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Political Action

SEIU Members Welcome the New Metro Council

political action, Metro Council, Metro Muscle, lobbying

Councilmember Karen Johnson (left) speaks with members from Metro Water & NES

October 04, 2011

After the new Metro Council members were sworn in, their first stop was to the SEIU Union Hall where they met with members as Local 205’s “Metro Muscle” campaign kicked off.

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Dean Administration Proposes “Wide-Ranging Changes” to Employee & Retiree Benefits!

As was mentioned in the Nashville City Paper, the Dean Administration has proposed “wide-ranging changes” to the Metro employee and retiree benefit programs. If the Mayor gets his way, retirement security for tens of thousands of workers and retirees in Middle Tennessee is at serious risk.

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Election Report: SEIU's Endorsed Candidates Win Big Across Metro Nashville!

political, voting, election

August 04, 2011

Now that all the polls have closed and the votes have been counted, we can announce that the candidates endorsed by SEIU have won big in the August 4 Metro Council election.

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Tennesseans Stand in Solidarity to Protect Free Speech and Union Rights

collective bargaining, union rights, Tennessee legislature

SEIU members Julie Burns, Bryan Jones, and James Brown tell it like it is.

February 27, 2011

In the first of what will be several large rallies over the next few weeks, hundreds descended on the state capitol in Nashville to stand up for public employees, unions, and free speech-all of which are being threatened by radical, anti-worker legislation in the Tennessee General Assembly.

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Public Employee Members of SEIU Speak Out at Press Conference

collective bargaining, union rights, quality public services

James Staub of the Nashville Public Library speaks out to protect workers rights.

February 23, 2011

SEIU Local 205 members Russ Anthony and James Staub spoke at a press conference in Nashville to support the tens of thousands of teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public service employees who would be affected by several radical anti-worker bills being proposed at the state legislature. 

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SEIU Members Stop Anti-Pension Bill at Metro Council

victory report, workplace victories

Thanks to the activism and solidarity of the members of SEIU Local 205, Metro councilman Eric Crafton moved to "defer indefinitely" his legislation which would have radically changed the retirement of over 13,000 working families and retirees in Middle Tennessee. The two bills, BL2010-857 and BL2010-856, would have put Metro's defined benefit pension plan - one that is stable and solvent - into the hands of Wall Street at a time of financial and economic uncertainty.

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Metro School Board Elects Porter, Other Officers

Gracie Porter, the former Vice Chair of the MNPS Board, was elected to serve as the board’s new Chairman at the Sept. 14 meeting. Gracie was endorsed by SEIU when she first ran for office, but the union did not support her in her bid for chair due to her vote supporting the privatization of the custodians.

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Media Covers SEIU Members Working the Polls on Election Day!

Nashville's CBS affiliate, WTVF Newschannel 5, did a story on Election Day featuring Timothy Graves, a former lead custodian at McGavock High School who was laid off as a result of the privatization fight in Metro Schools.

Tim was never even called back in for an interview once the private company took over and that's what motivated him to go stand in 105 degree heat on Election Day to campaign.

Click HERE to watch the story (video is available).


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Chattanooga Members Talk Issues with Council Members

Dozens of SEIU members turned out to talk to Chattanooga city council members at the March membership meeting.  This being budget season, employees had tough questions for the elected officials that the Union helped elect less than a year ago.

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SEIU on the Supreme Court Ruling Which Opens Floodgates for Corporate Spending in Elections

Today, the US Supreme Court lifted the floodgates and started dismantling century-old restrictions on corporate electoral activity in the name of the ‘free speech rights’ of corporations—meaning if you are a ‘corporate person’ (aka a CEO or corporate official), you are now free to hit the corporate ATM and spend whatever of your shareholders’ money it takes to elect the candidates of your choice.

Unlimited corporate spending in federal elections threatens to drown out the voices of the people who should really be at the center of the political process, i.e., voters and candidates. Unleashing corporate spending will only serve to distort and ultimately delegitimize the electoral process.

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