Jeanine Towe

Bordeaux Long-Term Care (Retired)

Jeanine Towe had worked in Metro hospitals for 19 years as a respiratory therapist. During that time, she was not a union member. Even after she retired, Jeanine figured that there wasn’t a reason for her to join a union or to worry about the health insurance and pension benefits that she’d worked so hard for.

But when the GASB-45 issue put those benefits at risk, Jeanine decided to take action.  “I realized that these things weren’t going to take care of themselves,” Jeanine says. “I needed to organize with other retirees and work to protect what we’ve earned.”

After joining SEIU’s Retiree Chapter, Jeanine was elected as the chapter’s Secretary. She regularly attends union meetings, and she even phonebanked for union-endorsed candidates during the 2007 Metro Council elections.  “Being in SEIU has allowed me to really feel like I can make a difference and I’ve made some new friends. What more can I ask for?”