Workplace Victories

Carla Nolley, an LPN at Bordeaux Long Term Care was terminated last year when she and a co-worker had an altercation on the job.

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.

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.

The seeds we planted long ago are starting to bloom and grow. No, I’m not talking about all the trees and flowers outside this spring—I’m talking about our union, SEIU Local 205.  Thanks to the leadership of our new union stewards, we’re winning more victories on the job. Just this past month, we’ve won on two issues that you and your co-workers cared about.

Tiffany Harris is a unit secretary in the E.R. at General Hospital. She was terminated by a Supervisor back in December, even though several employees witnessed the incident and said that Tiffany was not at fault.

Tiffany made her case at a disciplinary hearing, but when her Supervisor decided to fire her, the Supervisor refused to allow Tiffany to have a union representative present. This is a violation of the MOU, the hospital’s civil service rules, and state law. The union appealed the decision to fire Tiffany and due to the Supervisor’s mistake (and because of flimsy evidence that the union reps pointed out), the Hearing Officer ruled in favor of Tiffany and put her back to work.

 Union members in the Metro Schools chapter discovered a hiring controversy and swiftly acted to stop it.

When the Department of Parks director approved a “zero-tolerance” drug policy that was not approved by the Metro Civil Service Commission, he thought he had the right to fire any employee for any positive drug test result. The policy would not consider the employee’s work history or seniority, or permit an employee for a first-time offense to go into a treatment program, as had been done in the past.

Offie Fox works for the Office of Fleet Management in the Metro General Services Department.  He had a problem with his IOD claim when Management started to penalize him by taking days away from him.  Offie brought the issue to the attention of his supervisor and got nowhere.  Then he decided he needed some help to get his voice heard.

Gary Jones, a worker at the Metro Water Department, had been working out of class doing tasks that weren't in his basic job description.  Like a lot of people, he felt that he was helping out the boss and - more importantly - he didn't want to "rock the boat" and make a bad impression on Management.

During the summer days controversy in late August, Management tried to cut the pay of food service workers in half. This would have meant money not going into our members' pocket!  But when SEIU members told their stewards about this proposed pay cut, union leaders acted quickly. Working with Management, the issue was resolved and all food service workers will get a full week’s pay.

We are happy to announce that our Memorandum Of Understanding (“M.O.U.”) has finally been finished and signed by the Mayor!

After over a year and a half of struggle, SEIU completed negotiations with Meharry Medical College in Nashville, signing a five-year contract that gives union-covered employees new benefits...