellite offices in Chattanooga, Memphis, and Oak Ridge. Find out how to contact us here.